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For more information: Call — (315) 755-2020 Fax — (315) 755-2022 Visit — www.fdrhpo.org
Fort Drum Regional Health Planning Organization "Building a Patient-Focused System For Health" Agency Overview: 2019-20
Our Region Our region, which we proudly call the “North Country,” encompasses New York’s Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties.
Who We Are W
hen most North Country residents hear about the Fort Drum Regional Health Planning Organization, they naturally think about soldiers, military families, or the Army base in Jefferson County.
A Brief History... mid- U.S. Army decides to integrate 1980s soldier health care with the community, rather than build a hospital on Fort Drum.
2005 FDRHPO is formed, bringing
together community health care partners and Fort Drum medical leaders to respond to an influx of soldiers as the 3rd Brigade Combat Team moves into Fort Drum.
2007 FDRHPO receives $400,000 from Department of Defense 721 pilot program, securing its role in the North Country.
2008- FDRHPO continues to secure state present and federal resources to fill gaps in the North Country health care system and improve health for all.
We are proud of this association. FDRHPO was founded more than a decade ago to connect Fort Drum soldiers and families with quality health care in the North Country, and we are still dedicated to this mission today. However, our work extends beyond Fort Drum, as we work to improve the health of all individuals living in Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties — civilians and soldiers alike. Located at 120 Washington St. in Watertown, FDRHPO collaborates with local hospitals, primary care offices, behavioral health care providers, EMS agencies and a variety of community-based organizations to identify and fill gaps in our regional health care system. We do much of our work “behind the scenes” — surveying residents to understand local needs, strategizing with health care partners to find solutions and securing necessary resources to help make those solutions a reality. Our projects span the health care spectrum. We help residents prevent and manage chronic disease; we help recruit and retain medical professionals to strengthen our region’s health workforce; and we advocate for patients with mental illness to make sure they receive the care they need in our community.
Whatever we are involved in, we’re thinking about the future. Our success is not measured day-to-day; it is shown as we begin to see the health of the North Country improve from generation to generation. We are determined to strengthen our region's patient-focused System for Health.
Starting from the northwest on the picturesque waterfront of Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River, our region stretches southeast across the rolling landscape of the Tug Hill Plateau and into the rugged beauty of the Adirondack Mountains. Scattered throughout the tri-county area are small waterways perfect for fishing and kayaking; forests for hiking, hunting and observing nature; and rural communities with friendly neighbors, historic buildings and safe schools for children. Also in our region lies Fort Drum, home to the 10th Mountain Division of the U.S. Army. As a close-knit member of our community for more than 30 years, Fort Drum is home to roughly 19,000 soldiers and their families — many of whom receive their health care in the community.
...and a Lasting Impact • More than $150M in master-planned upgrades to five hospitals within a 40-mile radius of Fort Drum, serving 165,000 people
As of July 2017, our region’s population included 250,361 people, of whom 114,187 lived in Jefferson County (45%), 26,551 lived in Lewis County (11%), and 109,623 lived in St. Lawrence County (44%).
• Since 2010, coordinated more than $12M in savings — a 80% discount — for local providers to access two expansive, fiber-optic networks (NCTP and ACTION) • Nearly $850k to improve coordination of Emergency Medical Services, including air medical services • At least $2M in rural health investment to conduct community health assessment and improvement activities • More than $7M for health workforce support, which has yielded several new health education programs and 200+ new health care professionals • At least $1.1M for behavioral health initiatives like suicide and substance abuse prevention
St. Lawrence County Jefferson County
Fort Drum Lewis County
Our Region Our region, which we proudly call the “North Country,” encompasses New York’s Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties.
Who We Are W
hen most North Country residents hear about the Fort Drum Regional Health Planning Organization, they naturally think about soldiers, military families, or the Army base in Jefferson County.
A Brief History... mid- U.S. Army decides to integrate 1980s soldier health care with the community, rather than build a hospital on Fort Drum.
2005 FDRHPO is formed, bringing
together community health care partners and Fort Drum medical leaders to respond to an influx of soldiers as the 3rd Brigade Combat Team moves into Fort Drum.
2007 FDRHPO receives $400,000 from Department of Defense 721 pilot program, securing its role in the North Country.
2008- FDRHPO continues to secure state present and federal resources to fill gaps in the North Country health care system and improve health for all.
