Training Workshops and Technical Assistance Available to "Measure the Economic Impact of the Health Sector" Rural Health Works (RHW) "Train the Trainer" training sessions are being offered to train state teams in impact analysis and to share community health planning materials and feasibility studies. Funding is from a grant with the federal Office of Rural Health Policy. (Provision for state training is based on "first come - first serve" while funding is available.)

The training is designed to assist state agencies to develop state teams to provide technical assistance to local communities on economic impact, community health planning, and feasibility studies. The training is designed for professionals from those state agencies that plan to be involved in providing this assistance to communities. Typically, there are 10-20 participants (a maximum of 20), depending on the agencies involved in each state.

The workshop is one day (about 6 hours) and 1/3 is health impact, 1/3 is health planning, and 1/3 is health budgeting. Each participant receives a notebook. Professionals completing the workshop will be able to measure the economic impact of the health sector on counties in their state. They will also receive strategic health planning materials and instruction. This includes such items as a health services directory, health survey instrument and health survey results, secondary data and information report, and an economic impact report. Further, participants will be able to conduct specific health feasibility studies such as primary care physician, outpatient rehabilitation feasibility analysis, adult day services, and emergency medical services.

Also, two videos are presented and copies are given to each state. These include a health impact video and a critical access hospital video. Each video is about fifteen minutes in length and the videos are intended for use in presentations to local community and civic groups.

The funding covers the travel expenses of a training team from RHW. There is no cost for the team's time or travel. The participating state will need to provide a room for the training and audio-visual equipment (if possible). To be efficient with the team’s time, the workshop is designed to work through lunch; therefore, either the participating state will need to provide a box lunch or each participant will need to pay for a box lunch. The individual participants at the training are responsible for their own time and travel expenses.

To arrange an Rural Health Works training workshop, interested states should contact:

Gerald A. Doeksen
Regents Professor and Extension Economist
Oklahoma State University
Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service
515 Ag Hall
Stillwater, OK 74078
Phone: (405) 744-6081
Fax: (405) 744-9835
Email: gad@okstate.edu

Ongoing assistance is provided after the training through a Helpline:

Cheryl St. Clair or Fred Eilrich
Assistant Extension Specialist
Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service
Oklahoma State University
515 Ag Hall
Stillwater, OK 74078
Phone: (405) 744-6081
Fax:(405) 744-9835
Email: cheryl@okstate.edu
Email: eilrich@okstate.edu