Crisp Regional Hospital Inc

ARP ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GRANT FOR RURAL HEALTH CARE FACILITIES

RURAL RESIDENCY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM - APPLICANT FACILITY TYPE: RURAL HOSPITAL PROGRAM PATHWAY: GENERAL PRIMARY CARE AND HIGH-NEED SPECIALTY PATHWAY RESIDENCY RESIDENCY MEDICAL SPECIALTY: INTERNAL MEDICINE RESIDENCY FORMAT: NEW RURAL RESIDENCY PROGRAM (NON-RTP) SPONSORING INSTITUTION: CRISP REGIONAL HOSPITAL, INC. (CORDELE, GEORGIA) (PROGRAM CODE PENDING) RURAL TARGET COUNTIES: CRISP, DOOLY, LEE, SUMTER, TURNER, WILCOX, WORTH (GA) AMOUNT REQUESTED: $745,923 PROGRAM SUSTAINABILITY OPTION: MEDICARE GME SUSTAINABILITY OPTION 3 (ESTABLISHING A MEDICARE FTE RESIDENT CAP FOR THE FIRST TIME) PROJECTED TOTAL # OF RESIDENTS: 6 RESIDENTS PER ENTERING CLASS (18 RESIDENTS AT FULL COMPLEMENT) EXPECTED ACGME ACCREDITATION & FIRST RESIDENT MATRICULATION: EXPECTED ACGME PROGRAM ACCREDITATION: SEP-OCT 2028; FIRST RESIDENT MATRICULATION: JULY 2029 RECENT HRSA AWARDS: RURAL HEALTH CLINIC VACCINE CONFIDENCE PROGRAM (GRANT # G29RH43146); COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING/CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED SPENDING - NON-CONSTRUCTION (GRANT # GE1HS47169) CRISP REGIONAL HOSPITAL, INC. ("CRISP"), A NONPROFIT RURAL ACUTE CARE HOSPITAL IN CORDELE, GEORGIA, REQUESTS HRSA RURAL RESIDENCY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT (RRPD) FUNDING TO ESTABLISH A NEW ACGME-ACCREDITED INTERNAL MEDICINE RESIDENCY PROGRAM SERVING SEVEN RURAL COUNTIES IN SOUTH-CENTRAL GEORGIA: CRISP, DOOLY, LEE, SUMTER, TURNER, WILCOX, AND WORTH. HOME TO MORE THAN 120,000 RESIDENTS, THE REGION FACES PERSISTENT PHYSICIAN SHORTAGES, HIGH PRIMARY CARE HPSA SCORES, SUBSTANTIAL CHRONIC DISEASE BURDEN, AND LIMITED ACCESS TO SPECIALTY CARE. THREE COUNTIES HAVE NO PRACTICING INTERNAL MEDICINE PHYSICIANS, FORCING MANY PATIENTS TO TRAVEL MORE THAN TWO HOURS FOR SPECIALTY AND HOSPITAL-BASED SERVICES. THE RESIDENCY PROGRAM WILL CREATE A SUSTAINABLE RURAL PHYSICIAN WORKFORCE PIPELINE TO IMPROVE LONG-TERM ACCESS TO INTERNAL MEDICINE CARE. CRISP WILL SERVE AS THE APPLICANT AND PROPOSED ACGME SPONSORING INSTITUTION. THE MEDICAL COLLEGE OF GEORGIA AT AUGUSTA UNIVERSITY (MCG) WILL SERVE AS THE PRIMARY ACADEMIC PARTNER, PROVIDING ACCREDITATION MENTORSHIP, CURRICULUM AND FACULTY DEVELOPMENT, SIMULATION SUPPORT, SUBSPECIALTY PLANNING, AND SUSTAINABILITY CONSULTATION THROUGH A FORMAL SUBAWARD. RESIDENTS WILL TRAIN PRIMARILY AT CRISP REGIONAL HOSPITAL AND AFFILIATED RURAL OUTPATIENT SITES, WITH MORE THAN 50 PERCENT OF TRAINING OCCURRING IN HRSA-DESIGNATED RURAL SETTINGS. CLINICAL PARTNERS INCLUDE ATLAS INTERNAL MEDICINE, CRISP MEDICAL & KIDNEY CARE, AND MCG'S RURAL HOSPITAL VIRTUAL CARE NETWORK. DURING THE THREE-YEAR PROJECT PERIOD, CRISP WILL: (1) ACHIEVE ACGME INSTITUTIONAL AND PROGRAM ACCREDITATION; (2) FINALIZE A VALIDATED MEDICARE GME OPTION 3 SUSTAINABILITY PLAN; AND (3) IMPLEMENT A GRADUATE TRACKING SYSTEM TO MONITOR PHYSICIAN PRACTICE LOCATION AND CAREER OUTCOMES FOR AT LEAST FIVE YEARS AFTER GRADUATION. MAJOR ACTIVITIES INCLUDE ESTABLISHING GRADUATE MEDICAL EDUCATION GOVERNANCE, COMPLETING ACCREDITATION REQUIREMENTS, DEVELOPING AN ACGME-COMPLIANT CURRICULUM, RECRUITING AND DEVELOPING FACULTY, EXECUTING CLINICAL TRAINING AGREEMENTS, RECRUITING RESIDENTS, AND IMPLEMENTING PERFORMANCE EVALUATION AND GRADUATE TRACKING SYSTEMS. GUIDED BY A COMPREHENSIVE WORK PLAN, THREE MULTIDISCIPLINARY PLANNING WORKGROUPS, QUARTERLY RRPD TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER SUPPORT, AND ONGOING COLLABORATION WITH MCG, CRISP EXPECTS TO OBTAIN ACGME ACCREDITATION, RECRUIT AND MATCH ITS INAUGURAL CLASS OF SIX RESIDENTS, AND MATRICULATE THE FIRST CLASS IN JULY 2029. AT FULL IMPLEMENTATION, THE PROGRAM WILL TRAIN 18 RESIDENTS AND STRENGTHEN THE RURAL PHYSICIAN WORKFORCE ACROSS SOUTH-CENTRAL GEORGIA.

COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING/CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED SPENDING - CONSTRUCTION - WITH THE MODERN IMPROVEMENTS AND QUALITY OF A NEW SITE, CRISP REGIONAL HOSPITAL WILL CREATE A CLINIC TO OFFER IMPROVED CAPACITY OF SERVICES CURRENTLY OFFERED IN WORTH COUNTY, GA WHILE INCREASING CRITICAL CARE, NURSING, AND CHRONIC CARE CAPACITY, CLOSER TO THE RURAL COMMUNITY’S MAIN ROAD. CRISP ANTICIPATES THAT THE COMBINED EFFORTS FROM THIS FUNDED PROJECT WILL RESULT IN GREATER ACCESS TO HOSPITAL SERVICES, LEADING TO GREATER UTILIZATION OF CARE, REDUCED “NO-SHOW” RATES, REDUCED RE-ADMISSIONS RATES, HIGHER VACCINATION RATES, AND IMPROVEMENTS IN COMMUNITY HEALTH OUTCOMES IN GENERAL.

COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING/CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED SPENDING - NON-CONSTRUCTION - PLEASE REFER TO THE JUSTIFICATION FOR THE REQUEST ON THE ATTACHED DOCUMENTATION.

ENHANCING RURAL EMERGENCY CARE IN CENTRAL GA - THE GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO INCREASE CAPACITY OF THE CRISP EMS AND REGIONAL EMS AGENCIES TO PROVIDE CRITICAL CARE TRANSPORTS LEADING TO IMPROVED HEALTH OUTCOMES FOR THOSE IN THE REGION REQUIRING EMS SERVICES. TO ADDRESS AND OVERCOME THE MANY CHALLENGES FACING CRISP AND THE REGIONAL EMS AGENCIES DESCRIBED ABOVE, CRISP WILL IMPLEMENT A COMPREHENSIVE RECRUITMENT PLAN TO ENROLL 22 NEW EMS PERSONNEL IN TRAINING FOR CERTIFICATION AND WILL IMPROVE EXISTING EMS TRAININGS AND SERVICES THROUGH NEW EQUIPMENT. AS A RESULT OF THIS PROJECT, 8 PARTICIPANTS WILL BECOME LICENSED/CERTIFIED EMTS, 8 PARTICIPANTS WILL BE LICENSED/CERTIFIED AS AEMTS, AND 6 PARTICIPANTS WILL BE UPSKILLED TO BECOME PARAMEDICS. FURTHER, THE PROJECT WILL ENABLE CRISP TO PROVIDE FOR THE CONTINUING EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS OF 10 CURRENT EMS PERSONNEL. LASTLY, CRISP WILL ALSO ENGAGE IN A COMPREHENSIVE RECRUITMENT/OUTREACH CAMPAIGN BOTH DIGITALLY AND THROUGHOUT THE RURAL CENTRAL GA COMMUNITIES THAT CRISP SERVES (THROUGH COMMUNITY EVENTS, COLLABORATION WITH LOCAL SCHOOLS, ETC.).

