Rural Project Examples Addressing Healthcare business and finance

Community Health Worker-based Chronic Care Management Program
Added May 2020

Need: Improve healthcare access and decrease chronic disease disparities in rural Appalachia.
Intervention: A community health worker-based Chronic Care Management program demonstrated such a level of success in a single West Virginia county that it was further scaled for implementation in a multi-center, 3-state area of Appalachia.
Results: When analysis of the disseminated program's results also demonstrated improved health outcomes and decreased healthcare costs, sustainability became possible due to innovative financial reimbursement models.

Scenic Bluffs Community Health Center Insurance Help Team
Updated/reviewed October 2022

Need: To help inform western Wisconsin residents about their health insurance options under the Affordable Care Act.
Intervention: Certified application counselors provide assistance in outreach locations around the region.
Results: In the past year, more than 1,000 people received guidance on health insurance through this program, with 253 individuals enrolling in health insurance.

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.

Indiana Statewide Rural Health Network (InSRHN)
Updated/reviewed July 2021

Need: To improve sustainability and financial viability for rural healthcare providers throughout Indiana.
Intervention: A network of rural healthcare providers for Critical Access and other hospitals in Indiana that are dedicated to improving their ability to deliver efficient and high-quality healthcare for their rural residents.
Results: The network has been leveraged to increase access to resources, coordinate services, and improve and expand healthcare access.

Something to Smile About: Preventive Dental Care for Garrett County
Updated/reviewed July 2021

Need: In rural Garrett County, Maryland, a 1998 community survey found that 41% of kindergarten students had untreated dental decay, and many dentists in the area were not willing to see patients with medical assistance or state health insurance plans.
Intervention: In 1999, the Garrett County Health Department started the Something to Smile About program to improve access to dental care and help dentists negotiate higher reimbursement rates from managed care organizations.
Results: The program established a community dental clinic, provided care to thousands of individuals, and negotiated 30% higher rates for dental service reimbursement.

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.

Leadership Development Program
Updated/reviewed March 2021

Need: Reasonably-priced leadership education was needed for professional development of healthcare organization managers in southeastern Idaho and western Wyoming.
Intervention: Creation of a health network providing leadership training opportunities for member hospitals.
Results: Increased leadership and managerial quality, and decreased professional development costs for rural hospitals of southeastern Idaho and western Wyoming.

Miles for Smiles Mobile Dental Unit
Updated/reviewed September 2020

Need: Dental care access for children in low-income families living in a 7-county region of southwest Missouri.
Intervention: A mobile dental unit was created to expand dental care access.
Results: The Miles for Smiles mobile dental clinic provides comprehensive dental care to children throughout the 7-county region.

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.

Rural Project Examples: Healthcare business and finance