Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Critical Access Hospitals
When the Hospital CEO Becomes the Patient: Rural Maternal Care Up Close
A conversation with Eilidh Pederson, CEO of Western Wisconsin Health, focused on her experience giving birth at a rural Critical Access Hospital. Discusses high-quality maternal healthcare access in rural communities.
Author(s): Tom Haederle, Julia Resnick, Eilidh Pederson
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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A conversation with Eilidh Pederson, CEO of Western Wisconsin Health, focused on her experience giving birth at a rural Critical Access Hospital. Discusses high-quality maternal healthcare access in rural communities.
Author(s): Tom Haederle, Julia Resnick, Eilidh Pederson
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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R3 Report: National Patient Safety Goal for Suicide Prevention
Establishes safety goals and practices for suicide prevention in Joint Commission-accredited hospitals. Highlights specific requirements for accredited Critical Access Hospitals.
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organization: Joint Commission
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Establishes safety goals and practices for suicide prevention in Joint Commission-accredited hospitals. Highlights specific requirements for accredited Critical Access Hospitals.
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organization: Joint Commission
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MBQIP Fundamentals Guide for State Flex Programs: A Guide for Flex Coordinators on the Current Status of the MBQIP
Provides an overview of the history and current status of the Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Project (MBQIP). Offers links to resources to support Flex program personnel and relevant subcontractors understand the basics of MBQIP.
Date: 11/2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural Quality Improvement Technical Assistance (RQITA) Resource Center
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Provides an overview of the history and current status of the Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Project (MBQIP). Offers links to resources to support Flex program personnel and relevant subcontractors understand the basics of MBQIP.
Date: 11/2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural Quality Improvement Technical Assistance (RQITA) Resource Center
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RHCs and CAHs Participating in the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP): Characteristics of the Providers and Communities
Describes the characteristics of Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) currently participating in the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) in 2023. Compares CAH and RHC characteristics by MSSP participation, ownership status, and freestanding versus provider-based RHC status.
Author(s): Edmer Lazaro, Dan Shane, Fred Ullrich, Keith Mueller
Date: 11/2025
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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Describes the characteristics of Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) currently participating in the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) in 2023. Compares CAH and RHC characteristics by MSSP participation, ownership status, and freestanding versus provider-based RHC status.
Author(s): Edmer Lazaro, Dan Shane, Fred Ullrich, Keith Mueller
Date: 11/2025
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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Facilitators of Strong Quality and Financial Outcomes in Critical Access Hospitals
Examines leadership traits, management strategies, and other governance and collaboration-based supports for positive quality and financial outcomes in Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), utilizing insights from interviews of leaders at 10 CAHs which met high financial and quality benchmarks. Provides interview excerpts and identifies themes.
Author(s): Robert Barclay, Zoe Pringle, Megan Lahr, et al.
Date: 11/2025
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Examines leadership traits, management strategies, and other governance and collaboration-based supports for positive quality and financial outcomes in Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), utilizing insights from interviews of leaders at 10 CAHs which met high financial and quality benchmarks. Provides interview excerpts and identifies themes.
Author(s): Robert Barclay, Zoe Pringle, Megan Lahr, et al.
Date: 11/2025
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Characteristics of Critical Access Hospitals with High Financial and Quality Metric Performance
Examines Critical Access Hospital (CAH) financial and quality performance utilizing Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Project (MBQIP) data. Provides characteristics of CAHs and their respective measures according to 5 financial and 5 quality benchmarks.
Author(s): Lauren Wallace, George H Pink, Kristie Thompson, et al.
Date: 11/2025
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Examines Critical Access Hospital (CAH) financial and quality performance utilizing Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Project (MBQIP) data. Provides characteristics of CAHs and their respective measures according to 5 financial and 5 quality benchmarks.
Author(s): Lauren Wallace, George H Pink, Kristie Thompson, et al.
Date: 11/2025
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Funding Rural Health: The Role and Reach of Federal Support
A series of briefs and spotlights focused on how the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) supports population health in rural Kansas and the rural United States. Focuses on FORHP funding processes and organizational structure, distribution of funds, the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program, the Rural Health Care Services Outreach Program, and Rural Communities Opioid Response Program.
Author(s): Shelby C. Rowell, Wyatt J. Beckman, Viktoria Sterkhova
Date: 11/2025
Sponsoring organization: Kansas Health Institute
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A series of briefs and spotlights focused on how the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) supports population health in rural Kansas and the rural United States. Focuses on FORHP funding processes and organizational structure, distribution of funds, the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program, the Rural Health Care Services Outreach Program, and Rural Communities Opioid Response Program.
Author(s): Shelby C. Rowell, Wyatt J. Beckman, Viktoria Sterkhova
Date: 11/2025
Sponsoring organization: Kansas Health Institute
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The Evolving Role of Critical Access Hospitals in Rural Physician Training
Research letter examining prevalence of Critical Access Hospital (CAH)-based training and comparing CAHs with other rural teaching hospitals to evaluate potential for expansion. Features statistics on characteristics of training programs in CAHs and other rural teaching hospitals.
Author(s): Lori Rodefeld, Mukesh Adhikari, Catherine (Kasia) Horger, John Boll, Emily M. Hawes
Citation: JAMA Health Forum, 6(10), e254742
Date: 10/2025
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Research letter examining prevalence of Critical Access Hospital (CAH)-based training and comparing CAHs with other rural teaching hospitals to evaluate potential for expansion. Features statistics on characteristics of training programs in CAHs and other rural teaching hospitals.
Author(s): Lori Rodefeld, Mukesh Adhikari, Catherine (Kasia) Horger, John Boll, Emily M. Hawes
Citation: JAMA Health Forum, 6(10), e254742
Date: 10/2025
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Critical Access Hospital: 2026 National Patient Safety Goals
Identifies National Patient Safety Goals for the Joint Commission's Critical Access Hospital Accreditation Program. Covers emergency management, infection prevention, pain management and safe prescribing practices, suicide prevention, workplace and patient safety, and more. Effective January 1, 2026.
Additional links: Simplified Version
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Joint Commission
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Identifies National Patient Safety Goals for the Joint Commission's Critical Access Hospital Accreditation Program. Covers emergency management, infection prevention, pain management and safe prescribing practices, suicide prevention, workplace and patient safety, and more. Effective January 1, 2026.
Additional links: Simplified Version
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Joint Commission
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Hospital Trends in the Use, Evaluation, and Governance of Predictive AI, 2023-2024
Describes trends in the foundational use, evaluation, and governance of predictive artificial intelligence (AI) in hospitals using data from the 2023 and 2024 American Hospital Association (AHA) Information Technology (IT) supplement. Presents data on the differences in acute care hospitals' use of predictive AI by hospital size, CAH status, rural/urban location, independent/system affiliation, and electronic health record (EHR) vendor.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology
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Describes trends in the foundational use, evaluation, and governance of predictive artificial intelligence (AI) in hospitals using data from the 2023 and 2024 American Hospital Association (AHA) Information Technology (IT) supplement. Presents data on the differences in acute care hospitals' use of predictive AI by hospital size, CAH status, rural/urban location, independent/system affiliation, and electronic health record (EHR) vendor.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology
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