Rural PACE^®

Rural PACE^® Resources

As the PACE model has been successfully adapted in many different communities, interest has grown in adapting the model to serve older adults in rural areas.  Rural counties currently have a higher proportion of seniors than urban counties; however, rural seniors are less likely to have access to community-based services and more often have no choice but to enter a nursing home when they have long term care needs.

Determining the particular rural issues affecting your market and the flexibility of the PACE model will enable your organization to envision rural PACE to suit your organization and your community needs.  With this information, a prospective rural PACE sponsor can develop a sound business plan and apply for the regulatory authorizations needed to proceed.

NPA and the National Rural Health Association (NRHA) received a contract from the Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration for The Rural PACE Technical Assistance Program (RP-TAP) which has produced resources for and provided technical assistance to organizations interested in developing a PACE program to serve a rural area.

Click here to read the National PACE Association Applauds $7.5 Million in Grants to Expand PACE to Rural Areas announcement.

Understanding PACE^® in a rural context

• What is Rural?  (PDF from HRSA Rural Health web site page) – list of rural counties, census tracks and designated eligible zip codes in metropolitan counties as used by the Office of Rural Health Policy
• Setting the PACE for Rural Elder Care: A Framework for Action  – The “Rural PACE Summit” convened on September 18-20, 2002 with PACE providers and rural health experts, along with state and federal policy makers in attendance. This provides a summary of their discussions.
• An Overview of Rural PACE – PowerPoint presentation entitled “An Overview of Rural PACE” by Peter Fitzgerald and Chris van Reenen of the National PACE Association for the first Rural PACE Education Series conference call on January 26, 2004.

Case Studies

• Palmetto SeniorCare: PACE in South Carolina  – presentation entitled “Palmetto SeniorCare: PACE in South Carolina” by Judy Baskins of Palmetto SeniorCare for the Rural PACE Workshop in Columbia, SC on May 12-13, 2004.
• Wisconsin Adaptations of PACE: Racine County  – presentation entitled “Wisconsin Partnership: A Rural PACE Adaptation” by Rob McCommons of Integrated Care Solutions for the Rural PACE Workshop in Milwaukee, WI on June 3-4, 2004.
• Wisconsin Adaptations of PACE: Eau Claire County  –  presentation entitled “A Rural Experience” by Paul Cook of Community Health Partnership for the Rural PACE Workshop in Milwaukee, WI on June 3-4, 2004.
• Setting the PACE for Rural Elder Care: Three Rural PACE Case Studies  – NPA conducted three case studies involving rural aging and health care providers who were in various stages of exploring PACE to understand two possible models of development recognized in the Rural PACE Summit of September 2002. The three areas studied were: Geisinger Health System, Danville, PA; Midland Hospice, Topeka, KS; and Mountain Empire Older Citizens Inc., Big Stone Gap, VA.
• Developing a Rural PACE Program: Insights and Experiences from Vermont – presentation done by Joan Haslett of the Office of Vermont Health Access for the fourth Rural PACE Education Series conference call on November 17, 2004.

Financial Considerations

• Challenges and Strategies for Rural PACE: Managing Risk  – Part of the rural PACE issue brief composite entitled “Setting the PACE for Rural Elder Care: Challenges and Strategies,” created under the Rural PACE Technical Assistance Program.
• Financing PACE Development in Rural Areas  – presentation done by Peter Fitzgerald of the National PACE Association for the third Rural PACE Education Series conference call on August 19, 2004.

Operational Considerations

• Rural PACE Concepts  – presentation entitled “Rural PACE Concepts” by Mike Byrd of the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control for the Rural PACE Workshop in Columbia, SC on May 12-13, 2004.
• Staffing for Rural Community Long Term Care  – presentation entitled “Staffing for Rural Community LTC” by Esther Forti, PhD, RN of the University of South Carolina, Medical School for the Rural PACE Workshop in Columbia, SC on May 12-13, 2004.
• Staffing and Health Professions Training for Rural PACE: Issues and Insights  – presentation entitled “Staffing Community Based Long Term Care and Health Professions Training” by Mary Gavinski, MD of Community Care Organization for the Rural PACE Workshop in Milwaukee, WI on June 3-4, 2004.
• Challenges and Strategies for Rural PACE: Recruiting and Retaining Staff  – Part of the rural PACE issue brief composite entitled "Setting the PACE for Rural Elder Care: Challenges and Strategies," created under the Rural PACE Technical Assistance Program.
• Rural Health Networks  – presentation entitled “Rural Health Networks” by Pat Kota and Lindsey Lonergan of the Georgia Health Policy Center for the Rural PACE Workshops in Columbia, SC May 12-13 and Milwaukee, WI June 3-4, 2004.
• Challenges and Strategies for Rural PACE: Developing the Necessary Infrastructure  – Part of the rural PACE issue brief composite entitled “Setting the PACE for Rural Elder Care: Challenges and Strategies,” created under the Rural PACE Technical Assistance Program.

Planning and Development

• Rural PACE Assessment Instrument Overview  – presentation entitled “The Rural PACE Assessment Instrument” by John Tucker of Palmetto SeniorCare and Kathy McGuire of American PACE Exchange, LLC for the Rural PACE Workshop in Columbia, SC on May 12-13, 2004.
• Rural PACE Assessment Instrument  – A tool designed to provide a framework for assessing a prospective rural PACE program and the relative strengths and weaknesses of its sponsoring organization; created under the Rural PACE Technical Assistance Program.
• Rural PACE Assessment Instrument Case Study: Sun and Snow Health  – A completed Rural PACE Assessment based on a fictional organization for the purposes of example.
• Rural PACE: The Path from Interest to Start Up  – A guide designed to help organizations that wish to serve a rural area navigate through four distinct phases in the assessment and planning process identify what they need to accomplish in each phase, and access technical assistance resources available to them; created under the Rural PACE Technical Assistance Program.
• Toolkits for Developing a PACE Model  - The Rural PACE Technical Assistance Program has developed two toolkits to help rural organizations develop a PACE program.

Policy

• Regulatory and Statutory Issues for PACE in Rural Areas  – presentation done by Chris van Reenen of the National PACE Association for the second Rural PACE Education Series conference call on April 22, 2004 and the Rural PACE Workshops in Columbia, SC (May 12-13, 2004) and Milwaukee, WI (June 3-4, 2004)

Technology

• Using Health Technologies in Community Based Long Term Care  – Outline for PowerPoint presentation entitled “Technology and Long Term Care” by Nina Antoniotti, RN, MBA, PhD of the Marshfield Clinic TeleHealth Network for the Rural PACE Workshop in Columbia, SC on May 12-13 and Milwaukee, WI on June 3-4, 2004.
• Challenges and Strategies for Rural PACE: Using Information Technologies – Part of the rural PACE issue brief composite entitled “Setting the PACE for Rural Elder Care: Challenges and Strategies,” created under the Rural PACE Technical Assistance Program.

If you have questions regarding these resources please contact Peter Fitzgerald at peterf@npaonline.org.