December 6th, 2011
With five years of building significant momentum and developing new ways to meet the risk management needs of all TORCH members under our belts, we are launching a campaign to boost awareness and participation in the TORCH insurance program.
Under the banner “PARTICIPATION Insures Healthier TORCH Hospitals”, we are presenting an ongoing stream of information, education, and risk planning assistance to help all members understand and benefit from our insurance program’s ability to create immediate bottom line results for their hospitals.
The program enables your hospital to:
- SAVE as volume driven buying power means greater cost control and top line expense reduction
- PROFIT from strategic risk management services and resources that drive bottom line growth (now available to all TORCH members)
- GROW by leveraging the existing critical mass through increased participation to create even greater innovation and buying power
Supported by HealthSure, our program partner, we are offering a variety of ways for you to benefit from the TORCH insurance program… even before you decide if participation is right for you. These will be made available to you through various e-mail campaigns, events and published articles.
To kick the campaign off, all TORCH members are invited to ask for two strategic risk planning and self-assessment tools. The first is a three-year risk planner called The Cost Control Calendar that presents strategies for taking permanent control of your costs. And, new this month, The Renewal Readiness Self-Assessment, will help you take greater control of your employee benefit insurance renewal process.
Over the weeks and months ahead, watch for articles in Frontline and Marketplace and announcements and offers of additional learning, planning and assessment tools.
Quick Facts About the TORCH Insurance Program:
- As of August 2011, over 50 TORCH hospitals are participating in the program. (Participation is the key to leveraging buying power.)
- The high cost of employee health insurance is being addressed through the development of a buying alliance.
- Since 2007, member participation has increased by 27%, the number of policies has increased by 197%, and the total buying power has tripled!
- Participants have access to world-class strategies, tools and resources for reducing risk, eliminating gaps or overlaps, and getting more for every insurance dollar they spend. (These resources are available to non-program participants.)
- Every TORCH member benefits as the financial health of fellow members is protected and improved.
Contact Barry Couch or Brant Couch for more information and to request The Cost Control Calendar, The Renewal Readiness Self-Assessment and all other tools HealthSure has available.
Visit www.healthsure.com for more information.
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November 21st, 2011
Earlier this month, TORCH and the TORCH Foundation hosted the 2011 Rural Hospital Information Technology Conference and Trade Show (HITCON) in San Antonio, Texas. It was a great conference and we had yet another opportunity to talk with our members, friends, and industry partners.
For those who were not in attendance, please join us in congratulating the recipients of the 2011 HITCON Awards, recognizing outstanding HIT achievements in Texas rural hospitals. This year’s recipients are:
Rural Hospital IT Award of Excellence
| Ballinger Memorial Hospital
Ballinger, Texas
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Faith Community Hospital
Jacksboro, Texas
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Rural Health IT Leadership Award
| B.C. Lee, IT/PACS Manager
Limestone Medical Center
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Chad Reinert, IT Director
Hamilton Healthcare System
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Rural Hospital Outstanding HIT Partnership Award
| Crane/Rankin/Big Lake Consortium
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Tags: Awards, HITCON, Information Technology, IT, Recognition, TORCH, TORCH Foundation
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November 6th, 2011
Each year, TORCH honors a rural hospital administrator who embodies this spirit of superior service to their local community. In recognition of two decades of service in healthcare and to rural hospitals, including CEO at Eagle Lake, Cuero and Uvalde, Jim Buckner has been named the recipient of the 2011 “Gordon Russell Merit Award.” This award exists to recognize outstanding achievement by rural and community hospital administrators for their leadership and dedication to the profession.
Gordon Russell, the award’s namesake, was the administrator of Hi-Plains Hospital for over 40 years and a former mayor of Hale Center, TX. Mr. Buckner was selected for his dedication to rural hospital administration, his active involvement in TORCH as a former Board member and Chairman, as well as many other civic and professional contributions.
Mr. Buckner is currently in his sixth year as administrator of Uvalde Memorial Hospital. He has twenty years experience in Hospital Administration and another ten years in public health and education. Before taking the Uvalde position, Jim was at Cuero Community Hospital for eight years and Eagle Lake for another five.
Jim has a Bachelor of Science degree from Texas A&M University (1976) and a Master of Science degree from University of Houston – Clear Lake (1989). He enjoys his family, church service, the Rotary Club, fishing, camping, and playing golf.
Jim was an outspoken leader for TORCH and served as its Chairman during the time that the founding CEO, John Boff passed away and the organization transitioned to new leadership. From an EMS volunteer to his service on the boards of TORCH, THA, and the AHA Regional Policy Board, Jim has worked hard to be sure his community has the best access to quality hospital and physician services.
In the nomination letter by John Henderson, CEO of Childress Regional Medical Center, he wrote, “It’s not an overstatement to say that small hospitals and rural patients across Texas have benefitted from Jim’s service.”
