Transformation of Rural Community Health (ToRCH)
Bothwell Regional Health Center, primary care and behavioral health providers and community-based organizations offering social services are working together to improve community health for Pettis County’s Medicaid population.
What is ToRCH?
ToRCH is a rural health program sponsored by the Missouri HealthNet Division, which manages the Missouri Medicaid program. It is a model of care that directs resources to rural communities committed to addressing the non-medical factors that impact health outcomes. Known as social determinants of health (SDOH), these factors include safe housing, transportation, access to healthy foods and opportunities for physical activity.
Bothwell was named by the state to be one of six rural hospital community hubs to participate in the state of Missouri’s Transformation of Rural Community Health (ToRCH) pilot project. The other five hospitals selected include Golden Valley Memorial Healthcare in Clinton, Ray County Hospital and Healthcare in Richmond, Citizens Memorial Hospital in Bolivar, Salem Memorial District Hospital and Phelps Health in Rolla.
How Does ToRCH Work?
The program works by connecting Bothwell and community partners to the Community Information Exchange (CIE) software from Unite Us, a secure digital tool that streamlines care coordination by sharing resources and securely sending and receiving electronic referrals for services while addressing Medicaid participants’ social needs.
These services may vary and could involve providing transportation to medical appointments or delivering healthy and nutritious food. The system bridges the gap between people and the services intended to assist them.
What Does ToRCH Do?
ToRCH funding enables Bothwell to act as a central community "hub," bringing together partners to implement strategies that address social determinants of health needs and reduce preventable hospital admissions and emergency room visits.
The model involves incentivized goals for enhancing population health within Pettis County offering shared savings for achieving the following:
- Decreased rates of avoidable hospitalization, including readmissions
- Lowered rates of avoidable ED use at the hospital
- Reduced overall hospital use for all Medicaid recipients in the county no matter where the hospitalization occurs