NW Regional Critical Access Hospital Conference Scheduled for March 22

SPOKANE, Wash. – More than 200 health care-focused professionals will attend the fourth annual Northwest Regional Critical Access Hospital Conference in Spokane on March 22.

Featuring the theme “Invest in the Future,” this year’s conference will focus on sustaining critical access hospitals through quality improvements, building resource capacity, information technology and quality. Presented in part by the Eastern Washington Area Health Education Center Washington State University Extension, the conference will be held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Red Lion Hotel at the Park.

Keynote speakers include Tom Morris, deputy director of the Office of Rural Health Policy, who will talk about the federal perspective on investing in the future of critical access hospitals and Clinton MacKinney, senior consultant at Stroudwater Associates, who will provide insight from a national perspective on why it is urgent that critical access hospitals focus their attention on the quality of care that patients receive.

Attendees from throughout the Northwest will share, plan and discuss how to maximize the opportunities offered under critical access hospital status through featured workshops grouped into four tracks. Each track will feature discussions which apply to Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. Conference participants include administrators, chief financial officers, business office managers and billing personnel, chief nursing officers, quality improvement staff, and clinicians.

A $35 registration fee is required and preferred by March 10. For all registration information, contact the Eastern Washington Area Health Education Center, WSU Extension at (509) 358-7640 or (800) 279-0705 or e-mail to conference@wsu.edu. Visit the event Web site at www.ahec.spokane.wsu.edu for conference brochure and registration form.

The conference is sponsored by state offices of rural health for Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington.

Immediately following the Critical Access Hospital Conference, the Northwest Regional Rural Health Conference will take place at the same location on March 23-24. The conferences are the largest in the region regarding critical access hospitals and rural health.

Additional conference information is available on the Web at ahec.spokane.wsu.edu.