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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Critical Access Hospitals

Nursing Homes in Rural America: A Chartbook
Explores county-level nursing home availability and evaluates the supply of nursing home beds per 1,000 population aged 65 and older. Identifies nursing home availability for counties with and without hospitals with swing beds, and describes the resident and nursing home characteristics including occupancy levels, payer mix, demographics, and healthcare needs. Features statistics with breakdowns by noncore, micropolitan, and metropolitan counties.
Author(s): Hari Sharma, Lili Xu, Fred Ullrich, Clint MacKinney, Keith J. Mueller
Date: 07/2022
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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Texas State Office of Rural Health: Supporting CAHs and RHCs to Create Tangible Change in Rural Texas Communities
Provides an overview of a conversation between Rural Healthcare Provider and Transition Project (RHPTP) and Texas State Office of Rural Health (SORH) staff about value-based care (VBC) to support rural hospitals and clinics. Highlights the process of Sudan Medical Clinic moving toward VBC and collaborating with the RHPTP, as well as the opportunities for communication between SORHs and rural healthcare facilities around the state.
Date: 07/2022
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Resource Center
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Co-located Critical Access & Behavioral Health Hospital: Charles A. Cannon Jr. Memorial Hospital and Appalachian Regional Behavioral Hospital
Profiles Charles A. Cannon, Jr. Memorial Hospital, a Critical Access Hospital (CAH), and Appalachian Regional Healthcare System (ARHS) in western North Carolina. Describes how ARHS secured an exemption from the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to build Appalachian Regional Behavioral Health (ARBH) Hospital nearby without losing CAH status. Discusses the impact of the CMS exemption on financial sustainability and emergency department wait times.
Date: 07/2022
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Barriers and Facilitators Associated with Establishment of Emergency Department-Initiated Buprenorphine for Opioid Use Disorder in Rural Maine
Presents a study on the barriers and facilitators for implementing programs that initiate buprenorphine treatment for patients with opioid use disorder (OUD) seeking care in Critical Access Hospital (CAH) emergency departments (EDs) in rural Maine. Highlights findings of a survey of CAH ED directors on the challenges of implementing buprenorphine initiation programs.
Author(s): Noah K. Rosenberg, Alexander B. Hill, Lily Johnsky, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 38(3), 612-619
Date: 06/2022
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The Economic Effects of Rural Hospital Closures
Examines the impact of a rural hospital closure on local economic outcomes. Compares economic changes in nonmetro counties experiencing a hospital closure between 2001 and 2018 to changes in a control group of nonmetro counties. Presents data on the effects of rural hospital closures on annual income, population size, unemployment, and labor force size overall and by closure type and Critical Access Hospital (CAH) and Prospective Payment System (PPS) status.
Author(s): Tyler L. Malone, Arrianna Marie Planey, Laura B. Bozovich, Kristie W. Thompson, George M. Holmes
Citation: Health Services Research, 57(3), 614-623
Date: 06/2022
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Critical Access Hospitals in TX: How Do They Compare to Other TX Hospitals?
Webinar offering an overview of Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) in Texas. Compares CAHs in Texas with non-CAHs in Texas using multiple variables including size, staffing levels, county characteristics, rurality, and more. See video description for transcript.
Date: 06/2022
Sponsoring organization: University of Texas at Arlington Center for Rural Health and Nursing
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MiCare Champion Cast: How 340B Benefits Rural Michigan
Podcast that explains the 340B drug pricing program and its impact on rural Michigan. Presents a discussion with stakeholders from the Mackinac Straits Health System which includes a Critical Access Hospital, Rural Health Clinic, and other healthcare facilities. Transcript available below description.
Date: 06/2022
Sponsoring organization: Michigan Health & Hospital Association
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Community Impact and Benefit Activities of Critical Access, Other Rural, and Urban Hospitals, 2020
Examines the economic and healthcare benefit of Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) on rural communities. Looks at services provided, the economic health of CAHs, and the effect this has on their communities broadly. Includes comparisons of community benefit and patient care services indicators provided by CAHs and other rural and urban hospitals.
Author(s): Zachariah Croll, John Gale
Date: 06/2022
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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The Pennsylvania Rural Health Model (PARHM): Second Annual Evaluation Report
Evaluates the second 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 during the second performance year.
Additional links: Appendix, Findings at a Glance
Date: 06/2022
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, NORC at the University of Chicago
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Supporting Critical Access Hospital Staff during COVID-19
Presents summaries of initiatives taken in three Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) to support staff during the COVID-19 pandemic with regard to child care, stress and well-being, and work flexibility. Discusses similarities across these programs and offers considerations for CAHs interested in implementing similar initiatives.
Author(s): Madeleine Pick, Megan Lahr, Shehrose Charania, Ira Moscovice
Date: 06/2022
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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