Agenda for Day 1

This year’s Rural Health Workshop agenda is packed full of speakers from the state and national level covering a variety of topics including mental and behavioral health, maternal and child health, regulatory risk prevention, telehealth and more! Take a look at the Rural Health Workshop schedule for each day and start planning your sessions.


Breakfast with Exhibitors

7:00-8:00 a.m. | Room: Grand Foyer


Plenary Session

8:00-8:30 a.m.

Welcome to the Rural Health Workshop

Room: Grand I & II

  • Session Speakers
    • Lacey Cavanaugh, MD, Regional Medical Director, LDH/Office of Public Health/Southwest Regional Office
    • Denaé Hebert, MBA, Executive Director, Louisiana Rural Health Association
    • Nicole Coarsey, MPA, Louisiana State Rural Health Officer, Well-Ahead Louisiana
  • Session Description

    Opening comments and welcome from WAL and LRHA.

8:30-9:30 a.m.

A View from the Hill: Rural Health Updates from Washington, D.C.

Room: Grand I & II

  • Session Speaker
    • Alexa McKiney, JD, Regulatory Affairs Manager, National Rural Health Association (NRHA)
  • Session Description

    This presentation will focus on recent federal policy updates and what they mean for rural health care. Updates from Congress, updates from the Administration, and recent work by the National Rural Health Association’s government affairs team will be shared. In addition, opportunities for attendees to participate in advocacy with NRHA will be covered.

Coffee Break with Exhibitors

9:30-10:00 a.m. | Room: Grand Foyer


Breakout Session 1

10:00-11:00 a.m.

Project ECHO

Room: Willowick I

  • Session Speaker
    • Taunya Williams, MHA, Healthcare Innovation Manager, Well-Ahead Louisiana
  • Session Description

    Well-Ahead Louisiana has partnered with the ECHO Institute® in New Mexico to develop multiple ECHO programs using the Project ECHO® model. Project ECHO creates a space where providers can share knowledge and build support to better manage patients with complex care needs in their own communities. This program provides a consultative link between specialists and community clinicians throughout the state via videoconferencing technology.

10:00-11:00 a.m.

Youth Mental Health First Aid: What Is It and How To Access

Room: Willowick II

  • Session Speakers
    • Maria Alexander, Program Director and MHFA Instructor, Metropolitan Human Services District
    • Erica Ledet, Policy and Equity Senior Coordinator and MHFA Instructor, Louisiana Public Health Institute
    • Gladys Campbell, Education Director, NAMI New Orleans
  • Session Description

    In Louisiana, it is estimated that 650,000 adults and 245,000 children have diagnosable mental illness (Rapids Parish Health Profile). Only 38.2% of adults with mental illness in Louisiana receive any form of treatment from either the public system or private providers. The remaining 61.8% receive no mental health treatment (SAMHSA). This presentation will highlight current effort in Louisiana train individuals in Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) to coordinate equitable community outreach, collaborate across sectors, and improve general knowledge regarding mental health risk factors and resources in Louisiana.

10:00-11:00 a.m.

Developing a Violence Prevention Program: One Size Does Not Fit All

Room: Grand I & II

  • Session Speakers
    • Anjanette Hebert, VP of Healthcare, PalAmerican Security
    • Glenn Eiserloh, Risk Consultant, LHA Trust Funds/HSLI/The Physicians Trust
    • Crystal Mitchel, Chief Clinical Officer/VP of Growth & Development, Southern Evals
  • Session Description

    Workplace violence occurs in a variety of circumstances and situations, from Rural Health Clinics to Large Tertiary Care Centers, it remains a topic that institutions should be prepared for and understand in order to maintain a safe environment. Effective communication, awareness, and strategy all aid in the ability to create and implement a successful Workplace Violence Prevention Plan. By the conclusion of the presentation, you will be able to identify the next steps to ensure the safety of your team at your organization.

10:00-11:00 a.m.

