Rural Project Examples: Hospitals
Other Project Examples
Utah Rural Independent Hospital Network (Rural 9 Network)
Updated/reviewed April 2023
- Need: To help ensure the viability of and improve quality at 9 rural, independent hospitals serving 11 Utah counties.
- Intervention: A network organization was created to allow member hospitals to communicate, network, and undertake projects together.
- Results: Members take advantage of cost savings, education, and networking opportunities through group projects and programs.
Addiction Recovery Mobile Outreach Team (ARMOT)
Updated/reviewed January 2023
- Need: To reduce the number of overdoses and overdose-related deaths from opioids in rural Pennsylvania.
- Intervention: ARMOT provides 1) case management and recovery support services to individuals with substance use disorders and 2) education and support to rural hospital staff, patients, and their loved ones.
- Results: Since 2015, ARMOT has received over 2,956 referrals.
The Hospital Cooperative Charge Comparative
Updated/reviewed September 2022
- Need: To help hospitals in rural Idaho and Wyoming see how their prices compare to others in the region.
- Intervention: The Hospital Cooperative (THC) completes an annual charge comparative, which lists the highest, lowest, average, and median price for a specific charge.
- Results: THC has offered these reports since 2010.
The Hospital Cooperative Mobile MRI
Updated/reviewed September 2022
- Need: Critical Access Hospitals in Idaho were not able to afford a fixed MRI system.
- Intervention: The hospitals partnered to purchase a mobile MRI unit to travel among facilities.
- Results: The MRI unit went into service in 2012, providing hundreds of scans per month and traveling among six member hospitals in rural Idaho.
Boone County Health Center Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program
Updated/reviewed June 2022
- Need: Evidenced-based intervention to improve function and quality of life for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and other chronic lower respiratory conditions.
- Intervention: Pulmonary rehabilitation program implementation in 1989.
- Results: Compared to a national average of only about 3% of referred Medicare beneficiaries actually enrolling in pulmonary rehabilitation, 60% of the program's referred patients enroll. Averaging around 15 patients/year completing the program, a large combined cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation maintenance population averages 8,000 visits/year.
Avita Health System Comprehensive Cardiology Program
Added April 2021
- Need: Population health approach to decreasing area deaths from cardiovascular disease.
- Intervention: A health system-level investment in level II cardiac catheterization services and the required specialized cardiology workforce.
- Results: Since August 2018, the Avita Health System in north central Ohio has provided local cardiovascular services that have decreased hospital transfers, increased care coordination, and provided education and prevention activities that, with time, will impact population health cardiovascular outcomes.
Southwest Health System Antibiotic Stewardship Program
Updated/reviewed March 2021
- Need: Impact patient care and safety issues related to antibiotic use in southwest Colorado.
- Intervention: Pharmacy-led antibiotic stewardship program for inpatient, outpatient, and long-term care settings.
- Results: With antibiotic use guidelines, refined infection diagnostics, and first-choice antibiotic selections, all care settings now see decreased days of treatment and decreased resistance patterns.
West Virginia's Partners In Health Network Regional Collaborative Services
Updated/reviewed September 2020
- Need: Coordinated approach to healthcare delivery in central and southern West Virginia.
- Intervention: Creation of a nonprofit organization that focused on quality and collaboration.
- Results: With an ability to provide services that meet the evolving needs of patients, providers, and communities, the organization provides unique services, such as a credentialing service and web-based data sharing care management tool.
Medical Home Plus
Updated/reviewed February 2020
- Need: To help reduce diabetes, depression, and stroke risk in rural residents.
- Intervention: A collaborative care model was implemented in the Idaho counties of Clearwater, Idaho, and Lewis.
- Results: Increased number of patients with controlled blood sugar, controlled blood pressure, and higher depression screening rates.
University of Mississippi Medical Center's Center for Telehealth
Updated/reviewed January 2020
- Need: Rural areas in Mississippi often lack adequate access to specialty healthcare services such as emergency medicine, stroke neurology, pediatric specialists and psychiatrists.
- Intervention: The University of Mississippi Medical Center created the Center for Telehealth to deliver quality specialty services through telehealth video conferencing and remote monitoring tools to the underserved areas of Mississippi.
- Results: The program has been successfully implemented throughout many of the state's rural hospitals and has reduced transfers and geographic barriers for patients.
For examples from other sources, see: