Nelson County Health System will coordinate HRSA grant The Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA) announced this week that Nelson County Health System, McVille, N.D., has received an $85,000 one-year planning grant to strengthen the North Dakota Quality Network for critical access hospitals (CAHs) across the state. HRSA, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the federal agency responsible for ensuring quality medical care for the most vulnerable Americans in the geographically most isolated communities in the country. Nelson County Health System is one of 36 critical access hospitals located in rural areas of North Dakota that provide essential help to the patients they serve through emergency medical care, in-patient and out-patient care, as well as other services like cardiac rehabilitation. “This grant will enable CAHs in ND to collaborate in addressing patient care ideas, best practices, and concerns that will affect patient outcomes and are unique to rural health care,” said Cathy Swenson, CEO, of Nelson County Health System. “North Dakota already is a leader in rural health care, and this will enable us to not only continue providing quality care but to really focus on areas identified by the very people who provide this hands-on care. At the same time, it allows us to work with all of the other health care organizations and larger health care facilities in the state without duplicating what is already being done,” she said. The Center for Rural Health at the UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences will assist Nelson County Health System by providing professional evaluation and planning services. Jody Ward at the Center for Rural Health is the coordinator for the North Dakota Critical Access Hospital Quality Network. “All in all, it's a win-win situation for providers and patients and will have a positive impact on rural health care in communities across the state,” said Swenson. -- Denis F. MacLeod, Communications Specialist, Center for Rural Health, dmacleod@medicine.nodak.edu, 701-777-3300