Rural Project Examples Addressing Hospitals - Rural Health Information Hub

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Rural Project Examples: Hospitals