Colorado Rural Health Center
2024 Annual Report
About CRHCWorkforcePolicy and AdvocacyEventsFLEXCCMSHIPRural ConnectivityCREATEFinancials
Thank you for making 2024 a year of growth and opportunity!
Members and Partners,
On behalf of the staff and board of the Colorado Rural Health Center (CRHC), I want to thank you all for your continued support of the Colorado Rural Health Center, the State Office of Rural Health and Rural Health Association. And for your unweaving support for rural health across Colorado.
As the State Office of Rural Health and Rural Health Association, CRHC’s mission is “to enhance healthcare services by providing information, education, linkages, tools and energy towards addressing rural healthcare issues” and our vision is “to improve healthcare services available in rural communities to ensure that all rural Coloradoans have access to comprehensive, affordable, high quality healthcare.”
In 2024, CRHC was able to invest $3.7 million in grant funding for our members and $.81 of every dollar is spent on CRHC programs!
With workforce being one of the largest issues faced by our rural communities, CRHC worked through our Colorado Provider Recruitment and Retention (CPR) Program and had 12,114 direct referrals to active jobs. The team also produced a Community Health Worker Toolkit and Directory, a Retention Strategies Guide and a Strategic Roadmap for Operational Excellence and Workforce Development.
CRHC also had a big year for Policy with the passage of the Remote Patient Monitoring for Medicaid Patients bill (SB24-168). CRHC assisted in drafting the bill,, developed fact sheets, hosted stakeholder meetings, negotiated amendments and lobbied both chambers for passage. In addition, Policy and Legislative Committee meetings were held with members during session and CRHC testified 12 times.
Programs and educational opportunities continued to grow with over 400 people educated in one program alone. CRHC’s programs also helped rural communities reduce readmission rates that resulted in over $547,000 savings.
Finally, CRHC hosted the Forum and Annual Conferences this past year bringing education and networking opportunities. The Snapshot of Rural Health continues to expand and bring more data and information to our rural communities, rural stakeholders, and policy makers.
As the Chief Executive Officer for CRHC, it is my honor and privilege to serve rural Colorado. With your ongoing support, CRHC will continue to be a voice and resource. Thank you!
About the Colorado Rural Health Center
The Colorado Rural Health Center (CRHC) is Colorado’s nonprofit State Office of Rural Health. CRHC works with federal, state, and local partners to offer services and resources to rural healthcare providers, facilities and communities. We have a diverse and inclusive statewide constituency serving organizations in every corner of the state.
Established in 1991 by members of the Colorado Rural Health Consortium, Colorado Rural Health Center (CRHC) was created with start-up support from the State Office of Rural Health (SORH) Grant and several public and private organizations around the state. CRHC was developed as a nonprofit organization and is one of only three nonprofit offices of rural health in the country.
Our mission is to enhance healthcare services in the state by providing information, education, linkages, tools, and energy toward addressing rural health issues. Our vision is to improve healthcare services available in rural communities to ensure that all rural Coloradans have access to comprehensive, affordable, high quality healthcare.
CRHC invests millions in grant funding into our rural hospitals, clinics, and providers! CRHC receives grant funding each year with one mission: to pass the benefits on to rural facilities and to make their work more successful.
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CRHC stands for the rural communities of Colorado. The services and support that they provide are invaluable to those of us working in rural healthcare!
DeeAnn Sierra, RNChief Quality/Safety Officer, Rio Grande Hospital, Del Norte, COWe have been so blessed by the many opportunities we’ve received for various resources and grants through the Colorado Rural Health Center. From Seed Grants to Sustainability Grants, CRHC has provided resources for further engagement and education to assist our staff in creating and sustaining needed services in the most remote county in the lower 48 states. We are very thankful for CRHC!
Rachel MooreExecutive Director, Lake City Area Medical CenterWe are grateful to be a member of the Colorado Rural Health Center. Their mission to enhance healthcare services in the state by providing information, education, and support to address rural health issues is a game changer. As members, we have access to countless resources and services to provide our community with the best rural health care has to offer. We are grateful for our relationship.
