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FRONTIER FOOTNOTES
Fall 2020
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Here's what you'll find in this edition:
Thank you to our many contributors! I hope you enjoy our newsletter. If you would like to submit content, please contact me at [email protected].
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15 Health Profession Students Have Been Selected for the 2020-2022 Scholar Program Cohort
34 health professions students from Boise State University (BSU), Idaho State University (ISU), and the Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine (ICOM) applied to participate in the 2020-2022 AHEC Scholar Program cohort. Applicants were selected based on an automated scoring matrix developed by the WWAMI AHEC program with emphasis on essay responses and volunteer experience in rural and/or underserved settings. 15 students representing nursing, medicine, PT/OT, pharmacy, and speech/language pathology from BSU, ISU, and ICOM were selected to participate in this popular nationally recognized interdisciplinary program that focuses on preparing a diverse, culturally competent healthcare workforce specializing in rural and underserved areas.
The 2020-2022 cohort will attend a kick-off meeting in late October/early November and will begin their first year didactic sessions for Team-based Training for Rural and Underserved Healthcare in January 2021. Keep an eye out for scholar introductions in the January edition of Frontier Footnotes.
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SW Idaho AHEC 2019 - 2021 Scholar Activities
You may remember these faces from last fall. The 2019-2020 cohort of health profession students participating in the WWAMI AHEC Scholar Program facilitated in NW Idaho by SW ID AHEC are now entering their second year of the two-year program. After a tumultuous spring and summer, they are now engaged in the second year didactic sessions for Team-based Training in Rural and Underserved Health Care. They are also working on completing their 40 hours of Community/Experiential/Clinical (CEC) activities. Year two for these scholars will culminate in a graduation/networking event in spring 2021. Stay tuned for details coming after January 2021. For more information about the AHEC Scholar Program, please contact Katrina Hoff, SW ID AHEC Director at [email protected]. |
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Orientation to Health Careers (OHC)
OHC introduces 9th - 12th grade students to careers in health professions and provides them with exposure to health professionals and health facilities in their own community. OHC is open to everyone, but it is particularly focused on outreach to underrepresented minority students and students from disadvantaged backgrounds. OHC is free for student participants and a stipend of up to $1,000 is available to the host organization to offset expenses.
Community organizations such as schools, clinics, and hospitals may apply to host an OHC.
Applications are accepted year round and the OHC can be customized to best meet your community's needs. We are finding new ways to deliver the program while maintaining the highest level of safety for our hosts and participants.
Contact Katrina Hoff at [email protected] if you have questions. I'll be happy to schedule some time to visit about how SW ID AHEC can help you "grow your own" healthcare workforce.
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 SE Idaho AHEC Updates |
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Southeast Idaho AHEC Welcomes New Interprofessional Club
The Southeast Idaho Area Health Education Center (SEID AHEC) is pleased to announce the development of the Interprofessional Health Disciplines Student Association (IHDSA) at Idaho State University. The group formed to promote interprofessional learning and community service with an emphasis on rural and underserved healthcare. A dedicated group of current and past AHEC Scholars, along with SEID AHEC Intern, created the group to include pre-professional health students and other students.
"We are a grassroots group of motivated students from diverse career tracks that are unified in wanting to contribute to our student and local community through interdisciplinary collaborations," explains club Secretary Laurel Buchi-Fotre. The club leadership includes: - President Allison Ward, SEID AHEC Intern, Pre-Health
- Vice President James Doyle, AHEC Scholar 2018-2020, Pharmacy
- Laurel Buchi-Fotre, AHEC Scholar 2019-2021, Nursing
- Maya Tillotson, AHEC Scholar 2019-2021, Healthcare Administration.
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Being recognized by the Associated Students of Idaho State
University allowed the club to reach more students and receive modest financial support. The group plans to host virtual movie screenings, panel discussions with current healthcare providers, and community service as possible with the Covid-19 pandemic. For more information, please contact Allison Ward at [email protected].
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| Idaho Bureau of Rural Health and Primary Care |
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Rural Nursing Loan Repayment Task Force to Kick Off in November 2020
The Office of Healthcare Policy Initiatives (OHPI) was established to support healthcare transformation with Statewide Healthcare Innovation Plan (SHIP). Upon completion of the SHIP initiatives, OHPI moved into the Bureau of Rural Health and Primary Care, Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (DHW) in September of 2019 to support the second phase of transforming care.
