Austin, Texas (October 10, 2012) Shannon Calhoun, Principal of NewLight Rural Health Network presented at the 2012 National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services in Austin, TX. The National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services is a 21-member citizens’ panel of nationally recognized rural health experts that provides recommendations on rural issues to the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.
Shannon’s main focus of the presentation was “infrastructure”, specifically regarding NewLight Rural Health Network’s experience in applying for Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs). Her key point was the ACO program, which offers incentives for healthcare hospitals and physicians to share in the risk of healthcare delivery to Medicare beneficiaries, is inherently and unintentionally not favorable to rural markets. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid are requiring “reimbursement reform” and one of the main programs offered to support the reform did not help rural markets. Shannon says “Healthcare reform is really reimbursement reform, a change from payment for transactions to payment for outcomes. Providers will need to act on empirical evidence to manage this change and rural providers must have and act on rural evidence.”
Shannon has been involved in the development of a rural PPO network, provider contracting and credentialing, fee strategy development, direct contracting with employers, and development of a strategy for the uninsured/under-insured, CHIP and Medicaid. Her most recent work has been leveraging rural collaboration to gain grant awards totaling $2 million. All of Shannon’s work is focused on projects that better position rural providers for healthcare reimbursement reform.
About NewLight Healthcare
NewLight Healthcare is a hospital management and consulting firm based in Austin, Texas focused on serving the unique needs of rural and small community hospitals. NewLight offers a vast array of consulting services designed to improve the health of your hospital such as; financial services, revenue cycle services, online financial benchmarking tool, cultural transformation, managed care contracting and more. Our professional team has extensive experience and is inspired to ensure the long term success of your hospital.
About NewLight Rural Health Network
The NewLight Rural Health Network (NRHN) is comprised of two managed care networks for rural and small community hospitals located in either Oklahoma or Texas. By joining this network, you gain access to shared products and services that are more effective and efficient than when purchased individually. An important service of the NRHN is negotiation of contracts with insurance companies.
The NRHN provides leadership in collaboration and virtual integration of rural delivery systems. Participants in the network define the services based on the needs and unique characteristics of any given product or service.
Please visit www.newlighthealthcare.com, www.newlightrhn.com or call 512-212-4851 for more information.