Kay WhitleyCEO/President, Spanish Peaks Regional Health Center/Veterans Community Living Center
Board of Directors
Jennifer Riley – CRHC Board Chair
Chief Executive Officer
Memorial Regional Health
Doug Miller, FNP-BC, MSN – CRHC immediate past Board Chair
Nurse Practitioner
Rocky Ford Family Health Center, LLC
Tammy Dunker – CRHC Board Chair-Elect
Director
Rangely Family Medicine
DeeAnn Sierra
Chief Quality/Safety Officer, Employee Health Infection Control Nurse
Rio Grande Hospital and Clinics
Dr. Michael Vargas
Family Physician
Grand River Hospital Distric
John Leavitt – Secretary/Treasurer
CEO
The Colorado Network
Jayden Miracle
Clinic Manager
Melissa Memorial Hospital and Clinic
Kay Whitley
President/Chief Executive Officer
Spanish Peaks Regional Health Center
Colorado Provider Recruitment and Retention (CPR)
The Colorado Provider Recruitment and Retention Program is your dedicated partner in building a robust healthcare workforce across the state. Our mission is to support rural Colorado clinics and hospitals in attracting and retaining top-tier professionals for underserved areas, ensuring that communities have access to high-quality care. Our unique program connects providers, who are passionate about serving safety-net patients in rural Colorado, with their perfect Colorado home. Join us in our commitment to enhancing and expanding healthcare delivery in Colorado. With the Colorado Provider Recruitment and Retention Program, you’ll have the support and resources you need to build a strong, dedicated team that meets the needs of your patients and community.
Colorado Health Service Corps (CHSC) Loan Repayment
The Colorado Department of Health and Environment partners with the Colorado Rural Health Center to evaluate and award loan repayment to primary care providers working in designated health professional shortage areas. CRHC also has a seat on the governor appointed CHSC advisory council.
Workforce Resources and Training
Trainings
CRHC developed comprehensive workforce resources in 2024 aimed at helping students enter rural medical practice. CRHC workforce staff presented to M.D./D.O. students and residents on the Colorado rural landscape with guest speakers including a rural physician to speak about his lived experience as a rural provider and CAH CEO. There was a total of 23 students/residents that attended virtually.
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- CRHC sponsored a recruitment and retention education web series through The National Rural Recruitment and Retention Network (3RNET) on building a sustainable recruitment and retention plan and other pertinent topics
- CRHC workforce staff hosted a Community Health Worker Clinical Workflow Training through the Colorado Colorectal Screening Program (CCSP) which has implemented the country’s largest screening patient navigation program within the safety net clinics in Colorado. Education was provided to rural health clinics, organizations, hospitals, and public health departments on best practice for integrating CHWs into their care team and provided workflow templates.
Student to Practice Resource Guide
CPR Program Catalog
Recruitment and Retention Handbook
Retention Strategies Guide
Community Health Worker Directory
Community Health Worker Integration Toolkit
Community APGAR
The Community Apgar Program is a nationally renowned, research-driven program designed to assess readiness for recruitment of providers. The research findings underscore the specific community factors that play a key role in the recruitment and retention of providers to rural healthcare settings and help build a strategic recruitment plan.
CRHC conducted two Community Apgar studies in rural Colorado. The initial study included 16 RHCs across Colorado and concluded at the end of the year. CRHC began a second study with 6 CAHs that will conclude at the end of 2025.
The results of the RHC Apgar conclude the following top factors (advantages) for those participating:
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- Collegiality amongst providers
- Perception of quality
- Recreational opportunities
- PA and NP collaboration
- Income guarantee
Policy and Advocacy
Each year, CRHC’s Policy and Advocacy Team works tirelessly to ensure that the interests of our members are represented on the state and federal capitals.