OHPI supports the Healthcare Transformation Council of Idaho (HTCI) and its subcommittees whose charge is to advance healthcare transformation, improve the health of Idahoans, and lower healthcare costs. One of HTCI's functions is to support the workforce needs in Idaho. To address the nursing shortages and challenges in rural and frontier communities, HTCI created the Rural Nursing Loan Repayment (RNLR) Task Force in July. Randy Hudspeth, Executive Director of the Idaho Center for Nursing, and Carolyn Hansen, Chief Nursing Officer at Bingham Memorial Hospital, are leading the task force. The charge is to develop recommendations to create an Idaho specific loan repayment program for nurses working in underserved areas, and nurse educators seeking advanced degrees at Idaho universities. DHW is currently restructuring their website which is scheduled to go live mid-October. For additional information on OHPI, HTCI, or to follow the progress of the RNLR Task Force, please contact us at 208-334-5581 or [email protected] and we will share the new website links.
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Empower Idaho Updates
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Empower Idaho Offers Free Webinar on Behavioral Health Parity
Empower Idaho will host a free online webinar on Wednesday, October 21st, 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM aimed at helping consumers of behavioral health services to better understand their health insurance coverage rights under the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act.
OBJECTIVES:
- Definitions:
- What is telehealth within behavioral health?
- History and aims?
- Mental health Parity vs. Telehealth Parity; comparison and bridging a gap
- Functionality:
- Understanding payors and parity
- Parity rights
- Common violations to current parity
- Technology and parity
- Sustainability: Current Idaho Status - threats to long-term access to telehealth
Kim Keys has over 22 years of clinical experience in the behavioral health field. Her clinical background ranges from forensic populations and criminality to substance use disorders and acute mental health. Kim has worked in correctional, hospital, residential and community-based health care settings across the United States. Most recently, Kim founded Keys Counseling Solutions; a group counseling clinic and behavioral health consulting agency in Boise Idaho. Drawing from her long and diverse professional career, Kim strives to challenge her learning audiences to think critically, question their assumptions and leave with a hunger for growth and professional excellence. Register
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Idaho State University News
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Drive Up Flu Shot Clinic Serves Approximately 650 in Meridian
Get Immunized, Idaho, hosted a drive-thru flu shot clinic on Saturday, October 3, from 10am to 5pm. Approximately 650 people received flu shots, including Idaho Governor Brad Little and First Lady Teresa Soulen Little, who were first in line. Flu shots were available to anyone over six months of age (the insurer was billed when applicable).
Get Immunized, Idaho is a team of parents, community members and experts whose mission is to create a healthy Idaho through immunizations. ISU students from the College of Pharmacy, School of Nursing and Department of Physician Assistant Studies were on hand to administer the shots, direct traffic and screen for COVID-19.
Read more
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Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling at Idaho State University
Clinical rehabilitation counseling utilizes client centered approaches to assist individuals with disabilities in attaining optimal function, including psychological, social, and vocational function in the context of their personal goals, abilities, and perception of quality of life.
When the University of Idaho-Boise shuttered their Rehabilitation Counseling program, the Idaho State University Department of Counseling was ready to step in to avoid any gaps in this program offering for Idaho students. According to the Idaho Department of Labor, the projected growth of demand for this occupation is expected to increase by 15.5% over the next ten years. ISU will accept 12 students into the program each year, the only program of its kind available in the Pacific Northwest.
In December 2019, ISU added the Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling specialty area to the existing Masters of Counseling (MCOUN). The current MCOUN has four specialty options: School Counseling; Student Affairs Counseling; Clinical Mental Health Counseling; and Marriage, Couple, and Family Counseling. All four specialties are offered in Pocatello, with the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program also offered in Meridian. The new specialty area curriculum will be offered in both Meridian and Pocatello, via distance learning.
A recently funded grant from the United States Department of Education will help pay tuition and fees for 30 students in the program over the next five years. The grant also supports technology, including telehealth counseling, and other needs for students and faculty.
