Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Closures of healthcare facilities and services
Rural Hospital Stabilization Committee Pilot Program Report
Reports on the initial results of using a "hub and spoke" model in Georgia to help address rural hospital financial pressures and emergency department overuse. Highlights the progress made by the initial four hub hospitals and the spokes, which included school-based healthcare and Federally Qualified Health Centers. Additional link provides performance metrics for the pilot.
Additional links: Profile for Rural Hospital Stabilization Committee (Data from SFY 2016 Phase 1 Pilot Program)
Date: 11/2017
Sponsoring organization: Georgia State Office of Rural Health
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Reports on the initial results of using a "hub and spoke" model in Georgia to help address rural hospital financial pressures and emergency department overuse. Highlights the progress made by the initial four hub hospitals and the spokes, which included school-based healthcare and Federally Qualified Health Centers. Additional link provides performance metrics for the pilot.
Additional links: Profile for Rural Hospital Stabilization Committee (Data from SFY 2016 Phase 1 Pilot Program)
Date: 11/2017
Sponsoring organization: Georgia State Office of Rural Health
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Ensuring Access with a Hospital's Conversion to a Freestanding Emergency Department
Outlines Ellijay, Georgia-based North Georgia Medical Center's transition from a traditional community hospital to a freestanding emergency department (ED). Shares administrative, legal, and logistical challenges that, once overcome, resulted in Piedmont Mountainside Hospital Emergency Services - a successful, community-focused, freestanding ED.
Date: 11/2017
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association Rural Health Services
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Outlines Ellijay, Georgia-based North Georgia Medical Center's transition from a traditional community hospital to a freestanding emergency department (ED). Shares administrative, legal, and logistical challenges that, once overcome, resulted in Piedmont Mountainside Hospital Emergency Services - a successful, community-focused, freestanding ED.
Date: 11/2017
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association Rural Health Services
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Access To Obstetric Services In Rural Counties Still Declining, With 9 Percent Losing Services, 2004-14
Results of a study identifying gaps in the availability of hospital-based obstetric services in rural America, and providing evidence of disparities in local access to obstetric services in vulnerable rural communities. Includes statistics on percentages of rural counties by status of hospital obstetric services from 2004–14, with breakdowns by micropolitan or noncore location, and a county-level map with shadings indicating full closure, continuous services, or no services.
Author(s): Peiyin Hung, Carrie E. Henning-Smith, Michelle M. Casey, Katy B. Kozhimannil
Citation: Health Affairs, 36(9), 1663-1671
Date: 09/2017
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Results of a study identifying gaps in the availability of hospital-based obstetric services in rural America, and providing evidence of disparities in local access to obstetric services in vulnerable rural communities. Includes statistics on percentages of rural counties by status of hospital obstetric services from 2004–14, with breakdowns by micropolitan or noncore location, and a county-level map with shadings indicating full closure, continuous services, or no services.
Author(s): Peiyin Hung, Carrie E. Henning-Smith, Michelle M. Casey, Katy B. Kozhimannil
Citation: Health Affairs, 36(9), 1663-1671
Date: 09/2017
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Rethinking Rural Hospitals
Discusses the various factors associated with rural hospital closures, and makes the case for adopting new, innovative approaches to rural healthcare delivery.
Author(s): Diana J. Mason
Citation: JAMA: Journal of the American Medical Association, 318(2), 114-115
Date: 07/2017
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Discusses the various factors associated with rural hospital closures, and makes the case for adopting new, innovative approaches to rural healthcare delivery.
Author(s): Diana J. Mason
Citation: JAMA: Journal of the American Medical Association, 318(2), 114-115
Date: 07/2017
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Closure of Hospital Obstetric Services Disproportionately Affects Less-Populated Rural Counties
Policy brief describing a study examining obstetric unit and hospital closures in rural areas of the United States, 2004-2014. Features statistics with breakdowns by all rural counties, micropolitan, and noncore areas.
Author(s): Peiyin Hung, Katy Kozhimannil, Carrie Henning-Smith, Michelle Casey
Date: 04/2017
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Policy brief describing a study examining obstetric unit and hospital closures in rural areas of the United States, 2004-2014. Features statistics with breakdowns by all rural counties, micropolitan, and noncore areas.
