Project Sustainability
Action Plan SAMPLE
Center States Rural Health Network
October 2019
Center States Rural Health Network
500 S. Main St.
Centerville, NE 68862
This is a publication of Rural Health Innovations, LLC (RHI), a subsidiary of the National Rural Health
Resource Center. The Technical Assistance for Network Grantees Project is supported by Contract Number
HHSH250201400024C from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and
Services Administration, Federal Office of Rural Health Policy.
CENTER STATES RURAL HEALTH NETWORK (SAMPLE) 1
Table of Contents
Organizational/Project Profile .............................................................. 2
Organizational/Project Profile ........................................................... 2
Strategic Thinking ........................................................................... 2
Marketing Thinking .......................................................................... 3
Operational Review ......................................................................... 4
Financial Outlook ............................................................................ 5
Rural Health Network Sustainability Assessment Results ......................... 6
Selected Opportunities for Sustainability ............................................... 7
Opportunity for Sustainability Action Plan #1 ........................................ 8
Opportunity for Sustainability Action Plan #2 ...................................... 10
Opportunity for Sustainability Action Plan #3 ...................................... 12
Dashboard ...................................................................................... 14
RURAL HEALTH INNOVATIONS 2
Organizational/Project Profile
Organizational/Project Profile
Network Name: Center States Rural Health Network
Project Name: Collaborative Approaches to Chronic Disease
Vision: We want to be an indispensable solution for our members
Mission: Improve the health and wellness of our
communities
Strategic Thinking
Environmental Analysis:
Our region has a rich history of independence and self-sufficiency.
In the past few decades, rates of obesity and chronic illness have
been increasing. The number of primary care providers has
remained relatively stable, although access to specialists is limited.
Many young families are moving into the region with the goal of
raising their children in our scenic, quiet area with many options
for exploring the outdoors. Network members work very well
together and have a unified vision for the future of the community.
Project Goals:
• Decrease the impact of chronic disease within
our communities
• Increase health literacy in the community
Blocks:
• Providers and support staff
have limited familiarity with
coordinated care
• Low health literacy among
older population
• Inadequate access to
healthy food options
Levers:
• Lots of energy within the
community around wellness
• Providers have strong, long-
lasting relationships with
their patients
• Many social service
resources in the community
Strategic Objectives:
• Increase collaboration within the network
• Improve clinical results
• Increase knowledge of chronic disease
management within the region
CENTER STATES RURAL HEALTH NETWORK (SAMPLE) 3
Marketing Thinking
Target Markets:
1. Health care organization members: Executive leaders,
department directors, managers and clinical provider
leadership, and front-line care professionals
2. Community social service organization members:
Executive leaders, program managers, social service
professionals, and volunteers
Competitors:
Specialists outside the region
Online education programs
Regional public university
Products and Services:
1. Annual health-oriented educational conference that
includes a 10-county region
2. Patient education package (written and electronic content,
in-person education and support groups) available to
subscribing partners
• Mental health stigma
• Newly formed network still
working to understand how
partners can best work
together
• Demands on providers’ time
make it difficult to leave the
area for continuing medical
education
• Network members have a
unified vision
• Strong culture of self-
sufficiency
• Rural health receiving
attention at the national
level
CENTER STATES RURAL HEALTH NETWORK (SAMPLE) 4
Key Message(s):
• Low cost and high-value education by sharing the expense
• Learning about best practices for key health issues that we can use here within our communities
• Reduce avoidable hospital and ER admissions by working together
• Help patients and community members be active and well and improve health outcomes
• Learn how to increase patient self-management and reduce ED visits
Operational Review
Leadership Skills:
Project management, adult education, health care
reimbursement understanding, building collaborative
relationships, clinical and social services background, thorough
understanding of local history and culture
Key Initiatives:
• Develop conference planning procedures and decision-
making structure
• Develop speaker agreement templates
• Design conference format and agenda
• Select speakers
• Pre-conference communication and promotion activities
• Conference evaluation
• Develop evidence-based patient educational content
• Create educational materials development timeline
• Build website for patient education and resources
Desired Experience and Relationship:
• Interactive, personalized learning
• Opportunities for follow-up and peer learning
• Easy access to materials and resources
• Network seen as trusted partner by members and
community members
Delivery:
Conference: One full day with two plenary sessions and
breakouts, in-person and classroom style presentations.