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GRIT Scholarship and Early Assurance in ISU's Competitive PA Program
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Caring for people in Idaho's small towns is no small task. A new scholarship and early admission assurance for hopeful physician assistant students at Idaho State University aims to improve access to health care for vulnerable populations in Idaho. The Physician Assistant Grit Scholarship: Addressing Health Disparities and Department of Physician Assistant Studies Early Assurance Program are open to college juniors and seniors currently attending ISU or the College of Idaho who intend to become a PA by completing ISU's rigorous training program. Preference is given to applicants who plan to practice in a rural community in Idaho and those who speak a language other than English. Applicants who receive the award will participate in mentoring and professional development activities for the remainder of their undergraduate career. Once enrolled in the PA program, three ISU students and three COI students will receive $2500 each in the first year, and another $2500 in their second year. In future years, funds will be available for six new students from each institution.
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New ISU Equipment Helps Decrease COVID-19 Test Result Time to 24 Hours
Idaho State University has successfully recruited a full slate of new residents to their Family Medicine, Psychology, Pharmacotherapy and brand new Psychiatry program, beginning the first of several years serving and training in the areas surrounding East and West Idaho.
The Family Medicine Residency Program (FMR), which began in 1994, accepts the same number of residents each year to replace the graduating residents in a three-year cycle. Dozens of applications are submitted each year.
At least half of the graduating residents in this residency have stayed in Idaho, something helpful to face the shortage of doctors in the state.
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ICOM Welcomes Third Class of Student Doctors
The Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine (ICOM) welcomed its third cohort of student doctors to campus on Monday, Aug. 3, for the start of the 2020-21 academic year.
The Class of 2024 is comprised of 162 students from across the United States - 33 of whom hail from Idaho and 45 from across ICOM's five-state target region that includes Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota and South Dakota.
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Samuel Loescher, OMS-III Selected to Serve on COCA
Samuel Loescher, OMS-III was recently appointed as a student member of the American Osteopathic Association's (AOA) Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA).
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$42,000 in Scholarships Awarded to Idaho Students
The Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine (ICOM) has awarded scholarships to six students in its Class of 2024. The students, all of whom are Idaho residents, received $7,000 each.
Read more
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Dean Mohr Named "2020 Teacher of the Year by ACOI
The American College of Osteopathic Internists (ACOI), a national professional organization dedicated to promoting the principles of osteopathic medicine, has announced their award winners being honored this year at the ACOI 's virtual Annual Convention this fall.
Among the honorees is ICOM Dean and Chief Academic Officer, Thomas J. Mohr, DO, FACOI, as the 2020 ACOI Teacher of the Year!
Read more
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Navigators Help Family Caregivers Find the Way
Family Caregiver Navigator is now accepting participants to its free program on behalf of the Idaho Caregiver Alliance. Serving families in SW Idaho by telephone, the Navigators provide care plans and resource referrals to unpaid family caregivers.
Following an assessment, the caregiver receives a custom care plan identifying their goals with a list of recommended resources, ranging from respite care or physical therapy to support groups and wellness workshops. The Navigator assists in connecting directly with referrals when possible, and importantly, follows up with the caregiver.
Unlike many programs, the Navigator focuses exclusively on the needs of the caregiver - not the person receiving care. The program uses an evidence-based assessment process by software developer TCare that is shown to reduce stress and burden on caregivers, therefore improving the quality of life for them and the person they care for. Family Caregiver Navigator is a 2-year pilot project in SW Idaho and hopes to expand statewide in 2022.
It's estimated that 1 in 4 Idahoans is a caregiver and national statistics indicate that 25% are of the Millennial generation. Younger caregivers are less likely to identify as caregivers and more likely to be supporting someone with a mental health problem. They are also more diverse in terms of race, ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation according to a 2020 article by the AARP. Nationally the average age of a caregiver is 49. Preventing burnout is paramount for the caregiver's health, as well as the person they care for - Family Caregiver Navigator can help Idaho families create a sustainable plan for the years to come.
Caregiving is a subject that's close to the heart of the Family Caregiver Navigator team. "At one point I was taking care of my parents, my aunt and my brother," says Mary Holden, who also coordinates the Justice Alliance for Vulnerable Adults. "I was overwhelmed and struggling to find resources where I could find help."
Fellow Navigator Michelle Randall of the SW Idaho AAA agrees. While caring for her terminally ill mother, she found few relevant resources that help navigate family dynamics while caregivers are "making tough decisions [and] managing the many emotional roller coasters that come with caregiving".
