FROM WHERE I'M SITTING...By jeff mero, executive director

Well, Annual Meeting season is over, and we get to say thanks to Mike Glenn for his year of service as AWPHD President. We also bid fond adieu to Jon Davis and Mike Wiltermood, each leaving the board after years of exemplary service. A warm welcome to Dale Polla from Brewster as AWPHD's new at-large member and Jim Roberston from Ilwaco as our new Treasurer.

As announced at our Annual Meeting on October 7, the AWPHD Board of Directors approved a 2005 budget at its meeting on October 6. The new budget requires a small increase in Core Dues (3 percent), to cover staff costs. We'll get a full picture of your 2005 dues out soon. In the meantime, please don't hesitate to call if you have questions.

I've spent a lot of time over the last month developing an appreciation for the Rural Healthcare Quality Network (RHQN). In early September, AWPHD agreed to take a larger role in building basic business operations for the RHQN. Since then we have been recruiting for an executive director, working with Ginny Lauver to develop a new set of bylaws to support the incorporation of the RHQN as a non-profit organization, building a budget for 2005 and preparing for a membership meeting on November 19 at the Hilton Hotel in SeaTac. At that meeting, we'll share the proposed 2005 budget, ask for a vote to adopt new bylaws, and (hopefully) elect a new board. If you have questions about what is happening, I'd invite you to call or email me.

The liability reform debate continues to bubble along in our state, even as Oregon gets ready to vote on November 2. Both the initiatives on the streets in Washington (one developed and supported by the state medical association, the other by the state trial lawyers association) seem likely to collect the signatures necessary to be delivered for consideration by the Legislature. If, as seems likely, the Democrats control at least one body in the Legislature, the betting seems to be that our elected leaders will simply allow both measures to be on the ballot next November. Our best read of Initiative 330 (supported by AWPHD, WSHA and WSMA) is that it will require a constitutional amendment to take full effect, though there has lately been some suggestion from WSMA that the initiative passes muster with the state constitution as is. Stay tuned…

We continue to work with the state to seek a way to address the federal government's new limitations on the use of intergovernmental transfers to support state health care programs. Federal agencies see the state getting federal matching funds more than once for the same state dollar. State policy makers and health care providers see more state funding for health care for the poor and vulnerable. With more than $80 million at risk, we need to find an answer that all sides can support (not love, just support).

SNAPSHOTS

The Rural Healthcare Quality Network (RHQN) is seeking an experienced health care professional to fill its Executive Director position. Descriptions of the RHQN and the directorship are available from Jeff Mero (jeffm@awphd.org). Inquiries and résumés also should be sent to Jeff.

Your vote counts! Don't forget to go to the polls on Tuesday, November 2nd.

NETWORK NEWS

RHQN
Here's more information on the $1.5 million, three-year grant the RHQN received last month from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The RHQN jointly applied for the grant with the American Institutes for Research (AIR). Of the 600 applicants vying for $139 million, only 36 (six percent) were funded.

The overall goal of the RHQN-AIR project is to demonstrate the value and foster the widespread use of health information technology in: (1) promoting rural clinical best practices; and (2) overcoming barriers to the adoption of quality improvement innovations in rural hospitals.

The project's investigators will evaluate-on a quasi-experimental basis-a Rural Health Information Technology Cooperative that is based in network computing and set up to improve the practice patterns of physicians and nurses. The two clinical areas of study are especially relevant to rural hospital practice: emergency department stabilization of patients with acute myocardial infarction and inpatient care of people with community acquired pneumonia.

WWRHCC
Forks Community Hospital (Clallam County PHD #1) and Mason General Hospital, Shelton (Mason County PHD #1) have successfully completed their state surveys. In addition, Mason General Hospital is scheduled to become a Critical Access Hospital around the first of the year.

The WWRHCC submitted its application for a three-year Health Resources and Services Administration grant for network development on October 1.

Through the efforts of the University of Washington (and Cara Towle), equipment and lines have been installed to enable Ocean Beach Hospital, Ilwaco (Pacific County Public Healthcare Services District #3); Morton General Hospital (Lewis County PHD #1); Willapa Harbor Hospital, South Bend (Pacific County PHD #2); and Mason General Hospital to participate in the K-20 Telehealth network. Mark Reed Hospital, McCleary (Grays Harbor PHD #1) also received new equipment.

PEOPLE AND PLACES

Jeff Mero, AWPHD's executive director, was elected to a one-year term as president of the Washington State Public Health Association.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Unemployment Compensation Board Meeting
December 4- 8:00 a.m. • Coeur d'Alene Resort, Coeur d'Alene
Contact: Dale Tuvey (206)216-2532

PHD Project Review Board
December 6 - 11:00 a.m. • Healthcare Facilities Authority, Olympia
Contact: John Van Gorkam (360)753-6185

PHD & WAH Workers' Compensation Board Meeting
December 9 - 9:00 a.m. • Prime Hotel, SeaTac
Contact: Anita Badri (206)216-2553

WSHA Board Meeting
December 10 - 9:30 a.m. • WSHA Offices, Seattle
Contact: Lisa Rusk (206)577-1852

AWPHD Board Meeting
December 14 - 10:00 a.m. • AWPHD Offices, Seattle
Contact: Wendy Ray (206)216-2516

WWRHCC Member Meeting
December 16 - 10:30 a.m. • Mason General Hospital, Shelton
Contact: Elizabeth Floersheim (206)577-1851

AWPHD Board Meeting
January 12 - 12:00 a.m. • Conference Call
Contact: Wendy Ray (206)216-2516

WSHA Executive Committee
January 14 - 12;00 noon• WSHA Offices, Seattle
Contact: Lisa Rusk (206)577-1852

If you have an item for the next In Focus, please send it to Dick Goldsmith at richardg@awphd.org by Friday, November 19th.

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