Agenda for Day 2

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

8:00-8:15 a.m.

Welcome Back

Room: Grand I & II

More information to come

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

    SESSION DESCRIPTION

8:15-9:15 a.m.

Plenary Session 2

Room: Grand I & II

  • Session Speaker
    • Kerri Cornejo, MPH, Policy Coordinator, Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP)
  • Session Description

    This presentation will provide information from the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy. The presentation will provide an overview of what the office does and our role within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The presentation will also provide program and policy updates, including funding opportunities.

Coffee Break with Exhibitors

9:15-9:45 a.m. | Room: Grand Foyer


Breakout Session 1

9:45-10:45 a.m.

Advancing Antibiotic Stewardship: Louisiana Critical Access Hospitals Share Their Work

Room: Willowick I

  • Session Speaker
    • Rochelle Schultz Spinarski, MPA, President and Principal, Rural Health Solutions
    • Donney Goutirrez
    • Cherry Salter
    • Karen Estabrook
    • Kate Cook
    • Jessie McClellen
    • Peggy Millsap
  • Session Description

    This session will feature the antibiotic stewardship initiatives of the Louisiana Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility (Flex) Program and three critical access hospitals (CAHs) in Louisiana. All hospitals in the U.S. are charged with advancing antibiotic stewardship under the leadership of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). With support from the Flex Program, three CAHs are taking on the challenge and they will share their work as well as plans for the future.

9:45-10:45 a.m.

Breakout Session B

Room: Willowick II

More information to come

9:45-10:45 a.m.

Public and Behavioral Health Strategy in the Opioid Epidemic: Connecting Local Partners to Reduce Overdose Deaths

Room: Grand I & II

  • Session Speaker
    • Melissa Stainback, PhD, Regional Opioid Coordinator, Imperial Calcasieu Human Service Authority and Office of Public Health
    • Traci Hedrick, LAC, Community Service Director, Imperial Calcasieu Human Service Authority
  • Session Description

    This presentation will address national and statewide shifts in drug overdose trends; new ways of thinking about substance use disorder and evidenced-based treatment models; finally, it will review our local level community strategies and partnerships working to reduce overdose rates and substance use disorder in Southwest Louisiana.

9:45-10:45 a.m.

Rural Health – Time for a National Emergency Declaration

Room: Grand III

More information to come

Breakout Session 2

10:45-11:45 a.m.

High Value Networks – The Key to Preserve Independence

Room: Willowick I

  • Session Speakers
    • Nathan White, President, Newpoint Health & Interim ED of Rough Rider Network
    • Ben Bucher, CEO, Towner County Medical Center & Board Chair, Rough Rider Network
  • Session Description

    Participants will learn how development of a High Value Network, through a Clinically Integrated Network and Shared Services Platform, will create opportunities to strengthen your organization’s performance. At a time when rural independent hospitals and physician clinics are declining, a High Value Network is a model built around collaboration and alignment, which drives Economies of Scale, Population Health Capabilities, and New Payor Strategies. This discussion will include the key characteristics of High Value Networks, areas for partnership and collaboration, how this model is working in other areas of the country, and implications for physician partners—All While Preserving an Independent Model. 

10:45-11:45 a.m.

Breakout Session B

Room: Willowick II

More information to come

10:45-11:45 a.m.

Breakout Session C

Room: Grand I & II

More information to come

10:45-11:45 a.m.

Healthcare Provider Education in Virtual Care

Room: Grand III

More information to come

Lunch and Learn

11:45 a.m.-11:00 p.m. | Room: Grand I & II


Lunch and Learn Sesssion

11:45 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

Louisiana Health Equity Consortium (LHEC) and Mitigating Disparities in Healthcare in Rural Louisiana

Room: Grand I & II

  • Session Description

    This presentation will explain the purpose of the Louisiana Health Equity Consortium housed under the Louisiana Department of Health. It will also explain the connection the Consortium has with the Health Disaprities in Rural Areas Task Force. Karen Wyble will speak on specific work the Task Force has done to mitigate health disparities and future steps they plan to take.

    Chair of the taskforce for the resolution, HCR #44, with an intentional focus in mitigating disparities in healthcare in rural Louisiana.

  • Session Speaker
    • Theresa Hudson, MPH, Health Disparities Manager, Louisiana Department of Health – Bureau of Community Partnerships and Health Equity
    • Karen Wyble, RN, MSN, MHA, MBA, Vice President of Regional Community Affairs, Ochsner Lafayette General

Breakout Session 3

1:00-2:00 p.m.

Breakout Session A

Room: Willowick I

More information to come

1:00-2:00 p.m.

Breakout Session B

Room: Willowick II

More information to come

1:00-2:00 p.m.

CMS Provider Enrollment: Knowing when to report changes and how

Room: Grand I & II

  • Session Speaker
    • Patty Harper, RHIA, CHC, Principal Consultant, InQuiseek
  • Session Description

    This session will demystify Medicare Provider Enrollment by answering common questions about how to enroll different provider types and how to report changes to your Medicare Contractor, state ageny and regional CMS office. 

1:00-2:00 p.m.

The Digital Divide: Challenges for Rural Communities in Assessing Broadband Access and Equity—An Overview of the Telehealth Broadband Pilot Project

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

Coffee and Snack Break with Exhibitors

2:00-2:30 p.m. | Room: Grand I & II


Plenary Session

2:30-3:30 p.m.

2023 Medicare Updates

Room: Grand I & II

  • Session Speakers
    • Carmen Irwin, CMS Dallas Local Engagement and Administration (LEA)
  • Session Description

    The session will include Medicare updates including policy, pricing, innovation, and agency initiatives. Attendees will hear about updates on the PHE unwinding and the impacts to Medicare program post pandemic.

3:30-4:00 p.m.

Rural Healthcare and USDA Partnering for Healthy Communities

Room: Grand I & II

4:00-4:30 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, Louisiana State Rural Health Officer, Well-Ahead Louisiana
  • Session Description

    Session Description