CRHC Bill Positions
Support
| HB24-1005 | Health Insurers Contract with Qualified Providers |
| HB24-1036 | Adjusting Certain Tax Expenditures |
| HB24-1055 | Child Passenger Safety and Education |
| HB24-1002 | Social Work Licensure Compact |
| SB24-010 | Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact |
| SB24-018 | Physician Assistant Licensure Compact |
| SB24-001 | Continue Youth Mental Health Services Program |
| SB24-055 | Agricultural & Rural Behavioral Health Care |
| HB24-1149 | Prior Authorization Requirements Alternatives |
| SB24-116 | Discounted Care for Indigent Patients |
| SB24-121 | Licensure of Critical Access Hospitals |
| SB24-130 | Noneconomic Damages Cap Medical Malpractice Actions |
| HB24-1287 | Access to State Grant Opportunities |
| SB24-168 | Remote Monitoring Services for Medicaid Members |
| HB24-1312 | State Income Tax Credit for Careworkers |
| HB24-1231 | State Funding for Higher Education Projects |
| HB24-1237 | Programs for the Development of Child Care Facilities |
| SB24-034 | Increase Access to School-Based Health Care |
| SB24-221 | Funding for Rural Health Care |
| HB24-1472 | Raise Damage Limit Tort Actions |
Monitor
| SB24-057 | Agricultural Workforce & Suicide Prevention |
| SB24-082 | Patient’s Right to Provider Identification |
| HB24-1010 | Insurance Coverage for Provider-Administered Drugs |
| SB24-141 | Out-of-State Telehealth Providers |
| HB24-1218 | Ground Ambulance Service Rates & Billing |
| SB24-175 | Improving Perinatal Health Outcomes |
| HB24-1459 | Birth Equity |
| HB24-1153 | Physician Continuing Education |
Policy Win: SB24-168 Remote Monitoring Services for Medicaid Members
CRHC succ
essfully led the passage of SB24-168 Remote Monitoring Services for Medicaid Members. CRHC spearheaded the legislation, which was years in the making, securing bipartisan rural sponsorship and working with numerous stakeholders to craft the bill. With member support, including testimony and participation in an advocacy video for the bill, and a coalition of over 20 organization supporters, CRHC ultimately secured veto-proof passage in the General Assembly.
CRHC assisted in drafting the bill, developed fact sheets, hosted stakeholder meetings, negotiated amendments and lobbied both chambers for passage
Events
The Forum was held April 3-5, 2024 and provided educational sessions, networking, and brainstorming opportunities for representatives of Colorado’s Rural Health Clinics. 2024 was the final year for the Forum which is now a part of the combined conference known as The Colorado Rural Healthcare Conference.
The Annual Rural Health Conference (ARHC) was held October 3-4, 2024 and provided educational oportunities for representatives of Colorado’s Critical Access Hospitals. 2024 was the final year for the ARHC which is now a part of the combined conference known as The Colorado Rural Healthcare Conference.
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@GAVLICKPHOTO
Safety Net Clinic Week and National Rural Health Day
CRHC celebrated National Rural Health Day at Melissa Memorial Hospital in Holyoke, Colorado. CRHC staff travelled to Holyoke for a luncheon, tour, and celebration of the Power of Rural!
For Safety Net Clinic Week, CRHC honored San Luis Valley (SLV) Health in Alamosa, Colorado. SLV Health was chosen because of their staff’s commitment to advocacy in 2024, helping to secure the passage of SB24-168 Remote Monitoring Services for Medicaid Members!
Federal Grants Keep Rural Healthcare Alive!
The Colorado Rural Health Center is funded by three federal grants – State Office of Rural Health (SORH), Small Rural Hospital Improvement Program (SHIP), and Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility (FLEX) Program. To read more about how these essential healthcare grants have sustained rural healthcare across the nation for decades, read CRHC’s infographic laying out the differences in the grants and the accomplishments under each!