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October 15th, 2011
On December 6, 2011, we will be holding a TORCH Coding Workshop at the Doubletree Hotel in Austin! This event is intended for rural hospital coders and staff interested in gaining valuable information, updates and education on both ICD-9 and ICD-10 Coding, as well as ICD-10 Compliance.
Taught by certified codrs, you will receive a day of expert instruction! In addition to the outstanding educatioen you will receive, we have worked with the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) to offer AHIMA continuing education units (CEUs) for this workshop! See the Program Brochure/Agenda for more information. Register today!
Reserve your hotel room before November 25th to receive the special conference rate of $89 per night for a single/double. You can reserve your room online or call the hotel directly at 800-866-3126. Hotel garage parking is complimentary for workshop participants. The Doubletree Hotel is located at 6505 N. IH-35, Austin, TX 78752.
Hospitals & Students:
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January 13th, 2011
The start of the new year marks the start of registration for health care professionals and providers wanting to take advantage of electronic health record incentives. The federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is now registering Texas health care providers who are integrating certified electronic health record technology into their practices.
“Registration with CMS is step one in the process,” said Kathleen Costello, who is helping coordinate the Texas electronic health record incentive program. “Once the provider takes that first step, CMS will pass that provider’s information to us and from that point, HHSC will be responsible for enrolling the provider, verifying eligibility and clearing the way for the incentive payments.”
HHSC plans to begin enrolling health care providers registered with CMS starting in February, with the first incentive payments scheduled for May 2011.
Individual health care professionals eligible for the incentives can be:
- Doctors (MD or DO)
- Dentists
- Nurse practitioners
- Certified nurse midwives
- Some physician’s assistants
These health professionals have to show they have adopted certified electronic health record technology and successfully demonstrate “meaningful use” of electronic health records in ways that improve quality, safety and effectiveness of patient care. Eligible professionals can receive up to $44,000 over a five-year period through the Medicare incentive program and up to $63,750 over a six-year period through the Medicaid incentive program. HHSC has made available an online tool health professionals can use to help determine which incentive program — Medicare or Medicaid — they might be eligible for.
“One of the criteria for determining which incentive program the professional is eligible for is patient volume,” Costello said. “To be eligible for the Medicaid incentive program, they have to show a certain percentage of their encounters are with Medicaid patients.”
HHSC will be sharing more information about health professional eligibility and the enrollment process during two free webinars scheduled for Feb. 3. [Download PDF]
A separate webinar with information about hospital eligibility is in the planning stages.
To prepare for registration with CMS, the agency recommends providers — health professionals and hospital representatives — familiarize themselves with each incentive program’s requirements by visiting CMS’ website for the programs. Additional resources also are available at the HHSC’s Health Information Technology website.
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January 12th, 2011
Last year, TORCH established a presence on both Facebook and Twitter as a means to enhance networking and information dissemination among its hospital and corporate members. We hope that if you are a part of these online communities already, that you will consider join our sites as soon as possible.
These could become very powerful tools as we head toward the next state legislative session and work to educate the newest members of Congress on rural health issues. There are links at the top of our homepage that will lead you to each site and give you the opportunity to join or to register for a new account. It is a quick and easy process and you will then have access to TORCH and countless other organizations and individuals that are of interest to you both personally and professionally.
Also, we recently created a LinkedIn Group that is dedicated to TORCH, its members and other stakeholders who serve rural hospitals as a part of their studies or career. LinkedIn is primarily a networking site for working professionals. It is also used quite extensively by job seekers and for recruiting.
The TORCH LinkedIn Group page can support messaging and discussions and let you explore your colleagues resumes and accomplishments. We hope that in addition to Facebook and Twitter, that you will join us at Linked in as well. Click on any one of the logos below to get started.
  
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December 5th, 2010
Written by Jessica Zigmond – Modern Healthcare - December 5, 2011
Healthcare spending in 2009 grew at the slowest rate in five decades, rising 4% to $2.5 trillion—or $8,086 per person—while still outpacing overall growth in the gross domestic product, according to an annual report from the CMS.
And that spending as a share of the nation’s gross domestic product rose to 17.6% in 2009, representing a 1 percentage point increase from 2008—the largest one-year increase in the 50-year history of the National Health Expenditure Accounts.
Compiled by the CMS Office of the Actuary, the report indicated that the recession from December 2007 until June 2009 had a strong influence on total healthcare spending, which was due primarily to slower growth in private insurance expenditures; a decline in spending on structures and equipment; and slower growth in out-of-pocket spending. Meanwhile, as more Americans became eligible for and enrolled in Medicaid, growth in that federal program jumped 9% in 2009, compared with a 4.9% growth rate the previous year.
“No one should take solace in the fact that health spending grew at a lower rate in 2009,” Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), the new ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, said in a statement. “This report doesn’t reflect the crushing increases in health costs and premiums facing American families and employers due to the recently enacted $2.6 trillion health spending law. Furthermore, this report details the massive increases in federal Medicaid spending due to the recession. But this increase will pale in comparison to what federal and state budgets will face under the unprecedented Medicaid expansion in the health law,” Hatch added.
