Rural Public Health Workforce Training Network Program - Project Title: Northwest Ohio Rural Public Health Workforce Training Network Applicant: Hospital Council of Northwest Ohio (HCNO), 3231 Central Park West Suite 200, Toledo, OH 43617-3009 hcno.org Applicant Organization Facility Type: Nonprofit hospital association Project Director: Carly Salamone, Senior Director of Community Health Improvement, 419-842-0800 csalamone@hcno.org Workforce Training Tracks: Track #1 - Community Health Support and Track #3 - Community Paramedicine Target service areas: Rural census tracts 39173021400, 39173021500, 39173021600, 39173021701, 39173021702, 39173021800, 39173021901, 39173021902, 39173022100, 39173022200, 39173022300, 39173022400, 39173022500 in Wood County; rural census tracts 39123050100, 39123050201, 39123050202, 39123050301, 39123050302, 39123050500, 39123050600, 39123050700, 39123050800, 39123051200 in Ottawa County; and all of Huron County Network Partners: Wood County Hospital in Wood County, Magruder Hospital in Ottawa County (a critical access hospital, and Fisher-Titus Medical Center in Huron County Total funding requested: $1,545,000 Capacity to Serve Rural Underserved Populations: The Hospital Council of Northwest Ohio (HCNO) is a regional hospital association that has more than 20 years of experience in convening regional partners to work on various community health initiatives, including the Northwest Ohio Pathways (HUB) care coordination system. The HUB was one of the first Pathways Community HUBs in the United States certified by the Pathways Community HUB Institute, and it provides CHW care coordination services to both urban and rural counties. Vulnerable populations served by community health workers (CHWs) working through the HUB include pregnant women, women of childbearing age, adults with chronic diseases and human trafficking victims. The three proposed network partners are HCNO member hospitals serving rural northwest Ohio residents that have been integral to the health and well-being of their communities for generations. Wood County Hospital in partially rural Wood County and Magruder Hospital in partially rural Ottawa County propose adding CHWs to their rural workforces, while Fisher-Titus Medical Center in Huron County proposes expanding its community paramedicine program. Magruder Hospital also is a critical access hospital. Both evidence-based care coordination interventions have proven effective in assisting rural northwest Ohio residents. Additionally, both interventions provide care coordination to patients in their homes, taking some of the burden off of short-staffed emergency departments and inpatient services. The proposed project is expected to provide care coordination to serve approximately 420 residents through CHWs and approximately 1,280 residents through community paramedicine. Overall, this project will increase the capacity to provide services to rural, underserved communities by: increasing the public health workforce in designated health professional shortage areas; decreasing the number of uninsured residents seeking care at the health systems; addressing and reducing social determinants of health; and decreasing costs to the health care system. Funding Preference: Hospital Council of Northwest Ohio is requesting a funding preference based on qualification 1. Huron, Ottawa and Wood counties in the State of Ohio are all designated HPSA at least for the low-income population. Special Consideration: Hospital Council of Northwest Ohio is requesting special consideration based on the inclusion of 3 signed MOAs with all network partners included in Attachment 11.