FLEX Grant Funded Services
Quality Innovation Lab
The Colorado Quality Innovation (QI) Lab Project is supported through the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program (Flex). CAHs are supported through quality improvement initiatives, educational webinars and workshops, financial education, Health Information Technology (HIT) support, regional workshops, and peer learning opportunities. CAH Quality Network brings together Quality Directors and other relevant staff from Colorado’s CAHs and provides a venue for education and peer learning during monthly webinars. The purpose of the Flex QI Lab Project is to provide a structured framework to work with critical access hospitals (CAHs) in improving quality of care for patients; and the support for implementation of evidence-based improvement initiatives with CAHs. CRHC Flex staff engaged CAHs in a yearlong quality improvement project focusing on improving Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) – Discharge Information. The Flex Program Quality Innovation Lab project focused on improving HCAHPS Discharge Information composite score with twelve CAHs in 2024.
Presentation Topics, 2024
• Four Types of Problem Solving
• Identifying the need for Improvement or Change
• Understanding Voice of the Customer
• How to Decide What Customers/Patients/Families, Caregivers Want
• Measuring impact of interventions
• Project Roadmap
• Acting to Maintain the Gain
• The Mistakes that Make Us
Chronic Care Management (CCM)
CCM is a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) program that allows primary care providers to support their patients with multiple chronic diseases through monthly touchpoints and other support services and be reimbursed for their time doing so. CCM aims to improve the lives of individuals living with chronic conditions while also saving the healthcare system from extra spending. CRHC’s yearlong CCM Program, which is part of CRHC’s Colorado Rural Sustainability (CORS) Network, helps rural clinics establish their CCM programs by providing technical assistance to build the care team and the necessary components and processes. During the first two years of the CCM Program, readmission rates have decreased leading to cost savings for participating rural clinics
SHIP Grant Funded Activities
The Small Rural Hospital Improvement Program (SHIP) funds, which are directed through each hospital’s State Office of Rural Health (SORH), allow rural hospitals to participate in shared savings programs; and to purchase health information technology, equipment, and training to comply with quality improvement activities. The services provided through SHIP are at no cost to the hospital or offer financial assistance.
Rural Connectivity Program (RCP)
CRHC’s Rural Connectivity Program is a program funded by the Office of eHealth Innovation, Department of Health Care Policy and Financing and in partnership with the Colorado Community Managed Care Network (CCMCN), and Contexture. The goals are to establish a sustainable model for rural connectivity, including connecting providers to Colorado’s Health Information Exchanges (HIE) and supporting rural America’s underserved rural population with analytics and data.
CCMCN makes available a Community Analytics Platform (CAP) that provides a comprehensive suite of analytics to allow rural health providers to view population health metrics, costs of care, and operational opportunities. By accessing the analytics provided through the CAP, CRHC provides technical assistance to providers with initiatives that address developing programs, understanding costs, refining workflows, improve outcomes, and population health strategies.
Available 2024 Dashboards:
- Diabetes Screening and Diagnoses
- Cancer Screenings and Diagnoses
- Cardiovascular Disease Screenings and Diagnoses
- Outmigration Overview
- OB Desert Report
- Medicaid Attribution and PHE Unwind
- Shared Populations Report
- ADT Summary
- Adult Immunizations
- Childhood Immunizations
- COVID-19 Patient Management
- COVID-19 Trends and Distributions
- COVID-19 Vaccination
Eligible facilitiesEligible Facilities |
rcpfacilitiesFacilities Enrolled in RCP |
numberhieFacilities Connected to the HIE |
Cap CasesTotal Cases in the CAP |
Rural Connectivity Infographics
CREATE
The Colorado Resource for Emergency and Trauma Education (CREATE) provides education and training for emergency medical and trauma service providers working in Colorado.
Approved CoursesDollar Amount of Approved Courses |
Amount DistributedDollar Amount Distributed to Agencies |
2024 Financials
CRHC operates with a diverse stream of revenue. The following chart lays out 2024 funding sources for the organization.
Revenue Sources
Organizational Sponsors, 2024
Organizational Funders, 2024
