Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Critical Access Hospitals
Estimate of Federal Payment Reductions to Hospitals Following the ACA: 2010-2029: Estimates and Methodology
Estimates the reduction in Medicare hospital payments due to sequestration from 2010 to 2029, not including reductions enacted under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Demonstrates how other legislative acts and regulatory changes by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) reduced federal payments to hospitals over the same period. Highlights how reductions in Medicare payments for bad debt impacted Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs).
Date: 10/2019
Sponsoring organizations: American Hospital Association, Federation of American Hospitals
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Estimates the reduction in Medicare hospital payments due to sequestration from 2010 to 2029, not including reductions enacted under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Demonstrates how other legislative acts and regulatory changes by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) reduced federal payments to hospitals over the same period. Highlights how reductions in Medicare payments for bad debt impacted Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs).
Date: 10/2019
Sponsoring organizations: American Hospital Association, Federation of American Hospitals
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CAH Participation in Flex Financial and Operational Improvement Activities, 2015–2018
Examines patterns of Critical Access Hospital (CAH) participation in activities funded by the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility (Flex) Program. Looks at CAHs' participation in financial and operational improvement activities, with information by various hospital characteristics including risk of financial distress.
Author(s): Kathleen Knocke, Kristin Reiter, George H. Pink
Date: 10/2019
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Examines patterns of Critical Access Hospital (CAH) participation in activities funded by the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility (Flex) Program. Looks at CAHs' participation in financial and operational improvement activities, with information by various hospital characteristics including risk of financial distress.
Author(s): Kathleen Knocke, Kristin Reiter, George H. Pink
Date: 10/2019
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Antibiotic Stewardship Implementation: Suggested Strategies from High Performing Critical Access Hospitals
Describes antibiotic stewardship (AS) best practices identified through focus groups of 34 high performing Critical Access Hospitals across 25 states. Provides an overview of focus group findings on the seven core elements of hospital AS and identifies recurring themes.
Date: 09/2019
Sponsoring organization: Stratis Health
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Describes antibiotic stewardship (AS) best practices identified through focus groups of 34 high performing Critical Access Hospitals across 25 states. Provides an overview of focus group findings on the seven core elements of hospital AS and identifies recurring themes.
Date: 09/2019
Sponsoring organization: Stratis Health
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Russell County Hospital Listens to their Community to Improve Transitions of Care
Highlights quality improvement activities underway at a 25-bed Critical Access Hospital (CAH) in rural Kentucky. Discusses community collaboration efforts, expansion of specialty services, renovations, a focus on staff satisfaction, and care coordination activities.
Date: 09/2019
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Resource Center
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Highlights quality improvement activities underway at a 25-bed Critical Access Hospital (CAH) in rural Kentucky. Discusses community collaboration efforts, expansion of specialty services, renovations, a focus on staff satisfaction, and care coordination activities.
Date: 09/2019
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Resource Center
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Violence Against Hospital Workers: Growing Awareness, Rural Interventions, and Why It Still Goes Unreported
Provides an overview of workplace violence in healthcare settings. Features rural hospitals in Oregon and Idaho that are undertaking a range of prevention activities addressing workplace violence. Also features research findings from a Michigan healthcare system study on the topic, and identifies resources and tools that rural hospital leaders can use to help protect hospital staff.
Author(s): Jenn Lukens
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 09/2019
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Provides an overview of workplace violence in healthcare settings. Features rural hospitals in Oregon and Idaho that are undertaking a range of prevention activities addressing workplace violence. Also features research findings from a Michigan healthcare system study on the topic, and identifies resources and tools that rural hospital leaders can use to help protect hospital staff.
Author(s): Jenn Lukens
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 09/2019
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Rural Hospital Closures Reduce Access to Emergency Care
Recognizes the importance of hospital and emergency care services in providing healthcare in rural communities, and discusses the current hospital closure rate. Uses federal data to compare the financial viability of rural and urban hospitals, and the availability of emergency care in rural communities. Suggests policy recommendations for improving access to healthcare and emergency care for rural populations.