CULTIVATING RURAL EMERGENCY SERVICE TRAINING (CREST) IN RURAL GA - THE CULTIVATING RURAL EMERGENCY SERVICES TRAINING (CREST) IN RURAL GA PROJECT WILL SERVE MORE THAN 50,000 RESIDENTS ACROSS FOUR COUNTIES FOR RURAL SOUTH-CENTRAL GEORGIA. THROUGH A PARTNERSHIP WITH TWO ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS (ALBANY TECHNICAL COLLEGE, ALBANY STATE UNIVERSITY) CREST WILL ACHIEVE THE FOLLOWING OUTCOMES - (1) IMPLEMENT A COMPREHENSIVE RECRUITMENT AND TRAINING PLAN TO BRING MORE QUALIFIED PARAMEDICS TO EMS PROVIDERS IN CRISP'S SERVICE AREA; (2) ENGAGE SIX (6) NEW AEMTS, SIX (6) NEW EMT/AEMTS (A COMBINED PROGRAM THAT TRAINS BASIC EMT AND GRADUATE TRAINEES INTO AEMTS), AND SIX (6) PARAMEDICS (WHO ARE CURRENT CRISP EMTS) TO COMPLETE EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROGRAMS LEADING TO FULL CERTIFICATION; (3) PURCHASE THREE (3) NEW CHEST COMPRESSION (CPR) SYSTEMS, AND (4) TRAIN 35 EMS SERVICE MEMBERS IN NEW COMPRESSION SYSTEM. THE PRIMARY GOAL OF THE CREST PROJECT IS TO INCREASE CAPACITY OF COMMUNITY EMS AGENCIES TO PROVIDE CRITICAL CARE TRANSPORT LEADING TO IMPROVED HEALTH OUTCOMES FOR THOSE IN THE REGION REQUIRING EMS SERVICES. RESIDENTS OF THE COUNTIES FACE UNIQUE HEALTH AND SOCIOECONOMIC CHALLENGES, INCLUDING HIGHER OBESITY, UNINSURED, AND INJURY-RELATED DEATHS COMPARED TO THE REST OF GEORGIA, A STATE THAT ALREADY EXPERIENCED AMONG THE POOREST HEALTH OUTCOMES IN THE COUNTRY. WITH THIS FUNDING, THE CREST PROJECT WILL INCREASE THE SURVIVAL RATE FOR INDIVIDUALS IN NEED OF EMERGENCY SERVICES BY RECRUITING, TRAINING, AND CERTIFYING ADDITIONAL EMERGENCY MEDICAL PERSONNEL IN RURAL GEORGIA. CREST WILL TARGET PEOPLE IN RURAL GEORGIA COMMUNITIES WHO ARE INTERESTED IN PURSUING A CAREER IN EMS. THE AEMT AND PARAMEDIC TRAINEES WILL BE SOLICITED FROM CRISP EMTS AS WELL AS THE LOCAL COMMUNITY AND INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION, TRAINED USING CURRICULA CURRENTLY USED BY THE THREE PARTNER INSTITUTIONS. WITH THIS FUNDING A HIGHER NUMBER OF TECHNICIANS WILL BE SUITED TO SERVE THIS RURAL POPULATION IN NEED OF SUPPORT DURING EMERGENCY SITUATIONS.

RURAL HEALTH CLINIC VACCINE CONFIDENCE PROGRAM

RURAL HEALTH NETWORK DEVELOPMENT PLANNING GRANT PROGRAM

TELEMEDICINE GRANT