We are proud of this association. FDRHPO was founded more than a decade ago to connect Fort Drum soldiers and families with quality health care in the North Country, and we are still dedicated to this mission today. However, our work extends beyond Fort Drum, as we work to improve the health of all individuals living in Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties — civilians and soldiers alike. Located at 120 Washington St. in Watertown, FDRHPO collaborates with local hospitals, primary care offices, behavioral health care providers, EMS agencies and a variety of community-based organizations to identify and fill gaps in our regional health care system. We do much of our work “behind the scenes” — surveying residents to understand local needs, strategizing with health care partners to find solutions and securing necessary resources to help make those solutions a reality. Our projects span the health care spectrum. We help residents prevent and manage chronic disease; we help recruit and retain medical professionals to strengthen our region’s health workforce; and we advocate for patients with mental illness to make sure they receive the care they need in our community.
Whatever we are involved in, we’re thinking about the future. Our success is not measured day-to-day; it is shown as we begin to see the health of the North Country improve from generation to generation. We are determined to strengthen our region's patient-focused System for Health.
Starting from the northwest on the picturesque waterfront of Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River, our region stretches southeast across the rolling landscape of the Tug Hill Plateau and into the rugged beauty of the Adirondack Mountains. Scattered throughout the tri-county area are small waterways perfect for fishing and kayaking; forests for hiking, hunting and observing nature; and rural communities with friendly neighbors, historic buildings and safe schools for children. Also in our region lies Fort Drum, home to the 10th Mountain Division of the U.S. Army. As a close-knit member of our community for more than 30 years, Fort Drum is home to roughly 19,000 soldiers and their families — many of whom receive their health care in the community.
...and a Lasting Impact • More than $150M in master-planned upgrades to five hospitals within a 40-mile radius of Fort Drum, serving 165,000 people
As of July 2017, our region’s population included 250,361 people, of whom 114,187 lived in Jefferson County (45%), 26,551 lived in Lewis County (11%), and 109,623 lived in St. Lawrence County (44%).
• Since 2010, coordinated more than $12M in savings — a 80% discount — for local providers to access two expansive, fiber-optic networks (NCTP and ACTION) • Nearly $850k to improve coordination of Emergency Medical Services, including air medical services • At least $2M in rural health investment to conduct community health assessment and improvement activities • More than $7M for health workforce support, which has yielded several new health education programs and 200+ new health care professionals • At least $1.1M for behavioral health initiatives like suicide and substance abuse prevention
St. Lawrence County Jefferson County
Fort Drum Lewis County
Population Health P
opulation health refers to the health outcomes of a group of individuals, including how those health outcomes are distributed throughout each group. In this case, “groups� of people are defined by geography, gender, race/ethnicity, socio-economic status, or health status. Additional groups could include employees, disabled persons or prisoners, among others. Here at FDRHPO, our work within the realm of population health took off in 2013, when our agency secured a grant from the state Department of Health to become one of several Rural Health Network Development Programs across the state. This work was bolstered in 2015 with the award of another state grant, which made FDRHPO one of just 11 Population Health Improvement Programs (PHIPs) in New York. Most recently, in 2017, we became one of six recipients of the Linking Interventions For Total Population Health (LIFT) grant, awarded by the state Department of Health. Under this program, FDRHPO is responsible for implementing coordinated activities that focus on preventing and controlling obesity and diabetes in our region by January 2020. To improve the health of all populations in our region, our efforts are focused on four key strategies: 1. Data collection & analysis 2. Stakeholder engagement 3. Health messaging & promotion
FDRHPO is one of 11 Population Health Improvement Programs in New York State (shown by the grey and red sections) and one of nearly 40 Rural Health Networks (indicated by stars).
4. Infrustructure development & support
What are our Population Health Priorities?
