Participation Type
Roundtable
Session Abstract or Summary
Healthcare is complicated subject, yet a basic need. What do concerned citizens need to know in order to best represent their own and their communities’ interests in the quagmire of healthcare debates running through today’s political discourse? Why doesn’t Medicaid expansion fix most access problem? How is access different from affordability? What’s the difference between a Federally Qualified Health Center, a Community Health Clinic, and a Critical Access Hospital—and why does it matter? What has the opioid crisis got to do with clinic closures? And what should locals know about their hospital? Experts from VA and NC’s front lines of rural health join a TN hospital administrator and clinic program manager to answer questions and propose viable action points for Appalachian rural communities in health care crisis.
Presentation #1 Title
Advocacy 101: how to get a meeting and make a point with legislators and policy leaders
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
Legislators and policy makers have particular ways of seeing the world. Learn how to make them see your point of view in ways that are effective, evidence-based, and emotionally intense. Find techniques to avoid avoidance and bring important information to the fore of every conversation. This will be part of the larger roundtable.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
Beth O'Connor is Executive Director of the Virginia Rural Health Association. She leads advocacy efforts in multiple areas at the state and federal level. Her most recent project was creating a technical support collective agreement for rural clinics, enhancing buying power and reducing IT difficulties.
Presentation #2 Title
What you don't know about your local hospital could kill you
Presentation #2 Abstract or Summary
What is a critical access hospital and how does it differ from others? Where do corporations look for the bottom line? What do Medicaid/Medicare reimbursements have to do with keeping the doors open, and why is now a critical time for critical hospitals in rural America? Clark leads and exploration of concepts that are often seen in stark terms of binary opposition, rather than give-and-take. Bring questions on these topics as part of the larger roundtable.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #2
DALE M. CLARK, BS PHARM, MSHA, FACHE, is CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER at Indian Path Medical Center in Tennessee. A native of Bland, Virginia, he has spent his life working in and advocating for healthcare for Appalachians.
Presentation #3 Title
Alphabet Soup mixed with Numbers: sorting the realities of rural healthcare into common sense
Presentation #3 Abstract or Summary
Between the abbreviations and the statistics, it's easy for a lay person to get lost in the jumble of information and misinformation on clinical care in rural areas. Cut through the confusion with a few key facts: what FQHCs and CHCs do, how they supplement hospital care, what they can, can't and won't do in communities, and how following the money doesn't always lead to the best healthcare. How does clinical care in the community affect health perceptions among policy makers, and how accurate are their perceptions? Bring questions and be prepared to explore these topics as part of the larger roundtable.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #3
Howard Chapman is Chief Programs and Development Officer for Tri-Area Community Health in Virginia. With more than 30 years of experience directing FQHCs and CHCs, he advocates for access and affordability with insights and a unique ability to turn difficult concepts and mind-numbing numbers into true stories of real people.
Presentation #4 Title
Rural Health is different from Urban Health because....
Presentation #4 Abstract or Summary
Rural Health Clinic is a specific designation denoting a few key things to the discerning citizen. How these clinics function in relation to other entities, what it means to have (or not have) RCHs in you area, the increasing burden of regulations and restrictions from federal and state policies, and other barriers to healthcare provision will be part of this discussion, as part of the larger roundtable.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #4
Technical Assistance Director for the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health, Tammy Norville leads people through terms and definitions with skill and grace. With a background in regulatory surveying, “troubleshooting” in the senior living private sector and being a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill graduate, Tammy Norville served rural safety-net providers for almost 15 years in the North Carolina DHHS Office of Rural Health.
Advocacy 101: how to get a meeting and make a point with legislators and policy leaders
Legislators and policy makers have particular ways of seeing the world. Learn how to make them see your point of view in ways that are effective, evidence-based, and emotionally intense. Find techniques to avoid avoidance and bring important information to the fore of every conversation. This will be part of the larger roundtable.
