Project Grant TR145924

RURAL PUBLIC HEALTH WORKFORCE TRAINING NETWORK PROGRAM - MOUNTAIN EMPIRE COMMUNITY COLLEGE (MECC) AND THE MOUNTAIN EMPIRE RURAL HEALTH NETWORK (MERHN) WILL COLLABORATE TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF TRAINED HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (HIT) AND TELEHEALTH TECHNICAL SUPPORT PROFESSIONALS FOR A REGION DESIGNATED AS BOTH A HPSA AND MEDICALLY UNDERSERVED AREA. MECC WILL OFFER HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DATA ANALYST TRAINING TO NEW STUDENTS AND HEALTHCARE EMPLOYEES EXPERIENCED IN THE USE OF ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORDS (EHR). THIS SHORT-TERM TRAINING PROGRAM WILL PREPARE INDIVIDUALS TO PROVIDE TECHNICAL SUPPORT FOR THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND USE OF ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORDS, TELEHEALTH SYSTEMS, AND RELATED COMPUTER APPLICATIONS IN THE SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA REGION. MECC RESPECTFULLY REQUESTS FUNDING IN THE AMOUNT OF $887,676 TO CARRY OUT THIS PROJECT. MECC IS A TWO-YEAR, PUBLIC COMMUNITY COLLEGE WHICH SERVES APPROXIMATELY 3,000 CREDIT STUDENTS (1,500 FTE) AND 2,600 NONCREDIT STUDENTS EACH YEAR. THE COLLEGE'S SERVICE REGION INCLUDES ONE CITY (NORTON) AND FOUR COUNTIES (DICKENSON, LEE, SCOTT, AND WISE) IN RURAL SOUTHWESTERN VIRGINIA, WITH A POPULATION OF APPROXIMATELY 103,000. THE AREA'S POVERTY RATE IS MORE THAN DOUBLE THE STATE AVERAGE (22.2% VS. 10.6% IN 2020). BUILDING UPON ITS SUCCESSFUL HEALTH INFORMATION MANAGEMENT DEGREE PROGRAM, MADE POSSIBLE BY A PREVIOUS HRSA FUNDING OPPORTUNITY, THE COLLEGE WILL WORK WITH MERHN TO MEET AN INCREASED DEMAND FOR WORKERS WHO CAN DESIGN, MAINTAIN AND SUPPORT THE HIT INFRASTRUCTURES AND DATABASES UPON WHICH HIM AND TELEHEALTH SYSTEMS RELY. MERHN IS A GRASSROOTS NETWORK MADE UP OF COMMUNITY-BASED HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS MOUNTAIN EMPIRE COMMUNITY COLLEGE, AND SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA AREA HEALTH EDUCATION CENTER (AHEC). THE NETWORK WAS ESTABLISHED FOR THE SPECIFIC PURPOSE OF ADDRESSING REGIONAL HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY WORKFORCE CHALLENGES IN 2013. MECC AND MERHN'S BUILDING CAPACITY FOR HIT & TELEHEALTH PROFESSIONALS PROJECT WILL RESULT IN THE FOLLOWING: 1) TRAINING O F NEW AND EXISTING STAFF TO FULLY LEVERAGE AND OPTIMIZE HER AND TELEHEALTH SYSTEMS IN SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA; 2) ESTABLISHING AN EXPANDED CAREER PATHWAY STRUCTURE FROM ANY ALLIED HEALTH OR CLINICAL HEALTH FIELD TO THE HIT SECTOR; 3) INCREASING OPPORTUNITIES FOR HIT DATA ANALYST INTERNS AND SHARED HIT SPECIALISTS ACROSS RURAL HEALTH FACILITIES; AND 4) ENABLING ON-THE-JOB AND CUSTOMIZED HIT TRAINING AND PATIENT EDUCATION TO MEET THE NEEDS OF MERHN AND OTHER MEDICAL FACILITIES WITHIN THE REGION. GRANTS FUNDS WILL SUPPORT SCHOLARSHIP ASSISTANCE FOR PARTICIPANTS, INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS, AND PUBLIC OUTREACH. INITIAL RECRUITMENT WILL FOCUS ON INCUMBENT HEALTHCARE WORKERS TO MEET EMPLOYERS' MOST IMMEDIATE NEED FOR TECHNICAL TRAINING TO SUPPORT THE USE OF HIT AND TELEHEALTH SYSTEMS. THIS BUILDING CAPACITY INITIATIVE WILL RESULT IN AN INCREASED NUMBER OF TRAINED HIT PROFESSIONALS TO SUPPORT SMALL, RURAL HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS IN SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA. MECC HAS THE CAPACITY TO EFFECTIVELY MONITOR PROJECT ACTIVITIES, AND WILL IMPLEMENT MULTIPLE METHODS FOR THIS PURPOSE. THE COLLEGE HAS EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE MANAGING GRANT AWARDS OF ALL SIZES, INCLUDING LARGE, MULTI-YEAR FEDERAL GRANTS AND PREVIOUS HRSA AWARDS. ADEQUATE CONTROLS ARE IN PLACE TO ENSURE SOUND FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT. MECC ALSO HAS PERSONNEL IN PLACE WITH SIGNIFICANT GRANT MANAGEMENT EXPERIENCE. MECC IS REQUESTING FUNDING PREFERENCE BASED ON THE QUALIFICATIONS OF THE FOUR SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA LOCALITIES TO BE SERVED BY THIS INITIATIVE: DICKENSON, LEE AND WISE COUNTIES AND THE CITY OF NORTON. EACH OF THE FOUR LOCALITIES ARE CLASSIFIED AS HPSA AND MUC/MUP AREAS AS INDICATED IN ATTACHMENT 10 OF THE APPLICATION. MECC IS ALSO REQUESTING SPECIAL CONSIDERATION BASED UPON THE INCLUSION OF A SIGNED MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING FROM ALL NETWORK PARTNERS INCLUDED IN ATTACHMENT 11.