Author(s): Peiyin Hung, Katy Kozhimannil, Carrie Henning-Smith, Michelle Casey
Date: 04/2017
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Rural Hospital Environmental Impact Study
Examines the rapidly changing healthcare landscape, particularly as it relates to rural Texas, by focusing on four areas: the state of healthcare, rural hospital closures and vulnerabilities, the impact of the Affordable Care Act, and uninsurance rates. Presents information about the current and future state of healthcare in rural Texas to support rural health policymakers.
Date: 03/2017
Sponsoring organization: Texas Organization of Rural & Community Hospitals
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Examines the rapidly changing healthcare landscape, particularly as it relates to rural Texas, by focusing on four areas: the state of healthcare, rural hospital closures and vulnerabilities, the impact of the Affordable Care Act, and uninsurance rates. Presents information about the current and future state of healthcare in rural Texas to support rural health policymakers.
Date: 03/2017
Sponsoring organization: Texas Organization of Rural & Community Hospitals
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Tennessee Hospital Association 2017 Rural Impact Report
Describes hospitals' economic impact on rural Tennessee communities and the effect of hospital closures. Includes county-level statistics on ER visits, births, cost of bad debt and charity care, number of employees, salaries, and total economic impact.
Date: 03/2017
Sponsoring organization: Tennessee Hospital Association
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Describes hospitals' economic impact on rural Tennessee communities and the effect of hospital closures. Includes county-level statistics on ER visits, births, cost of bad debt and charity care, number of employees, salaries, and total economic impact.
Date: 03/2017
Sponsoring organization: Tennessee Hospital Association
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What's Next? Practical Suggestions for Rural Communities Facing a Hospital Closure
Presents alternative healthcare solutions for rural Texas communities that are facing a rural hospital closure. Examines the current state of healthcare delivery and outlines the regulatory and legislative obstacles to maintaining rural hospital services. Appendices provide additional information including maps of rural Texas hospital closures, a list of useful resources, reflections from rural hospital leaders, and more.
Date: 2017
Sponsoring organizations: A&M Rural and Community Health Institute, Episcopal Health Foundation
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Presents alternative healthcare solutions for rural Texas communities that are facing a rural hospital closure. Examines the current state of healthcare delivery and outlines the regulatory and legislative obstacles to maintaining rural hospital services. Appendices provide additional information including maps of rural Texas hospital closures, a list of useful resources, reflections from rural hospital leaders, and more.
Date: 2017
Sponsoring organizations: A&M Rural and Community Health Institute, Episcopal Health Foundation
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State Office of Rural Health Roadmap for Working with Vulnerable Hospitals
Toolkit designed to assist State Offices of Rural Health (SORHs) when working with vulnerable hospitals and communities. Outlines the types of technical assistance (TA) that SORHs may provide before and after hospital closures and includes resources to help SORHs facilitate that assistance. Provides a self-assessment to help SORHs determine their capacity and select the appropriate levels of TA, as well as sample Critical Access Hospital needs assessments and benchmarking reports.
Date: 10/2016
Sponsoring organization: National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health
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Toolkit designed to assist State Offices of Rural Health (SORHs) when working with vulnerable hospitals and communities. Outlines the types of technical assistance (TA) that SORHs may provide before and after hospital closures and includes resources to help SORHs facilitate that assistance. Provides a self-assessment to help SORHs determine their capacity and select the appropriate levels of TA, as well as sample Critical Access Hospital needs assessments and benchmarking reports.
Date: 10/2016
Sponsoring organization: National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health
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Trends in Risk of Financial Distress among Rural Hospitals
Illustrates the proportion of rural hospitals, including Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), at high risk of financial distress by Census region and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) payment type for the 2013-2016 period.
Author(s): Brystana G. Kaufman, Randy Randolph, George H. Pink, Mark Holmes
Date: 10/2016
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Illustrates the proportion of rural hospitals, including Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), at high risk of financial distress by Census region and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) payment type for the 2013-2016 period.
Author(s): Brystana G. Kaufman, Randy Randolph, George H. Pink, Mark Holmes
Date: 10/2016
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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