Mental Health Substance Abuse Suicides
Patient Engagement Health Literacy Cultural Competence
Colorectal Cancer Diabetes Maternal / Infant Health Obesity Oral Health Tobacco Use
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Our Population Health Resources To achieve our goals, we rely heavily on our strong partnerships with the North Country community. In 2013, FDRHPO convened the North Country Health Compass Partners to inform its work around population health. The Health Compass Partners is a collaborative of local hospitals, public health agencies, behavioral health providers, prevention councils, insurance providers, community-based organizations and others. The group meets monthly to discuss, brainstorm and review the community’s population health priorities. This group regularly completes comprehensive Community Health Assessments and Community Health Improvement Plans, as well as an annual Community Health Survey. These documents — which draw on the thoughts and experiences of more than 1,500 adults in the tri-county region — are used to identify specific health needs in the community, assess the effectiveness of local programs and policies, and create plans to address these needs. Focus groups and other forms of health research are also conducted to learn more about our communities’ health and wellness. The Health Compass Partners also serve as the steering committee for a regional health data website maintained by FDRHPO, which contains interactive charts, graphs and dashboards for all of our population health priority areas. It can be accessed at www.ncnyhealthcompass.org. In 2017, FDRHPO and the North Country Health Compass Partners began developing a health and wellness fact sheet to educate the public on a variety of population health issues. This fact sheet, called the Regional Health In Focus, contains background information on each topic, as well as local data and ideas for health improvement. Topics have ranged from Diabetes and Oral Health to Poverty, Social Connectedness and Early Childhood Nutrition. All issues can be browsed by visiting www.fdrhpo.org and searching “Regional Health In Focus.”
Our Impact Through our population health improvement initiatives, FDRHPO has assisted local partners to...
...submit comprehensive grant applications and secure millions in local, state, or federal grant funding,
...justify expanding existing programs, or adding new ones, to meet targeted community needs.
...justify the hiring of dozens of new specialists based on identified needs in the community.
...communicate with and garner feedback from their patients and the general public using health messaging best practices.
Fort Drum Regional Health Planning Organization | 120 Washington St., Suite 230, Watertown, NY 13601 (315) 755-2020 | www.fdrhpo.org | www.facebook.com/fdrhpo
Mental, Emotional & Behavioral Health
S
trengthening our region’s mental, emotional and behavioral health resources is one of FDRHPO’s original projects. In fact, our Behavioral Health Committee is our agency’s longest-standing committee! What began as a mission to connect soldiers and military families with mental health services in our community has expanded in many different directions and FDRHPO has become an advocate for mental wellness across the North Country region. All of FDRHPO’s work around mental, emotional and behavioral health is grounded in one key idea:
The mind is part of the body, and we should treat it as such. With this philosophy in mind, FDRHPO is committed to helping our community integrate primary care and mental health services wherever possible. We believe patients who have depression, anxiety or any other behavioral health concerns should be treated with the same courtesy, respect and attention to detail as those who have a broken bone, diabetes or a heart attack. Utilizing state and federal funding, as well as close partnerships in all three counties and with Fort Drum, FDRHPO is also working to develop and grow behavioral health infrastructure; raise awareness of behavioral health to promote prevention, early intervention and treatment; reduce the stigma attached to mental illness; recruit and train specialized providers; prevent suicides in our communities, and increase access to services using telemedicine.
Our Behavioral Health Committee has wide representation from... • Community-Based Organizations
• Primary Care Practices
• State Psychiatric Center
• Federally Qualified Health Centers
• Prevention Councils & Coalitions
• Behavioral Health Clinics
• County Community Service Departments
• Substance Abuse Providers
• Veteran Service Centers
• State Department of Health Offices
• Fort Drum's Behavioral Health Department
• TRICARE
• Regional Planning Consortium • Local Hospitals & Health Centers
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Our Behavioral Health Infrastructure Due to the hard work of many in our community, accessing mental, emotional and behavioral health services has become easier for patients than it was in the past. While FDRHPO recognizes there is still much to be done to improve our region’s behavioral health infrastructure, there are also many improvements to celebrate. Primary care and mental health services are now more integrated now than they were even five years ago. Providers working in primary care offices have been exposed to training and education programs such as Mental Health First Aid, Problem Solving Treatment, and Motivational Interviewing — all of which assist with identifying and treating behavioral health problems. Furthermore, many of our partners are using techniques like the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) to identify patients who may need additional behavioral health services. FDRHPO has assisted with the implementation and funding of these programs, as well as with the recruitment and development of psychologists, psychiatrists, Certifiied Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counselors, social workers, psychiatric nurse practitioners and other human service professionals. Our telemedicine program is also helping to build our region’s behavioral health infrastructure by increasing access to specialists through telepsychiatry and telepsychology. We also maintain the Jefferson County Mental Health Educator website, a hub of information on mental health services, providers, trainings, and other information throughout the North Country. It can be accessed at www.jeffcomentalhealth.org.