Author(s): Tarun Ramesh, Emily Gee
Date: 09/2019
Sponsoring organization: Center for American Progress
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Recognizes the importance of hospital and emergency care services in providing healthcare in rural communities, and discusses the current hospital closure rate. Uses federal data to compare the financial viability of rural and urban hospitals, and the availability of emergency care in rural communities. Suggests policy recommendations for improving access to healthcare and emergency care for rural populations.
Author(s): Tarun Ramesh, Emily Gee
Date: 09/2019
Sponsoring organization: Center for American Progress
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2019 Rural Emergency Care Integration Summit: Flex Program Support for Rural EMS: Moving from Loaded Miles to Value-Based Models
Provides an overview of the March 2019 Rural Emergency Care Summit convened by the National Rural Health Resource Center. Explores the role of emergency medical services (EMS) as the healthcare system transitions from volume-based to value-based care. Addresses challenges to EMS and hospital collaboration and strategies for future integration. Discusses how Flex Programs could support rural EMS improvements.
Date: 08/2019
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Resource Center
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Provides an overview of the March 2019 Rural Emergency Care Summit convened by the National Rural Health Resource Center. Explores the role of emergency medical services (EMS) as the healthcare system transitions from volume-based to value-based care. Addresses challenges to EMS and hospital collaboration and strategies for future integration. Discusses how Flex Programs could support rural EMS improvements.
Date: 08/2019
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Resource Center
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The Evolving Policy Landscape of Telehealth Services Delivered in the Home and Other Nonclinical Settings
Issue brief identifying key findings for state officials considering adopting new policies for home-based telehealth services. Describes Medicaid and Medicare coverage for telehealth services, including those provided in rural and Health Professional Shortage Areas, Critical Access Hospitals, and Rural Health Clinics.
Author(s): Brittany Lazur, Andrea Bennett, Valerie King
Date: 08/2019
Sponsoring organization: Milbank Memorial Fund
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Issue brief identifying key findings for state officials considering adopting new policies for home-based telehealth services. Describes Medicaid and Medicare coverage for telehealth services, including those provided in rural and Health Professional Shortage Areas, Critical Access Hospitals, and Rural Health Clinics.
Author(s): Brittany Lazur, Andrea Bennett, Valerie King
Date: 08/2019
Sponsoring organization: Milbank Memorial Fund
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Patient Experience and Function, Fall 2018 Cycle: CDP Report
Evaluates 5 new measures related to patient function and experience of care and supports using them for quality improvement efforts and public reporting. Measures focus on care coordination, particularly following discharge in order to reduce hospital readmissions. Includes Critical Access Hospitals under acute care hospitals, with exclusions for swing bed stays.
Date: 08/2019
Sponsoring organization: National Quality Forum
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Evaluates 5 new measures related to patient function and experience of care and supports using them for quality improvement efforts and public reporting. Measures focus on care coordination, particularly following discharge in order to reduce hospital readmissions. Includes Critical Access Hospitals under acute care hospitals, with exclusions for swing bed stays.
Date: 08/2019
Sponsoring organization: National Quality Forum
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Addressing Rural Hospital Closures Through Infrastructure Reform
Provides a historical overview of rural Medicare reimbursement and provider designations and discusses their impact on hospital closures. Supports changing the rural health infrastructure to provide more flexibility for rural hospitals and to emphasize primary care and emergency care access.
Author(s): Eleni Salyers
Date: 08/2019
Sponsoring organization: Bipartisan Policy Center
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Provides a historical overview of rural Medicare reimbursement and provider designations and discusses their impact on hospital closures. Supports changing the rural health infrastructure to provide more flexibility for rural hospitals and to emphasize primary care and emergency care access.
Author(s): Eleni Salyers
Date: 08/2019
Sponsoring organization: Bipartisan Policy Center
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