Telemedicine 101: A Basic Overview of Telemedicine Along with Current Best Practices and Challenges

Room: Grand III

More information to come

  • Session Speaker
    • Derrick Ramsey, BBA, MEd, Senior Director of Innovative Healthcare Transformations, Program Director, TexLa Telehealth Resource Center
  • Session Description

    SESSION DESCRIPTION

Breakout Session 2

11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

Documentation in a Live Access World

Room: Willowick I

  • Session Speaker
    • Jamie Lamb, AIC, INS, SCLA, Director of Claims Operations, LHA Trust Fund
  • Session Description

    This presentation highlights the 21st Century Cures Act and the requirements under the Information Blocking Rule. We will address what electronic health data is to be made available based on the rule to encourage compliance. We will also discuss the use and best practices for physician charting, patient portal use, and the current litigation climate with case examples.

11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

Breakout Session B

Room: Willowick II

More information to come

11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

Provider to Provider Consultation Line (PPCL): A Pediatric Mental Health Care Access (PMHCA) Program

Room: Grand I & II

  • Session Speakers
    • Jody West, LCSW-BACS, Program Manager, Louisiana Department of Health – Bureau of Family Health
    • Laina Raggette, LCSW-BACS, PPCL Program Manager, Louisiana Department of Health – Bureau of Family Health
  • Session Description

    In this presentation, information will be provided about why the Provider to Provider Consultation Line is needed, how it can impact your practice with pediatric patients, and how you can access multiple services available to you and your staff.

11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

Clinical Applications of Telemedicine in Surgery and Beyond

Room: Grand III

More information to come

Networking Lunch with Exhibitors

12:00-1:15 p.m. | Room: Grand I & II


Breakout Session 3

1:15-2:15 p.m.

Delta Region Community Health Systems Development (DRCHSD) Program

Room: Willowick I

More information to come

  • Session Speakers
    • Kerri Cornejo, CREDENTIALS, Policy Coordinator, National Rural Health Resource Center
    • Ambresha Johnson George, Senior Program Manager, National Rural Health Resource Center
    • Mary Ellen Pratt, Chief Executive Officer, St. James Parish Hospital
    • Rachel Becnel, Community Champion/Chief Clinic Operating Officer, St. James Parish Hospital

1:15-2:15 p.m.

Telehealth Risks in the Physician Office Practice & Rural Health Clinics

Room: Willowick II

  • Session Speaker
    • Caroline Stegeman, RN, BSN, MJ, ONC, CPHRM, CPSO, Director of Patient Safety, LHA Trust Funds
  • Session Description

    The COVID-19 pandemic transformed telehealth into a go-to method for physician office practices and clinics to provide healthcare for their patients. But now that we are adjusting to a “new normal” way of living post-pandemic, what does this mean for telehealth?  The presentation discusses risks associated with conducting telehealth visits and best practices when caring for patients virtually

1:15-2:15 p.m.

Mental Health Rehabilitation Program

Room: Grand I & II

  • Session Speaker
    • Katie Corkern, Executive Director, Louisiana Rural Mental Health Alliance
  • Session Description

    This presentation will cover an overview of the mental health rehabilitation program – what it is, who qualifies, and more. In addition, this presentation will share information on how rural providers (RHCs, FQHCs, and rural hospitals) can assist in connecting their patients to these resources in their area.

1:15-2:15 p.m.

The Rural Emergency Hospital Designation—Look Before you Leap!

Room: Grand III

More information to come

Coffee and Snack Break with Exhibitors

2:15-2:45 p.m. | Room: Grand Foyer


Plenary Session

2:45-3:30 p.m.

NARHC Updates

Room: Grand I & II

More information to come

3:30-4:15 p.m.

Environmental Health and Climate Change: Compounding Risks for Rural Communities

Room: Grand I & II

  • Session Speaker
    • E. Benjamin Money, Jr., MPH, Senior Vice President of Population Health, National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC)
  • Session Description

    This session will overview the current and projected impacts of climate change and compounding environmental threats to human health. The impact of air, water, and vector borne diseases will be reviewed. A discussion of mitigation, adaptation, and resilience strategies for rural health providers will provide resources to participants. 

4:15-4:30 p.m.

Closing Session

Room: Grand I & II

More information to come

  • Session Speakers
    • Denaé Hebert, MBA, Executive Director, Louisiana Rural Health Association
    • Nicole Coarsey, MPA, Rural Health State Officer, Well-Ahead Louisiana
  • Session Description

    Session Description

Networking Reception with Exhibitors

5:30-6:30 p.m. | Room: Grand Foyer