Reducing Stigma In order to make a marked impact and improve our region’s behavioral health care system, FDRHPO and its partners are also working to improve cultural competency. Reducing stigma and fostering support for mental, emotional and behavioral health issues is important among health care providers, caregivers, family members and all other members of the community. To help spread the idea that a mental illness is not a character flaw, FDRHPO uses creative marketing and outreach strategies, such as geo-targeted mobile advertisements, locally-produced provider education videos, and even public service announcements at local movie theaters.
Suicide Prevention To help streamline, coordinate and fund our region's existing suicide prevention efforts, FDRHPO convened the North Country Suicide Prevention Coalition in 2016. This group — composed of suicide prevention and awareness coalitions from Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties — works together to strengthen their individual prevention efforts, promote a consistent message and efficiently utilize available resources. Since coming together, the three counties have worked together to organize regional awareness and prevention campaigns, launch mobile marketing efforts, develop PSAs, place billboards, and more.
Fort Drum Regional Health Planning Organization | 120 Washington St., Suite 230, Watertown, NY 13601 (315) 755-2020 | www.fdrhpo.org | www.facebook.com/fdrhpo
Health Information Technology (HIT)
E
very time a patient visits a hospital, doctor’s office, dentist or other health care provider, information about that patient’s health is recorded and saved to maintain an accurate record of his or her medical history. Most often, this information is stored electronically, in what is called an Electronic Health Record, or “EHR” for short. To make sure all patients in the North Country receive high-quality care both locally and across the state, FDRHPO has worked to implement Electronic Health Records in medical offices region-wide, and it is our mission to connect them through a Health Information Exchange, as well as a Population Health Management Tool. To achieve these goals — and others in the field of Health Information Technology — FDRHPO formed the North Country Health Information Partnership (N-CHIP), a collaborative of local hospitals, practices, clinics and health care providers that works to maintain, optimize and advance the region’s Health IT infrastructure. The membership of this collaborative is strong, consisting of...
Helpful Terms Electronic Health Record: An
electronic version of a patient's medical history, including physician's notes, vital signs, medications, immunizations, lab reports, etc.
8 Hospitals
80+ Primary Care Physicians
40+ Outpatient Clinical Sites
Health Information Exchange:
A system by which health care providers share Electronic Health Records in one secure online location. Population Health Management Tool: A system that aggregates patient health information from a variety of data sources and analyzes that information to help providers improve patient care and reduce costs.
Patient Centered Medical Homes:
A health care model for primary care offices that focuses on patientcentered care, communication among providers, elimination of duplicate tests and procedures, and greater patient education and access.
Why is Health IT Important? Though it is often overlooked because of its role “behind the scenes” of everyday health care, Health Information Technology is the bedrock of our modern health care system. It is a pivotal tool in gathering, analyzing and reporting clinical quality measures, which let providers know how they can improve. Health IT can save time, money, and ultimately, lives.
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Our Health Information Exchange... In a complex system like our regional Health Information Exchange, interoperability is key. We want our health care providers to be able to communicate effectively and share information so they can coordinate the best care possible for North Country patients. To achieve these goals, FDRHPO has partnered with HealtheConnections, a Health Information Exchange in Syracuse, New York. Through this partnership, our region’s physicians, hospitals, public health departments, behavioral health providers and other medical offices are able to securely share Electronic Health Records — along with relevant medical images such as MRIs, X-rays, mammograms or CT scans — in no time at all. In August 2016, our Health Information Exchange expanded to include the Electronic Health Records of Fort Drum soldiers, their families, and veterans through a unique partnership with the U.S. Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs. This integration will allow some of our nation’s finest to receive seamless care throughout the North Country, both through the military health system and our community practices.
...and Population Health Management Tool Determined to stay at the forefront of Health Information Technology, FDRHPO is working with several local partners to implement a Population Health Management Tool in our region. This technology aggregates patient health information from a variety of sources — such as Electronic Health Records, insurance claims, and others — and analyzes it to track and improve clinical outcomes while lowering costs. This endeavor supports our region’s participation in value-based payment contracting, and current and future practice transformation incentive programs.
