Rural Project Examples Addressing Networking and collaboration

Pharmacists for Patient Safety Network
Updated/reviewed August 2017

Need: Pharmacists in rural Nebraska are often isolated and find it difficult to communicate with others about safety concerns.
Intervention: The Pharmacists for Patient Safety Network is a communication network in which pharmacists can identify safety concerns and share solutions.
Results: After one year of implementation, 30 of the 38 participating pharmacies reported that the network encouraged new safety practices and reinforced existing safety strategies.

Medical-Legal Partnership of Southern Illinois
Added October 2016

Need: Legal barriers often prevent economically disadvantaged people in Southern Illinois from obtaining positive health outcomes despite receiving medical care.
Intervention: The Medical-Legal Partnership of Southern Illinois (MLPSI) was formed to create a system where medical providers can refer patients in need of legal assistance to local attorneys.
Results: Over 2,500 patients have utilized MLPSI since its founding in 2002. The program has relieved over $8.1 million in medical debt for both hospitals and patients.

Maryland Faith Health Network
Updated/reviewed May 2018

Need: To coordinate formal and informal community-based caregivers for optimal patient experience.
Intervention: The Maryland Faith Health Network unites places of worship and healthcare systems in Maryland. This program aims to decrease the amount of potentially avoidable hospitalizations, improve a patient's overall wellness, and cut down on the cost of medical services.
Results: This model is currently running in 3 hospitals that serve both rural and urban residents in central Maryland. So far, 1,300 congregants from 70 congregations representing Christian, Jewish, and Muslim faiths have enrolled in the Network.

Nursing Home Hosts Childcare Learning Center
Updated/reviewed May 2018

Need: More childcare and preschool options in a rural Minnesota community.
Intervention: A local nursing home built a child learning center whose structure offers an educational setting for childcare as well as regular intergenerational activities between children and elderly residents.
Results: The partnership has resulted in benefits for all parties involved, instilling a sense of youth in the elderly and selfless care in the children.

Alabama Partnership for TeleHealth
Updated/reviewed April 2018

Need: To increase access to healthcare via telehealth in the rural, underserved areas of Alabama.
Intervention: A nonprofit organization that promotes and supports telehealth programs across Alabama.
Results: The establishment and support of telehealth networks at multiple sites across Alabama providing clinical telehealth services including behavioral health, stroke/neurology, and cardiology.

Alaska Health Workforce Coalition
Updated/reviewed April 2018

Need: To ensure a well-qualified and sustainable Alaskan workforce to meet the current and future health care needs of its residents.
Intervention: Establishment of the Alaska Health Workforce Coalition (AHWC), a public-private partnership created to develop, facilitate, implement, and support a statewide health workforce system.
Results: Coalition efforts impacted multiple state policies and programs, including a loan repayment and incentives program, completion of a health vacancy study, and the development and expansion of health-related education programs.

Recovery-Oriented System of Care (ROSOC)
Updated/reviewed April 2018

Need: To serve adults in Mendocino County, California with chronic substance use disorders, mental health diagnoses, and/or complex medical conditions who frequently utilize emergency departments and jail services.
Intervention: A safety net organization was formed that works with medical providers and law enforcement to reduce the high cost of caring for frequent utilizers through intensive care coordination activities.
Results: Greater overall stability in the lives of clients, with less utilization of low-efficacy, crisis-oriented services, hospitalizations, and incarcerations.

Regional Behavioral Health Network
Updated/reviewed April 2018

Need: Multiple organizations in rural east central Illinois were struggling with how to treat patients with behavioral health issues or how to access services for them in a timely manner.
Intervention: The Regional Behavioral Health Network was established with a 24-hour toll-free crisis line, providing immediate access to trained crisis clinicians.
Results: Improved access to and a higher quality of behavioral healthcare for patients in rural east central Illinois.

Health Care Coalition of Lafayette County’s Heath Information Technology Workgroup
Updated/reviewed January 2018

Need: To ensure the quality and sustainability of rural West Central Missouri's health services through the use of technology.
Intervention: The Health Care Coalition of Lafayette County convened a Health Information Technology (HIT) workgroup to establish electronic medical and prescription records, telemedicine capabilities, and training for Lafayette County and surrounding areas.
Results: The workgroup fully equipped a local emergency department with HIT, launched electronic prescriptions for nearly a dozen Lafayette County providers, and identified acute needs hindering the adoption of electronic health records.

Health Care Collaborative of Rural Missouri's Network Projects
Added January 2018

Need: To expand public health and human services to adults living in rural West Central Missouri.
Intervention: The Health Care Collaborative of Rural Missouri's Network organizes Project Connect events, a 1-day public health event that offers free public health and human services to underserved adults.
Results: In 2017 alone, Project Connect events provided a total of 6,880 incidents of services to guests, a $232,000 value.

Rural Project Examples: Networking and collaboration