Federal grant will help medical center create rural health network

Cabinet Peaks Medical Center in June was awarded $99,561 from the Human Resources and Services Administration for Rural Health Network Development Planning, a news release states. The medical center was one of 23 American organizations so awarded for fiscal year 2017.

According to a statement in the news release by Ahyoung Huff, the grant’s author, “Cabinet Peaks Medical Center proposed to develop a rural health network in order to improve access to health information, increase the efficiency of the health systems by aligning resources and strategies and enhance coordination among members.”

To do so, the news release states, the medical center will establish a Lincoln County Health Alliance among organizations providing healthcare to patients of Lincoln County that include Cabinet Peaks Medical Center, Northwest Community Health Center, Libby Clinic, Center for Asbestos Related Disease and Kalispell Regional Health representing OB/GYN and General Surgery practices.

“One of the areas affecting clinical efficiencies is the differing electronic health records utilized among the network organizations,” states Huff in the news release. “These different programs make it difficult for all providers to access patient health information and real time test results when necessary.”

The grant funds a one-year project for Lincoln County Health Alliance to create a foundation for the network’s infrastructure.

“By creating a network, we can pool our knowledge, skills, and resources together to improve quality of life and health status of the patients in our community,” states Huff.