Regardless of project, the privacy and security of our region's patients is paramount to all of FDRHPO’s Health IT initiatives.
Patient Centered Medical Homes The Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) is a model of primary care developed by the National Committee for Quality Assurance. It focuses on patient-centered care, communication among providers, elimination of duplicate tests and procedures, and greater patient education and access. Our region is ahead of most areas in New York State in fostering Patient Centered Medical Homes. All of our region’s primary care practices have achieved Level III recognition in 2014 PCMH, and many are even Level III practices in 2017 PCMH.
Fort Drum Regional Health Planning Organization | 120 Washington St., Suite 230, Watertown, NY 13601 (315) 755-2020 | www.fdrhpo.org | www.facebook.com/fdrhpo
Health Workforce D
ue to our region’s rural location in the far northern corner of New York State, recruiting and retaining an adequate supply of health care professionals has always been a struggle for our local providers. For years, however, FDRHPO has been committed to assisting with this process through the work of its long-term Regional Recruitment Program. Whether it’s in local middle or high schools, at career fairs, or through partnerships with colleges, vocational schools and adult education programs, FDRHPO is working across the community to ensure our region’s health care workforce is strong now and into the future. Initiatives like our Medical Academy of Science and Health (MASH) Camp for students in grades 8-12, job shadow programs, and other regional efforts help foster a robust pipeline of medical professionals to our area. Since 2009, by leveraging federal, state and local funding and partnerships, our Regional Recruitment Program has..
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...added local health care education programs. orce by n” workf w O r u o udents We “Grow gaging st n e d n a terest chool! building in and high s e l d id m s As early a
If you're looking for a health care career and are unsure where to go... ...look North and find home!
250+
...helped students throughout job shadow programs.
35+
...recruited providers to our region, including primary care physicians, nurse practitioners, dentists, psychiatrists, psychologists, physician assistants, certified diabetes educators and licensed clinical social workers.
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The FDRHPO Health Career "Pipeline" What does it take to land a career in health care? From middle school to one’s first job, there are many steps along the way — a process that we like to call the Health Career Pipeline. At every stage of the pipeline, FDRHPO is there to help our students and health care professionals grow.
MASH Camp
A 3-day, interactive workshop that exposes students in grades 8-12 to various career opportunities in a hospital setting.
Job Shadow Program
An opportunity to work in a professional health care setting, shape future career choices and network with medical professionals.
Post-Secondary Job Shadow Program Internships & Clinical Rotations Volunteer Opportunities FDRHPO can help you find a match in our community that fits your needs, interests and educational requirements!
Local Graduate Medical Education Programs Clinical Rotations, Residencies & Fellowships Resumé Forwarding & Loan Repayment We use our knowledgeable staff and community connections to help with these steps along the Pipeline as well!
Stage 1: Middle & High School
Stage 2: PostSecondary Education
Stage 3: Graduate School or Enter Workforce
It all leads to a North Country health care career! Want to learn more? Send an email workforce@fdrhpo.org.
Fort Drum Regional Health Planning Organization | 120 Washington St., Suite 230, Watertown, NY 13601 (315) 755-2020 | www.fdrhpo.org | www.facebook.com/fdrhpo
Emergency Medical Services
N
ot all health care takes place inside doctor’s offices, hospitals or health centers. When a community member needs care as fast as possible, Emergency Medical Service (EMS) providers are the first to respond, providing critical care at the scene, in the back of an ambulance, or even aboard a rescue boat, helicopter, or other emergency vehicle. Because of their role on the front line of health care, EMS operations require a great deal of planning to ensure consistency, quality and seamless cooperation with local hospitals, 911 centers and other agencies. In the North Country, FDRHPO assists with this planning and facilitation through its partnership with the North Country EMS Program Agency. As one of 18 program agencies across New York State, the North Country EMS Program Agency oversees operations of more than 75 EMS organizations in Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties — most of which are staffed by volunteers from their communities.
