Rural Health Workshop Day 3: Thursday, June 22

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

Welcome back comments from Well-Ahead Louisiana and Louisiana Rural Health Association

• LDH Medicaid Representative
• Courtney Lewis, Director of Provider Relations, Aetna Better Health
• Tracey Hood, United Healthcare Community Plan
• Danielle Jackson, Senior Manager, Provider Network Performance, Louisiana Healthcare Connections
• Gwen Matthews, Director, Provider Network Management, AmeriHealth Caritas
• Kelli Nolan, Director, Provider Network Operations, AmeriHealth Caritas
• Nick Coleman, Director of Provider Relationship Account Management, HealthyBlue
• Alicia Coleman, Associate Director, Provider Relations, Humana Healthy Horizons

 A representative from the Louisiana Department of Health will discuss Medicaid Unwind followed by a question and answer session with Medicaid Managed Care plan representatives.

• Eric Weinzettle, MSW, LMSW, Health Policy Manager, Well-Ahead Louisiana
• Zach Snyder, JD, MPA, Policy Analyst, Louisiana Rural Health Association

The presentation will begin with an overview of the 2023 Legislative Session. Not only will it go over the session as a whole, but also the specific bills and resolutions that our organization were tracking and any action that may have occurred during the session in regards to those instruments. Next, there will be a brief Federal update and end on the regulatory update from the LDH side and the process that occurs during implementation.

• Libby Gonzales, Medical Certification Program Manager, Louisiana Department of Health
• Zandra Stewart, Medical Certification Program Manager, Louisiana Department of Health

The presentation provides an overview of the initial licensing and certification process for RHCs in Louisiana.

• Beth Butler, HPSA/SLRP Program Manager, Well-Ahead Louisiana

Update on anything new with HPSA designations, including MCTA information available.

• Carmen Irwin, Rural Health Coordinator, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)

“Rural Remedies”- CMS would like to hear from Providers regarding their thoughts on what would remedy the issues/ concerns affecting rural Louisiana: The impact of the Hospital Price Transparency, the unwinding of the PHE, the increase of Quality Reporting, and the lack of workforce.

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

Closing comments from Well-Ahead Louisiana and Louisiana Rural Health Association

• Laura Newberry Wilson, BS, J2 Strategic Solutions

• Mandi Gingras, RACR, Director of Education, 3RNet

This workshop will focus on navigating your recruitment and retention efforts in today’s workforce environment, including marketing your rural opportunity to candidates, managing your rural recruitment in a virtual world, and retention best practices that can position you as an employer of choice. We will discuss how the pandemic has impacted the healthcare workforce and changed the way we recruit. You will learn tips on developing a sourcing plan, email campaigns, virtual interviewing and time-saving tools that will help streamline your recruitment processes, particularly in a rural setting. We will also examine effective retention strategies and unique benefits that will help you develop a competitive retention plan.

• Tracie Ingram, BA, Louisiana State Office of Rural Health