Case Stories and Innovative Projects - Michigan
Inspired by the grant program guidance that strongly encouraged pooling of resources, the Michigan Center for Rural Health called each eligible hospital administrator to determine needs and encourage pooling the grant dollars to increase purchasing power.
Seven of the 9 SHIP eligible hospitals in the existing Upper Peninsula Health Care Network (UPHCN) pooled their funds to collectively address HIPAA mandates during the first year. In the second year, all 9 eligible hospitals participated in the network, funding emphasis shifted from HIPAA into quality and performance improvement. Performance improvement activities included implementation of computerized physician order entry and the Balanced Scorecard.
Contact: John Barnas