Our Latest Initiatives Ensuring all EMS agencies have access to electronic medical records Creating an "Opioid Overdose Center" by equipping all first responders with Narcan Establishing a local instructor network so providers can grow and develop
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Equipping EMS providers with technology to transmit ECG (heart monitoring) data to hospitals for rapid decision making Advocating for increased EMS funding
For all of these EMS organizations, the program agency provides...
Continuous Quality Improvement Policy & Regulatory Guidance EMS Training & Credentialing Technical Support ....and more! Through the guidance of the Regional Emergency Medical Services Council (REMSCO) and the Regional Emergency Medical Advisory Committee (REMAC), the program agency also works with educational institutions, 911 centers, hospital emergency departments, law enforcement officials and other stakeholders to ensure the entire EMS system runs smoothly. These two regulatory bodies are comprised of regional experts who meet quarterly to discuss current policies and procedures. In addition to all this, the North Country EMS Program Agency has hosted an educational EMS conference in the region for 20 years.
Meet our EMS Providers...
Our EMS Agencies Jefferson County 1. Alexandria Bay Volunteer Fire Dept. 2. Belleville Fire Dept. 3. Black River Ambulance Squad 4. Brownville Joint Fire District 5. Calcium Fire Department 6. Cape Vincent Volunteer Fire Dept. 7. Carthage Area Rescue Squad 8. Carthage Volunteer Fire Dept. 9. Chaumont Fire Dept. 10. Deferiet Fire Dept. 11. Depauville Fire Dept. 12. Felts Mills Fire Dept. 13. Evans Mills Volunteer Ambulance 14. Fort Drum Emergency Medical Service 15. Fort Drum Fire and Rescue 16. Glen Park Volunteer Fire Dept. 17. Great Bend Fire Dept. 18. Guilfoyle Ambulance Service 19. Henderson Fire Dept. 20. Indian River Ambulance 21. Lorraine Fire Dept. 22. Natural Bridge Volunteer Ambulance 23. Northpole Fire Dept. 24. Redwood Volunteer Fire Dept. 25. Rutland Fire Dept. 26. Sackets Harbor Fire Company 27. Smithville Fire Dept. 28. South Jefferson Rescue Squad 29. Thousand Islands Emergency Rescue Service 30. Three Mile Bay Fire Company 31. Town of Watertown Ambulance Service 32. Town of Watertown Fire Dept. 33. Watertown City Fire Dept. 34. Wellesley Island Volunteer Fire Company
St. Lawrence County 35. Brier Hill Fire Dept. 36. Canton Rescue Squad 37. City of Ogdensburg Fire Dept. 38. Clarkson University EMS 39. Colton Volunteer Fire Dept., Inc. 40. Cranberry Lake Volunteer Fire Dept. 41. Degrasse, Claire and South Russell Volunteer Fire Dept. 42. Edwards Rescue 43. Fine Fire Dept. 44. Gouverneur Volunteer Rescue Squad 45. Gouverneur Volunteer Fire Dept. 46. Hammond Fire and Rescue 47. Hermon Volunteer Fire Dept. 48. Heuvelton Volunteer Fire Dept. 49. Lisbon Volunteer Fire Corporation 50. Madrid Rescue Squad
51. Massena Volunteer Emergency Unit 52. Morley Fire and Rescue 53. Morristown Volunteer Fire Company 54. Norfolk Volunteer Rescue Squad 55. North Lawrence Volunter Fire Dept. 56. Ogdensburg Volunteer Rescue Squad 57. Parishville Volunteer Fire Company 58. Pierrepont Volunteer Fire Company 59. Potsdam Campus Rescue (SUNY) 60. Potsdam Volunteer Rescue Squad 61. RB Lawrence Ambulance 62. Rensselaer Falls Volunteer Rescue Squad 63. Richville-De Kalb Fire District 64. Russell Rescue 65. Seaway Valley Ambulance (Phillgrey, Inc.) 66. St. Lawrence University First Responders
67. Star Lake Volunteer Fire Dept. 68. SUNY Canton EMS 69. Tri-Town Volunteer Rescue Squad 70. Waddington Rescue Squad 71. West Potsdam Volunteer Fire Company 72. West Stockholm Fire Dept.
