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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Critical Access Hospitals

Tax-Exempt Hospitals Provided Nearly $130 Billion in Total Benefits to Their Communities: Results from 2020 Tax-Exempt Hospitals' Schedule H Community Benefit Reports
Summarizes the benefits nonprofit hospitals provide their communities based on an analysis of IRS Form 990 Schedule H. Addresses the percent spent on financial assistance, health professions education, community building activities, and other categories included on Schedule H. Includes data for rural and Critical Access Hospitals.
Date: 10/2023
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Recovering from a Cybersecurity Attack and Protecting the Future in Small, Rural Health Organizations
Discusses the impact cyber-attacks can have on rural healthcare facilities. Features two Critical Access Hospital leaders describing attacks at their organizations. Shares insights from an information technology compliance expert, including actions organizations can take to protect themselves.
Author(s): Tami Lichtenberg
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 10/2023
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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The Pennsylvania Rural Health Model (PARHM): Third Annual Evaluation Report
Evaluates the third performance year of the Pennsylvania Rural Health Model (PARHM), an initiative designed to test if global budgets can help rural hospitals improve their financial viability, provide flexibility to meet locally defined community health needs, and reduce overall healthcare spending. Provides an overview of the model and describes the implementation experience of participating hospitals and payers. Presents a descriptive quantitative assessment of financial performance, spending and utilization, access to care, and quality of care outcomes from 2016, the model's baseline, through 2021. Includes three case studies discussing three themes: the recruitment and retention of system-affiliated hospitals, engagement and coordination with community organizations and providers, and exploring service line changes.
Additional links: Appendix, Findings at a Glance
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, NORC at the University of Chicago
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Characteristics of Short-Term Acute Care Hospitals That Experienced a Ransomware Attack from 2016 to 2021
Analyzed short-term acute care hospitals experiencing a ransomware attack between 2016 and 2019 to identify characteristics associated with an attack. Considered variables such as rurality, various financial characteristics, information technology infrastructure, and more. Includes recommendation for future research regarding rural impacts.
Author(s): Claire C. McGlave, Sayeh S. Nikpay, Carrie Henning-Smith, Katie Rydberg, Hannah T. Neprash
Citation: Health Affairs Scholar, 1(3)
Date: 09/2023
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Quality Time: Sharing PIE – Improving Swing Bed Quality
Podcast episode discussing how two Critical Access Hospital (CAH) quality improvement leaders in Mississippi and Nevada used proactive approaches to improve their swing bed programs. Describes efforts in reducing healthcare-associated infections with pneumonia and improving the documentation and coordination of swing bed patients.
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organization: Stratis Health
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Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Project (MBQIP) Quality Reporting Guide
Offers Flex Coordinators, Critical Access Hospital staff, and others who are working with the Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Project (MBQIP) information to better understand the measure reporting process. Discusses how to register for the reporting site, which measures are to be reported, and how to submit data for each measure. Groups measures by how and where the data is to be reported.
Date: 08/2023
Sponsoring organization: Stratis Health
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Arizona Critical Access Hospitals: Community Health Needs 2023
Brief summarizing the community health needs of Arizona Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) based on a Community Health Needs Assessment. Identifies participating CAHs, lists priorities of each facility, and compares CAH community health priorities to Arizona state health priorities.
Author(s): J. Hospodar, J. Bullock, B. Koch, D. Derksen
Date: 08/2023
Sponsoring organization: Arizona Center for Rural Health
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Quality Time: Sharing PIE – Preventing Readmissions
Podcast episode discussing the varied approaches used by quality leaders from three Critical Access Hospitals to reduce readmissions. Covers community partnerships and collaboration with local health and human services providers, including emergency medical services (EMS).
Date: 08/2023
Sponsoring organization: Stratis Health
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FY 2024 Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) and Long-Term Care Hospital Prospective Payment System (LTCH PPS) Final Rule — CMS-1785-F and CMS-1788-F Fact Sheet
Fact sheet providing an overview of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) fiscal year 2024 hospital inpatient prospective payment system (IPPS) and long-term care hospital prospective payment system (LTCH PPS) final rule. Includes information about the low-wage index hospital policy, Rural Emergency Hospitals (REHs) being allowed to receive Medicare Graduate Medical Education (GME) payments, changes to the rural wage index calculation methodology, and more.
Date: 08/2023
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Critical Access Hospital Electronic Clinical Quality Measure (eCQM) Resource List
Resource list for electronic clinical quality measures (eCQMs), reflecting new materials and updates from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for 2022 reporting.
Date: 08/2023
Sponsoring organization: Stratis Health
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