The Center for Health Policy (CHP) will have a record year with ten grants and contracts adding up to more than $1.2 million dollars. Two of the largest projects include work on Medicaid costs and recruitment and retention of physicians.
The Medicaid Capitation Project is a four year contract from the Medicaid Division of the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare will assist Medicaid in understanding the cost of service programs. The actual cost of delivering services will be analyzed so Medicaid can better design appropriate contract rates. Through a partnership with Milliman Inc. (A national Actuarial firm), the CHP will assist Medicaid to continue to provide quality services at a lower cost for Idahoans.
Community factors play a key role in the recruitment and retention of physicians to rural healthcare settings. The Community Apgar Program (CAP) developed by researchers, educators and clinicians at Boise State University and the Family Medicine Residency of Idaho helps to organize these community factors for action. The CAP identifies individual community strengths and unique opportunities for improvement in Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and Community Health Centers (CHCs) related to recruiting and retaining physicians. The Community Apgar Questionnaire (CAQ) assesses a community’s capability to recruit and retain physicians. The CAP utilizes the results compiled over a two year period to provide a real time assessment of a community’s ability to develop and execute action plans for improvement. The states of Idaho, Wyoming, North Dakota, Maine, Wisconsin, and Alaska are currently participating in the CAP. This project has expanded to include addressing the shortage of registered nurses through the work of Molly Prengaman and Jeri Bigbee.
CHP New Staff and Student Researchers:
The Center for Health Policy welcomes new employees Sandina Begic, grant/project coordinator and Sean Wasden, research assistant. In addition, Lisa MacKenzie and Punam Karki were awarded graduate research assistantships. Bradley Morris has been hired as an undergraduate research assistant.
Recently Awarded CHP Grants and Contracts:
Ed Baker, director of the Center for Health Policy, was awarded the following grants and contracts:
- Maine Community Health Center Community Apgar Program
Maine Primary Care Association - North Dakota Critical Access Hospital Community Apgar Program
University of North Dakota - Wisconsin Critical Access Hospital Community Apgar Program
University of Wisconsin - Medicaid Capitation Project
Idaho Department of Health and Welfare – Medicaid Division - Idaho Community Health Center Community Apgar Program
Idaho State Office of Rural Health and Primary Care
Tedd McDonald, director of the Master of Health Science program, was awarded the following grants and contracts:
- Adults’ Perceptions of Issues Related to Underage Drinking
Idaho Department of Juvenile Corrections - Clinical Services Evaluation
Idaho Department of Juvenile Corrections - Maternal Infant Early Childhood Home Visitation Program
Idaho Department of Health and Welfare
Lee Hannah, faculty in the Department of Community and Environmental Health, was awarded the following grants and contracts:
- Tobacco Cessation Grant
Idaho Public Health Departments - Healthwise Electronic Medical Records Project
Healthwise
Recent Publications and Technical Reports:
Schmitz DF, Baker E, Nukui A & Epperly T. Idaho Rural Family Physician Workforce Study: the Community Apgar Questionnaire. Rural and Remote Health 11 (online), 2011: 1769. Available from: http://www.rrh.org.au
Schmitz, D. & Baker, E. & Wasden, S. (2011). Assessing Critical Access Hospital (CAH) Assets and Capabilities for Recruiting and Retaining Physicians: The Wyoming CAH Community Apgar Program. Wyoming Health Resources Network.
McDonald, T. W., & Begic, S. (2011). Adults’ perceptions of issues related to underage drinking in Idaho. Boise, ID: Center for Health Policy, Boise State University.
McDonald, T. W., & Theiler, A. A. (2011). Year three assessment of the Idaho Department of Juvenile Corrections’ Clinical Services program. Boise, ID: Center for Health Policy, Boise State University.
Presentations:
Schmitz, D., Baker, E. & Bahmer, S. (2011). Assessing Critical Access Hospital (CAH) Assets & Capabilities for Recruiting and Retaining Family Physicians: The Wyoming CAH Community Apgar Program from a National Perspective. Presented at the 3RNet Annual Conference, Austin, TX.
Schmitz, D. & Baker, E. (2011). The Community Apgar Program and California: A Tool for Improving Communities’ Recruitment and Retention of Physicians. Presented via webinar to the California Primary Care Association. Sacramento, CA.
Schmitz, D. & Baker, E. (2011). Assessing Community Health Center (CHC) Assets & Capabilities for recruiting and Retaining Family Physicians: The Maine CHC Community Apgar Program. Presented to the Maine Primary Care Association, Bar Harbor, ME.
Schmitz, D., Baker, E. & Bahmer, S. (2011). Assessing Critical Access Hospital (CAH) Assets & Capabilities for Recruiting and Retaining Family Physicians: The Wyoming CAH Community Apgar Program. Presented to the Wyoming Health Resources Network, Cheyenne, WY.
Toussaint, L. L., & McDonald, T. W. (2011, June). Rural-urban differences in health-related impairment and substance use: The role of religiousness as a mediator/moderator. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the National Rural Mental Health Association in Dubuque, IA.
McDonald, T. W., & Theiler, A. A. (2011, September). Third year evaluation of the Clinical Services Program. Presented to the Idaho Criminal Justice Commission, Boise, ID.