Lewis County 73. Beaver Falls Fire Dept. 74. Constableville Volunteer Fire Company 75. Harrisville Rescue Squad 76. JS Koster Hose Company 77. Lewis County Search and Rescue 78. Lyons Falls Fire Dept. 79. Turin Volunteer Fire Dept. 80. West Leyden Volunteer Ambulance
Fort Drum Regional Health Planning Organization, 120 Washington St., Suite 230, Watertown, NY 13601 (315) 755-2020 | www.fdrhpo.org | www.facebook.com/fdrhpo
Telemedicine & Fiber Network
O
f all our project areas, perhaps the fastest growing is our regional telemedicine initiative.
Work began in early 2009, when FDRHPO created the North Country Telemedicine Project (NCTP), an extensive fiber-optic network that connected more than 25 health care facilities in Jefferson, Lewis, Oneida, Onondaga and St. Lawrence counties, including Fort Drum’s Guthrie Ambulatory Health Care Clinic. This network expanded in 2011, when FDRHPO partnered with the AdirondackChamplain Telemedicine Information Network (ACTION) to create a second network encompassing sites in Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Warren and Washington counties, and Chittenden County in Vermont. Initial funding for these programs Our Telemedicine and Fiber-optic network spans 12 counties across northern and central New York. came from the Federal Communication Commission’s “Rural Health Care Pilot Program” and the NYS Department of Health’s “HEAL 21” grant. Today, FDRHPO’s telemedicine program remains funded by the Department of Health, as one of its Rural Health Development Programs. In 2015, FDRHPO began a collaboration with the Adirondack Health Institute (AHI) to form the North Country Telehealth Partnership — a unified effort to plan and implement telemedicine throughout their 12-county catchment 2018 area, covering northern and central New York. This collaborative has quickly become northern New York’s leading agency focused on increasing access to health care through the innovative use of 2017 telehealth and telemedicine 2016 technology.
2,481
2014
1
2015
231
2,135
7,280+
patient encounters to date
2,432
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Our Telemedicine Projects Using technology and resources made available by the North Country Telehealth Partnership, providers throughout northern New York have applied telemedicine across the health care spectrum. Clinical applications range from dermatology to psychiatry, and innovations are constantly being made expand the reach of telemedicine.
At our partner locations throughout the North Country, telemedicine is currently being used for:
Child, Adolescent & Adult Telepsychiatry/ Telepsychology In our region, we have a tremendous need for psychiatric services — especially for children. Telemedicine increases access to care for these patients by removing the barriers of distance and transportation.
Telestroke Time is of the essence when caring for patients experiencing stroke symptoms. Telemedicine allows for fast access to care from Central New York’s Comprehensive Stroke Center at Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, giving our rural hospitals and patients the very best in stroke care.
Remote Patient Monitoring Patients answer health-related questions on a tablet, computer or smart phone, which are monitored daily for red flags indicating a need for intervention. This helps establish good self-monitoring routines and gain a deeper understanding of one’s disease signs and symptoms.
Diabetic TeleRetinopathy Diabetic TeleRetinopathy is one of the more recent services added to our region and will be expanding in the next couple of years. With portable retina cameras embedded in primary care offices, medical staff are able to capture a detailed image of a patient’s retina and securely send it to a participating ophthalmologist or optometrist for assessment.
TeleWoundCare When it comes to healing chronic wounds, TeleWoundCare gives patients more access to a wound care specialist, faster than they would normally have it. This translates into quicker healing times, enhanced quality of life for patients, and a lower cost of care. Many of our region’s TeleWoundCare appointments involve Samaritan Medical Center’s Wound Care Center in Watertown.
Teleneurology In addition to stroke care, telemedicine can be used to treat other neurological conditions like headaches, dementia, epilepsy, movement disorders and multiple schlerosis.
Our Partners To keep our community informed and help answer their questions about telemedicine, we bring together key stakeholders from across the state for a bi-monthly videoconference. This group, called the Telehealth Learning Collaborative, includes more than 130 individuals from upwards of 90 organizations. They represent the following site types: Hospitals
Public Health Agencies
Independent Physicians
Health Centers
Legislative/Political Bodies
Educational Institutions
Telemedicine Associations
Insurance Agencies
...and more!
