The report profiles innovative approaches to improving rural healthcare across the state.

AURORA, CO, November 12, 2020 /Neptune100/ — The Colorado Rural Health Center recently released its Annual Report detailing the organization’s work to enhance healthcare services in the state by providing information, education, linkages, tools, and energy toward addressing rural health issues.

The Colorado Rural Health Center (CRHC) is Colorado’s nonprofit State Office of Rural Health and Rural Health Association. CRHC works with Federal, state, and local partners to offer services and resources to rural healthcare providers, facilities and communities. In 2019, CRHC invested 2.6 million dollars in rural communities across the state.

“I’m very proud of the efforts of our staff and board. The work we did in 2019 laid the foundation for the efforts undertaken today, in 2020, to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and its vast systemic effects across the national healthcare landscape,” said CRHC’s CEO, Michelle Mills.

The report provides an overview of the accomplishments of Colorado’s State Office of Rural Health and Rural Health Association. This year’s report summarizes the mission of the organization, its work with hospitals, clinics, and EMS providers on quality, Health Information Technology (HIT), policy, and workforce issues.

In 2019, CRHC provided nearly 14,000 technical assistance encounters, worked with three rural clinics to help them achieve certified Rural Health Clinic accreditation, worked with 29 critical access hospitals and rural health clinics on the Improving Communications and Readmissions (iCARE) program that demonstrated a 3% average readmission rate (a 35% decrease since 2013), hosted four billing and coding boot camps educating over 140 individuals, provided EMS education funding through the Colorado Resource for Emergency And Trauma Education (CREATE) program for 820 students, provided 240 hours of HIT support, and distributed 380 Snapshots of Rural Health. The CRHC policy team tracked 78 bills and took a position on 44 bills. CRHC’s workforce team made 53 direct referrals to active jobs in rural communities and gave 12 presentations to potential rural workforce candidates.

To access the report, please visit: https://coruralhealth.org/2019-annual-report ‎

For further information or details about the Colorado Rural Health Center and its work, visit http://coruralhealth.org/ or contact Matt Enquist at [email protected]. For media inquiries, contact Michelle Mills at [email protected]

About The Colorado Rural Health Center
The Colorado Rural Health Center was established in 1991 as Colorado’s State Office of Rural Health. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, CRHC serves dual roles as the State Office of Rural Health with the mission of assisting rural communities in addressing healthcare issues; and as the State Rural Health Association, advocating for policy change to ensure that rural Coloradoans have access to comprehensive, affordable healthcare services of the highest quality. For more information visit www.coruralhealth.org, call 303-832-7493, or call toll free 800-851-6782 from rural Colorado.