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Regional summit identifies rural health priorities: payment models, telemedicine and workforce retention
Summary
Commissioner Jess summarized outcomes from the North Central Health Summit: top priorities include exploring alternative payment models for rural health, protecting funding for critical access hospitals and FQHCs, expanding telemedicine and workforce retention strategies; next steps include continued work‑session follow up.
Commissioner Jess reported the results of the North Central Health Summit and outlined a set of prioritized initiatives county leaders plan to pursue to support rural health systems.
Jess said summit work sessions prioritized exploring alternative payment models for rural health, protecting and removing funding barriers for critical access hospitals, federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics, and researching sustainable family‑friendly models of care — including considering birthing centers and related regulatory options. ‘‘The top tier of ranking... ended up being exploring alternate payment models for rural health,’’ Jess said, adding that successful local models and state‑level discussion may aid replication.
Other summit recommendations Jess described included strengthening telemedicine and mobile outreach, building workforce development and retention pipelines (including scholarships and loan repayment incentives), increasing EMS educational capacity and advocating for reimbursement reform noted in House Bill 1152. Jess said committees will continue to define next steps and pursue policy and funding avenues to advance the priorities across the region.
Commissioners stressed that the summit’s outputs are a starting point: work groups have been asked to identify three priority actions and follow through with implementation planning. The board supports continued regional coordination through North Central to keep stakeholders engaged and carry the work forward.