Fort Drum Regional Health Planning Organization | 120 Washington St., Suite 230, Watertown, NY 13601 (315) 755-2020 | www.fdrhpo.org | www.facebook.com/fdrhpo
T
he North Country Initiative — or “NCI” for short — is a partnership of hospitals, independent physicians and community providers working together to reform the health care system across northern New York’s Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties. NCI works closely with FDRHPO, sharing office space and resources to achieve common goals. With the health care system undergoing significant change at both state and national levels, NCI and its partners are working to align incentives, standardize clinical protocols, and develop necessary health technology infrastructure. Cooperating on all of these strategies will improve the health of our community, reduce the cost of health care and improve care for patients. Much of NCI’s everyday work is grounded in working toward four key goals: 1. Improving the quality of care for our rural, under-served populations 2. Increasing access to convenient, high-quality health care 3. Aligning health system partners with payers to drive clinical improvement 4. Implementing evidence-based medicine to enhance the patient experience
DSRIP Program NCI is one of 25 “Performing Provider Systems” (PPS) participating in New York’s Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment Program. This program, commonly abbreviated as “DSRIP,” is a fiveyear initiative that aims to transform and improve health care for New York’s Medicaid population by 2020. The overarching goal of the DSRIP program is to reduce avoidable hospital visits by 25%, utilizing preventive health methods and increasing access to integrated primary care and behavioral health services in the outpatient setting. Together with its partners, NCI has chosen 11 different DSRIP projects that focus on improving quality of care and patient satisfaction, and decreasing the cost of care. More information about these projects and NCI’s efforts in the DSRIP program can be found at northcountryinitiative.org/dsrip-program.
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Accountable Care Organization (ACO) NCI also oversees our region’s Accountable Care Organization (ACO) — the Healthcare Partners of the North Country. An ACO is a system in which partners jointly contract with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in a Medicare Shared Savings Program arrangement. Partners must meet quality and cost benchmarks to achieve shared savings. NCI’s ACO partners include six hospitals, a Federally-Qualified Health Center, and five independent primary care providers, covering approximately 11,000 Medicaid patients in Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties. To achieve contract benchmarks, the Healthcare Partners of the North Country is preparing its partners to thrive in a valuebased payment (VBP) system. Unlike our current health care system, which reimburses providers on a fee-for-service basis, the value-based payment model rewards hospitals and providers for keeping their patients healthy and costs low. Some of the ACO’s current initiatives include: outreach to less-engaged patients, care management of high-need patients, promotion of influenza and pneumococcal vaccinations, and collaboration with skilled nursing facilities, hospice and palliative care partners. In addition, ACO partners work together to meet 23 quality measures to improve patient satisfaction and care. For more about ACOs and the HealthCare Partners of the North Country, visit northcountryinitiative. org/accountable-care-organization.
North Country IPA NCI’s third major initiative is its Independent Practice Association (IPA), called the North Country IPA. This program uses the “messenger model,” in which participants have the opportunity to jointly contract with one or more payers, such as Managed Medicaid, Managed Medicare, or commercial insurers.
North Country IPA: Who is involved?
Independent Primary Care Providers
$ Payers
Federally Qualified Health Center
Hospitals Behavioral Health Providers
Participants in the North Country IPA include six hospitals, a Federally Qualified Health Center, five behavioral health providers, and nine independent primary care providers across Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties. Much like with the ACO, the IPA is pursuing value-based contracts that will require partners to collaboratively meet specified cost and quality benchmarks for their assigned patient population. The IPA will support partners in reaching the DSRIP and NYS VBP Roadmap goal to have 8090% of Medicaid Managed Care payments to providers using at least Level 1 value-based payment methodologies by March 31, 2020. The IPA anticipates contracting with the region’s two largest Medicaid Managed Care Organizations — United Healthcare and Fidelis Care — for a total cost of care arrangement, in which the IPA partners will assume responsibility for the outcomes and costs of their members. Additional opportunities with Managed Medicare and commercial payers are also being pursued for value-based contracting.
North Country Initiative, 120 Washington St., Suite 230, Watertown, NY 13601
(315) 755-2020 | www.northcountryinitiative.org | www.facebook.com/northcountryinitiative
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For more information: Call — (315) 755-2020 Fax — (315) 755-2022 Visit — www.fdrhpo.org
Fort Drum Regional Health Planning Organization "Building a Patient-Focused System For Health" Agency Overview: 2019-20