Lead Navigator Tiffany Robb joins the team as a Research Associate for the Center for the Study of Aging at Boise State, and veteran caregiver herself. "Caregiving is the essence of humanity. Each one of us performs these duties and very rarely recognizes that we are doing something that is not only helping our loved one but is also helping our state be fiscally responsible [by keeping people out of the medical system]." she says. "We don't recognize that we can use our voice as caregivers to ask for support. Caregiving with support allows us to be better caregivers".
November is National Family Caregivers month and a great time to acknowledge and appreciate the work of family caregivers you know in your life. Subscribe to the Idaho Caregiver Alliance Newsletter to receive monthly updates featuring resources, tips and information on the state of caregiving advocacy in Idaho. Follow us on social media @idahocaregiveralliance.com.
Connect
Call 208-426-5899 Monday-Friday, 8am to 5pm to connect with a Navigator. Or visit caregivernavigator.org to take a brief online screener, or refer a caregiver to our program.
Who qualifies as a Caregiver?
Any adult in SW Idaho who cares for another person with a physical, intellectual, or cognitive disability, chronic or mental health condition(s).
For Providers & Professionals
Download or request print materials to share with your networks, or refer a caregiver to our program at caregivernavigator.org
This publication was made possible by the Money Follows the Person Grant 93.791 from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Department or the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
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Project ECHO
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Project ECHO Programming - COVID-19, Behavioral Health, Opioid
Scheduled weekly over lunchbreaks, Project ECHO convenes Idaho's health care workforce for a brief, high-yield presentation by a subject matter expert followed by an anonymous patient case review. Join us to learn best practices in specialty care, connect with other providers in your area, and discover useful resources. All sessions are hosted on Zoom, are free, and qualify for CE.
COVID-19: Ambulatory and Acute Care - First (acute care) and third (ambulatory care)Tuesdays at noon MT/11 a.m. PT.
Opioid Addiction and Treatment - Second and fourth Thursdays at 12:15 p.m. MT/11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. PT.
Behavioral Health in Primary Care - First and thirdWednesdays at noon MT. Register today! |
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Registration is Open! Nursing Home COVID-19 Safety
As part of an effort to bolster the implementation of evidence-based infection prevention and safety in nursing homes, a federal agency within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has established a National Nursing Home COVID Action Network.
ECHO Idaho has partnered with the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (part of HHS) and the ECHO Institute at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center to launch a 1-year series beginning the week of Oct. 26, 2020. ECHO Idaho is honored to bring this special series, designed to educate and support nursing homes through the COVID-19 pandemic, to the Gem State.
Nursing homes that actively participate in Phase 1 (16 weeks) will be eligible for $6,000 to cover staff training time. The sessions will be weekly and virtual, facilitated by small teams of subject matter and quality improvement experts.
This series is exclusive to nursing home staff and administration. Registration is now open for medical directors, nursing directors, healthcare staff, MAs, OTs and PTs in long-term care facilities.
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Idaho WWAMI News & Updates 2020 Idaho WWAMI Excellence in Teaching AwardCongratulations to the 15 clinical preceptors in our region who have been presented with the 2020 Idaho WWAMI Excellence in Teaching Award!
- Kristin Algoe, MD - Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Allison Bastian, MD - Family Medicine
- Maureen Ferguson, MD - Family Medicine
- Brian Fortuin, MD - Internal Medicine
- Stephen Gale, MD - General Surgery
- Cliff Hampton, MD - Neurology
- Joseph Hilinski, MD - Pediatric Infectious Diseases
- Megan Kasper, MD - Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Janae Krahn, MD - Family Medicine
- Ken Krell, MD - Internal Medicine
- Theodore Lange, MD - Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine
- Ingrid Lundgren, MD - Pediatric Infectious Diseases
- Jonathan Shupe, MD - Family Medicine
- Sarah Staller, MD - Family Medicine
- Steven Writer, MD - Cardiology
Idaho WWAMI Office Move The Idaho WWAMI office has moved! The Idaho WWAMI office has relocated to the fourth floor for the UI Water Building in downtown Boise effective September 1, 2020. Our updated address is: 322 E. Front Street, Suite 462; Boise, ID 83702. |
This project is/was supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number U77HP03022, for the WWAMI Area Health Education (WWAMI AHEC) Program Office and its five regional Centers in the total amount of $840,630 for the 2020-2021 fiscal year (with a 1:1 total match of $840,630 from non-federally funded governmental sources). This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.
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