Incorporate plans for different learning styles in delivery of
education; follow-up round tables for continued learning
Patient education: Written and electronic materials, in-
person education and support groups developed with
different learning styles in mind
CENTER STATES RURAL HEALTH NETWORK (SAMPLE) 5
Key Resources and Infrastructure:
• Conference, classroom and support group meeting space
• Speakers
• Printing
• Project staff for planning and implementing conference
• AV equipment
• Website and web development resources
• Instructional design support
• In-person session facilitators
Key Partners:
• State Office of Rural Health
• State or regional AHEC
• For conference participation and SMEs: Non-member
health care organizations; K-12 and higher education;
Regional RHCs and FQHCs; faith community and parish
nurses
Key Measures:
• Patient compliance
• Conference registrations
• Education package subscribers
• Health literacy scores
• ED visits
• Hospital readmissions
Financial Outlook
Summary of Forecasted Annual Net Income: Years 1-3
Products and Services
Forecast Net Income
(Revenue and Operational Costs)
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3
Product or Service #1: Educational Conference
$649
$2,480
$4,252
Product or Service #2: Patient Education Package
$0
$3,800
$9,100
Total Forecasted Annual Net Income
$649
$6,280
$13,352
CENTER STATES RURAL HEALTH NETWORK (SAMPLE) 6
Rural Health Network Sustainability Assessment Results
Rural Health Network Sustainability Assessment Results
Network Characteristics
Score:
% of Total Possible Points
Collaborative Leadership
94%
Member-Driven Decisions
88%
Effective Communication
88%
Change-Ready and Adaptable Workforce
67%
Continuous Improvement
82%
On-Going Evaluation and Measurement
82%
Sound Financial Infrastructure
75%
Overall Score
82.3%
CENTER STATES RURAL HEALTH NETWORK (SAMPLE) 7
Selected Opportunities for Sustainability
Selected Opportunities for Sustainability (OFS)
Selected OFS:
Sustainable
Network
Characteristic
Network Rating
(Slightly Disagree, Disagree,
Strongly Disagree)
1. Network maintains adequate cash resources for its operations
Sound financial
infrastructure
Slightly disagree
2. Network continually reviews its marketing plan to monitor progress
toward marketing goals
Member-driven
decisions
Slightly disagree
3. Network has a recruitment and retention plan in place that is
reviewed annually
Change-ready and
adaptable workforce
Disagree
Opportunity for Sustainability Selection Methodology
Discussion with full network board during board meeting in October 2019. These three OFS were determined to be most
critical to the continued sustainability of the Collaborative Approaches to Chronic Disease project.
CENTER STATES RURAL HEALTH NETWORK (SAMPLE) 8
Opportunity for Sustainability Action Plan #1
Opportunity for Sustainability Action Plan #1
Selected Opportunity for Sustainability (OFS): Network maintains adequate cash resources for its operations
OFS Characteristic Category: Sound financial infrastructure
What will success look like when your action plan is complete? Network bank balance will be at or above the Cash on
Hand target.
Action Steps:
Who Will
Implement:
Timeline:
1. Contact similar networks to learn how they manage cash
resources and report findings to Finance committee
Marcia
Dec. 1, 2019
2. Finance committee to identify Cash on Hand goal and submit
recommendation to network board
Terry (Finance
Committee chair)
Feb. 1, 2020
3. Develop and implement plan to reach target Cash on Hand
amount
Angela (Network
Director)
Apr. 1, 2020 (plan finalized)
Timeline for attaining Cash
on Hand goal will depend
upon the target amount.
CENTER STATES RURAL HEALTH NETWORK (SAMPLE) 9
Action Steps:
Needed Resources:
1. Contact similar networks to learn how they manage cash
resources and report findings to Finance committee
List of recommended networks/contacts from all
board members, NCHN
2. Finance committee to identify Cash on Hand goal and submit
recommendation to network board
None
3. Develop and implement plan to reach target Cash on Hand
amount
Dedicated time from finance staff at member
organizations
Action Steps:
Monitoring:
Communication:
Output:
1. Contact similar networks
• None
• Marcia to email
Terry every Friday
• Spreadsheet of Cash on
Hand benchmarks from
peer networks
2. Cash on Hand goal
• Terry to develop timeline
• Report out at each
board meeting
• Recommendation at
Feb. board meeting
3. Develop and implement plan
• Add to network
administrative dashboard
• Angela to report at
each Finance
committee and
board meeting
• Bank balance at target
amount
CENTER STATES RURAL HEALTH NETWORK (SAMPLE) 10
Opportunity for Sustainability Action Plan #2
Opportunity for Sustainability Action Plan #2
Selected Opportunity for Sustainability (OFS): Network continually reviews its marketing plan to monitor progress
toward marketing goals
OFS Characteristic Category: Member-Driven Decisions
What will success look like when your action plan is complete? All network staff and board members demonstrate
understanding of marketing plan; network achieves marketing goals.