The report’s findings, which will be published in the January issue of the journal Health Affairs, also showed hospital spending increased 5.1% to $759.1 billion in 2009, compared with a 5.2% growth rate in 2008; physician and clinical services spending rose 4% to $505.9 billion, down from a growth rate of 5.2% the prior year; and retail prescription drug spending grew 5.3% to $249.9 billion, following a 3.1% increase in 2008.
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August 30th, 2010
We wanted to give everybody a final reminder about new pharmacy rules in effect for rural hospitals. Please download the two documents and if you have any questions, feel free to give us a call at 512-873-0045.
Texas Hospital Pharmacy Rules
Pharmacy Board Letter / Pharmacy Tech Application
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May 10th, 2010
AUSTIN, Texas (May 10, 2010) – As National Hospital Week (May 9 – 15) is celebrated across the country, the Texas Organization of Rural & Community Hospitals (TORCH) congratulates its member hospitals who continue to serve their communities.
“National Hospital Week is about appreciation of the healthcare professionals who are the true wonder of medicine,” said David Pearson, president of TORCH. “For that, we congratulate them for their service.”
What began in 1921 as the brainchild of a magazine editor who wanted to educate the public about the work of hospitals, National Hospital Week has become the nation’s largest healthcare celebration.
“National Hospital Week is about the celebration of hospitals and those who work each day to ensure their communities remain healthy,” said Pearson. “For 20 years, we’ve helped rural Texas hospitals keep their doors open and thrive. It’s important for them to continue to serve their community and we’re happy we’ve been able to help.”
The high rate of hospital closures was just one of the reasons TORCH was founded in 1990. Although rural healthcare continues to face challenges, TORCH has served as an advocate and resource leader for rural and community hospitals.
Hospitals are a critical element of rural communities that represent a majority of Texas. The people who power these hospitals are the true heroes and TORCH acknowledges their service to the people who need it most.
Tags: Healthcare, National Hospital Week, Rural Hospitals, TORCH
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November 18th, 2009
TORCH Hospitals:
TORCH is bestowing specials awards on four state lawmakers for helping us in the last session. Senators Robert Duncan of Lubbock and Kel Seliger of Amarillo, as well as State Representatives Joe Heflin of Crosbyton and Garnet Coleman of Houston will be the recipients of the Texas Rural Health TORCHbearer Award for their support of rural hospitals and their efforts to enhance rural health care access.
The first award ceremony will be conducted at 11 am this morning at Covenant Hospital Plainview for Representative Heflin. He was a strong supporter of rural hospitals and worked hard on HB 1924, which was to protect rural hospitals from stricter pharmacy rules. He also worked for physician employment issue and in other areas to help Texas rural hospitals..
Here is an excerpt from the press release that has been sent out:
Texas State Representative Joe Heflin of Crosbyton was presented today with the Texas Rural Health TORCHbearer Award by the Texas Organization of Rural & Community Hospitals. Representative Heflin was recognized for his efforts in the 81st session of the Texas Legislature in support of rural hospitals and working to improve access to health care for rural Texans. The award ceremony was held at Covenant Hospital in Plainview, one of the rural hospitals in the House District #85 which is represented by Heflin.
The Texas Organization of Rural & Community Hospitals, also known as TORCH, represents more than 150 rural hospitals, including those in Heflin’s district. According to TORCH President and CEO David Pearson, “Representative Heflin is one of a few state lawmakers that went well beyond the call of duty to help rural hospitals and pressed for enhanced health care in rural areas.” Heflin is credited with working in several areas including pushing for programs to bring more doctors to rural Texas and trying to shelter rural hospitals from regulations that could add unnecessary costs for patients and local taxpayers.
Pearson added “Joe Heflin is someone who fully understands the importance of protecting our limited resources. He knows that when rural hospitals struggle, the community soon starts to feel the effects. Joe truly gets it and he makes it a personal priority to fight for rural hospitals.” TORCH bestows this special award on only a small group of deserving individuals who have sincerely demonstrated their commitment to improving rural health care.
Many rural hospitals in Texas struggle with limited resources and low patient volumes, but without them thousands of rural Texans would not have accessible health care. Don McBeath, Director of Advocacy for TORCH, said “without enthusiastic support from people like Representative Heflin, some of our rural hospitals could not survive. We truly appreciate his efforts and his willingness to fight for our rural citizens to have access to care.”
Heflin has one of the most rural districts in the Texas Legislature with 16 rural counties covering more than 15,000 square miles and spanning 243 miles north to south and 183 miles east to west. It spreads from Plainview in the panhandle, to west of San Angelo, to north of Abilene. The 85th House district has 12 hospitals, 8 of which have 25 or less beds.
Senators Duncan and Seliger, as well as Rep. Coleman will receive their awards on later dates based on scheduling.
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