Michigan’s State Rural Health Plan
Conference call
Advisory Group & Issue Workgroups
October 24, 2008
1

John and Lonnie presented the Plan to 125 people at the Annual Rural Health Conference.
Panel of elected state officials reacted to the
Plan (Caswell, Ball, Espinoza, Huizenga,
Friedman).
The Plan was mailed to all 35 rural state representatives.
The Plan was presented and distributed to the
Small or Rural Hospital Council of the MHA.
Staff interviewed by WOOD 1300 radio (GR).
2

3

4

MCRH staff visited with 25 rural state senators and representatives; each received the Plan and a presentation of process/outcomes.
MCRH staff also proposed a Healthy
Lifestyles Community Matching grant program ($150,000).
Staff interviewed by the Cadillac
Newspaper.
5

MCRH and MDCH staff re-visited the six original communities and distributed the
Plan to 120 people (Manistique, Sault Ste
Marie, Cheboygan, Fremont, Sandusky,
Hillsdale).
Staff interviewed by Traverse City TV
Channel 7 & 4 http://www.tv7-4.com/news/news_story.aspx?id=148950
6

Senator Kahn and Representatives
Caswell and McDowell create the Healthy
Lifestyles Community Matching Grant
Program and appropriate $60,000 to it.
In order to receive funding the community must form partnerships to address any of the twelve Healthy Lifestyle objectives.
7

The twelve participating communities:
Ontonagon, Cheboygan, Eaton Rapids,
Fremont, Alma, Newberry, Hillsdale, St
Ignace, Sandusky, Manistique, Pigeon, and Sault Ste Marie.
Addressing Objectives A-1, A-2, B-1, B-2,
B-3, and B-4 in Healthy Lifestyles (see attachment).
Project begins September 1, 2008.
8

Rose Young from the Midwest Alliance for Telehealth and
Technology Resources (MATTeR) begins publishing monthly articles in the CAH Chronicle and Rural Health
Quarterly regarding telehealth (addressing Objective C-4 and C-5 in Access and Availability to Health Care).
The MSU-COM OsteoChamps Program director,
Margaret Aguwua, begins publishing a series of article in the CAH Chronicle and Rural Health Quarterly about the
OsteoChamps Program (addressing Objective C-3 in
Recruitment and Retention of Health Care Providers).
9

The MCRH, the Michigan Pharmacists
Association and the Michigan Registered
Dental Hygienists Association agreed to partner to provide educational contact hours for both associations members
(addressing Objective B-1 in Recruitment and Retention of Health Care Providers).
10

The Blue Cross/Blue Shield Social Mission
Department agrees to extend the Healthy
Lifestyles Matching Community Grant program to an additional 12 rural communities.
Each community will receive a $5,000 grant that will be matched (in-kind or direct) to address any of the 3 goals and 12 objectives in the Healthy
Lifestyles section of the MI-SORHI document.
11

The selected communities are: Ironwood,
Larium, L'Anse, Munising, Carson City,
Sheridan, Cass City, Caro, Marlette,
Deckerville, Allegan and Dowagiac.
The project kicks-off in November at the
Annual CAH Conference in Boyne.
12

Through the Flex Program grant two additional communities will receive Healthy Lifestyles funding.
On November 12 & 13 MCRH staff will meet with
Senator Kahn and Rep’s Caswell and McDowell.
In January 2009, the Michigan Health Council will receive a $9,500 grant for Practice in Rural
Michigan campaign (R/R Objective A-6).
13

The Plan will drive the April 2009 Annual Rural
Health Conference agenda.
– Behavioral health in the RHC setting
– School-based centers/clinics
– HOSA
The Plan continues to be revised with baseline data (version 4 on MCRH website).
MCRH staff will visit all newly elected rural state representatives in January & February.
14

For MI-SORHI partnerships, funding, programs…
If you think of any later please email: barnas@msu.edu
15