Action Steps:
Who Will
Implement:
Timeline:
1. Review current marketing plan for alignment with project goals
Andrea
Review January 2020 board
meeting
Revisions finalized by March 31,
2020
2. Agree on process for reviewing marketing plan, including
appropriate time intervals
Jessica
(board chair)
January 2020 board meeting
3. Add key marketing metrics to administrative dashboard
Andrea
April 30, 2020
CENTER STATES RURAL HEALTH NETWORK (SAMPLE) 11
Action Steps:
Needed Resources:
1. Review current marketing plan for alignment with project goals
Current marketing plan and strategic plan
2. Agree on process for reviewing marketing plan, including
appropriate time intervals
No additional resources needed
3. Add key marketing metrics to administrative dashboard
IT support for updating dashboard format
Action Steps:
Monitoring:
Communication:
Output:
1. Review current plan
• No monitoring needed
besides regular
communication
• Andrea to include in
board packets before
January meeting and
present at January
meeting
• Updates to be sent in
monthly board
communication Feb &
Mar 2020
• Updated marketing
plan
2. Agree on review process
• No monitoring needed
besides regular
communication
• Jessica to lead
discussion during
January 2020 board
meeting
• Written process for
marketing plan
review
3. Add to dashboard
• Technology committee to
check on progress monthly
• Updates in monthly
board communication
• Updated dashboard
CENTER STATES RURAL HEALTH NETWORK (SAMPLE) 12
Opportunity for Sustainability Action Plan #3
Opportunity for Sustainability Action Plan #3
Selected Opportunity for Sustainability (OFS): Network has a recruitment and retention plan in place that is reviewed
annually
OFS Characteristic Category: Change-Ready and Adaptable Workforce
What will success look like when your action plan is complete? Formal recruitment and retention plan and schedule
for regular review are in place
Action Steps:
Who Will
Implement:
Timeline:
1. Gather baseline information (turnover and vacancy rates,
employee satisfaction, exit interview data)
Andrea
Dec. 31, 2019
2. Identify recruitment and retention priority improvement area(s)
Andrea (with
network
staff input)
Feb. 28, 2020
3. Develop improvement strategies for the priority position(s)
Andrea (with
board input)
June 30, 2020
CENTER STATES RURAL HEALTH NETWORK (SAMPLE) 13
Action Steps:
Needed Resources:
1. Gather baseline data (turnover and vacancy rates, employee
satisfaction, exit interview data)
HR reports
2. Identify recruitment and retention priority improvement area from
above baseline data
No additional resources needed
3. Develop improvement strategies for the priority position(s)
Best practices in recruitment & retention
Action Steps:
Monitoring:
Communication:
Output:
1. Gather baseline information
• Recruitment & retention
project action plan status
report to be posted in
administrative offices
• Andrea to share data
at staff and board
meetings
• Sound understanding
of current state of
recruitment and
retention of Center
States Health
Network’s member
facilities
2. Identify priority
• Recruitment & retention
project action plan status
report to be posted in
administrative offices
• Andrea to share
outcome of staff
discussion at Feb.
board meeting
• One or two key areas
targeted for
improvement
3. Develop improvement strategy
• Recruitment & retention
project action plan status
report to be posted in
administrative offices
• Andrea to share board
decisions at June
board meeting
• Action Plan
CENTER STATES RURAL HEALTH NETWORK (SAMPLE) 14
Dashboard
Dashboard
Selected OFS:
Key Actions for Change:
Timeline:
Status:
1. Network maintains adequate cash
resources for its operations
1. Contact similar networks to learn how
they manage cash resources and report
findings to finance committee
2. Finance committee to identify cash
on hand goal and submit
recommendation to network board
3. Develop and implement plan to reach
target cash on hand amount
1. Dec. 1, 2019
2. Feb. 1, 2020
3. Apr. 1, 2020
2. Network continually reviews its
marketing plan to monitor progress
toward marketing goals
1. Review current marketing plan for
alignment with project goals
2. Agree on process for reviewing
marketing plan, including appropriate
time intervals
3. Add key marketing metrics to
administrative dashboard
1. Review: Feb. 1,
2020; Update Apr. 1
2. Feb. 1, 2020
3. May 1, 2020
3. Network has a recruitment and
retention plan in place that is reviewed
annually
1. Gather baseline data
2. Identify recruitment and retention
priority area(s)
3. Develop improvement strategies for
the priority area(s)
1. Dec. 31, 2019
2. Feb. 28, 2020
3. Jun. 30, 2020