1) NCEMS Director Appointed to Chair NYS Task Force
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Ann Smith, Program Director for FDRHPO’s North Country EMS Program Agency, was recently appointed by Governor Kathy Hochul as the Chairperson of the NYS Rural Ambulance Service Task Force. The Task Force falls within the NYS Bureau of EMS and was created to examine, evaluate, and make recommendations to the NYS Department of Health and the Governor’s office concerning ambulance services in New York’s rural areas.
To accomplish this, the Task Force will conduct a study on the unique challenges faced by ambulance services in rural areas and possible long-term solutions to such challenges. The study will include, but is not limited to:
- Determining and assessing business models for ambulance services in rural areas throughout the state
- Assessing various methods to fund or otherwise raise capital for such services
- Studying any other issue it deems relevant
For more information about the NYS Rural Ambulance Service Task Force, call (315.755.2020 ext. 56) or email Ann Smith.
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2) Clarkson EMS Program Honored as 2022 Rural Health Program of the Year
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The NYS Association for Rural Health (NYSARH) celebrated National Rural Health Day on November 17th with a virtual event to present awards in various rural health-related categories.
This year, FDRHPO was pleased to nominate the Clarkson University Lewis School of Health Sciences for the Outstanding Rural Health Program of the Year for recognizing and taking the initiative to fill a gap left by the loss of an EMS education course sponsor in St. Lawrence County.
We are pleased to announce that the program was selected to receive the award this year. Dr. Lennart “Lenn” Johns, Dean of the Lewis School of Health Sciences, accepted the award on the program’s behalf. Ann Smith, Director of FDRHPO's North Country EMS Program Agency, introduced Dr. Johns during the event.
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3) FDRHPO's Analytics Resource Group
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FDRHPO’s Analytics Resource Group (ARG) has been working with the Regional Health Information Organization (RHIO) to leverage real-time ADT (admission, discharge, transfer) messages for the North Country Independent Practice Association, Healthcare Partners of the North Country ACO, and North Country Initiative's clinically integrated network partners. Real-time notifications delivered via email/fax can be combined with claims and clinical data to give providers a full picture of follow-up care that is needed after an emergency department or inpatient discharge. This not only facilitates transitional care management for improved patient care but also reduces the risk of hospital readmission.
ARG is able to deliver messages securely to partners, customized to their workflows. Partners elect to be notified, real-time, if any of their patients/clients are admitted or discharged from the emergency room and/or inpatient setting or transferred among healthcare settings. They may also be supplied with supporting information to include the admitting/discharging facility, reason for the visit, and where the patient was discharged to. Furthermore, ARG’s expansive data warehouse allows for providers to know additional information, should they choose, such as:
- The assigned primary care provider
- Last primary care visit date
- Other admissions/discharges within a specified timeframe (i.e. within 12 months)
- Open care gaps/flags
For more information on how ARG is using the RHIO, please contact Jeff Bazinet, Director of Data Analytics, at jbazinet@fdrhpo.org or 315.755.2020 ext. 61.
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4) Annual Compliance Training
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A reminder to our ACO/IPA partners to check with your Compliance Officer to ensure your organization has completed the following by December 16, 2022:
- Q4 Exclusion Checking
- Annual Privacy, Security, and Compliance Training
For questions, please contact hsanchez@fdrhpo.org.
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PULSE OXIMETER DONATIONS
IMPACT PATIENT OUTCOMES
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In early 2022, FDRHPO made a donation of 465 pulse oximeters to several of our North Country partner organizations. The provision of these oximeters enabled partners to implement borrowing programs for high-risk patients with COVID-19 or other illness or chronic disease that result in respiratory illness. Click this LINK for an example of how those pulse oximeters were utilized by Samaritan Medical Center to reduce readmissions and impact positive outcomes for patients with congestive heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
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NEW BROCHURES AVAILABLE ABOUT NALOXONE (NARCAN) AND OPIOID OVERDOSE
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The New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) has released two new brochures on Naloxone, the life-saving medication that can reverse opioid overdose, for people who are pregnant, people who recently gave birth, and their support persons. Naloxone is available, without a prescription, at most pharmacies in New York State. A QR code on the brochures directs individuals and families to a list of participating pharmacies.
One of the brochures was developed for patients, and it communicates a plan to prevent opioid overdose. The other brochure was developed for the purpose of educating families on how to recognize an overdose and use Naloxone. Links to PDF versions of both brochures are below:
Patient Education Brochure: Naloxone
Family Education Brochure: Opioid Overdose Prevention
These brochures are also available in multiple languages and can be downloaded HERE.
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