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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Critical Access Hospitals

Estimate of Federal Payment Reductions to Hospitals Following the ACA 2010-2028: Estimates and Methodology
Examines cumulative federal payment reductions to hospitals for 2010-2028. Addresses the impact of sequestration, changes in Medicare payments for bad debt including to Critical Access Hospitals, federal Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) allotments, and other legislation affecting hospital reimbursement.
Author(s): Allen Dobson, Joan DaVanzo, Randy Haught, Phap-Hoa Luu
Date: 06/2018
Sponsoring organizations: American Hospital Association, Dobson DaVanzo & Associates, Federation of American Hospitals
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Uvalde Memorial Hospital Strategizes SRHT Implementation
Describes Uvalde Memorial Hospital's (UMH) progress as part of the Small Rural Hospital Transition (SRHT) Project, completed in 2017, that focused on assessing UMH's finances and operations. UMH is a 25-bed county-owned not-for-profit Critical Access Hospital (CAH) located in Uvalde, Texas. Addresses swing bed usage, hospice, population health, cardiac rehabilitation, and staff efficiency.
Date: 06/2018
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Resource Center
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Drug Discount Program: Federal Oversight of Compliance at 340B Contract Pharmacies Needs Improvement
Focuses on the 340B Drug Pricing Program, which allows certain facilities such as Disproportionate Share Hospitals (DSHs), Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) to purchase prescription and non-prescription medications at reduced cost. Describes financial arrangements participating facilities have with contract pharmacies, the extent to which they provide discounts on 340B drugs dispensed by contract pharmacies to low-income, uninsured patients, and examines the Health Resources and Services Administration's efforts to ensure compliance with 340B Program requirements at contract pharmacies.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 06/2018
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Availability of Respiratory Care Services in Critical Access and Rural Hospitals
Policy brief describing availability of respiratory therapy and therapists in Critical Access Hospitals and in urban and rural Prospective Payment System hospitals in 2016. Includes statistics with breakdowns by hospital type and rural or urban location.
Author(s): Michelle Casey, Alex Evenson, Ira Moscovice, Zhengtian Wu
Date: 06/2018
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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MedPAC Report to the Congress: Medicare and the Health Care Delivery System, June 2018
Evaluates Medicare payment issues and offers recommendations to the U.S. Congress. Includes a chapter on ensuring appropriate access to and use of hospital emergency department (ED) services that provides extensive information on rural access to ED services and identifies examples of rural off-campus emergency departments. Other sections of the report addressing rural concerns focus on post-acute care, quality and value payment programs, and medical device payment policies. Also includes a report on the effects of the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program.
Additional links: Fact Sheet
Date: 06/2018
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Geographic Variation in Uncompensated Care Between Rural and Urban Hospitals
Findings brief describing how uncompensated hospital care varies across regions of the country, using data from the 2014-2016 Medicare Cost Report Worksheet S-10. Features statistics including breakdowns by Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), other rural hospitals, and urban hospitals.
Author(s): Krystal G. Garcia, Kristie Thompson, Hilda A. Howard, George H. Pink
Date: 06/2018
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Ray of Hope Behavioral Health Program: Cottage Hospital – Woodsville, NH
Describes Cottage Hospital, a 25-bed Critical Access Hospital, providing healthcare services to a large region of New Hampshire and Vermont, with an additional 10 beds for the Ray of Hope behavioral health program designed for older adults. Discusses the Ray of Hope program and covers impacts, lessons learned, and future goals of the program.
Date: 06/2018
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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National Quality Reporting Crosswalk for CAHs
Provides users with information about Critical Access Hospital (CAH) quality reporting initiatives occurring on a national level, including purpose, measures used, and any overlap in measures across initiatives.
Date: 05/2018
Sponsoring organizations: National Rural Health Resource Center, Stratis Health
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Delta Memorial Hospital's SEAL Team
Describes Delta Memorial Hospital's (DMH) progress as part of the Small Rural Hospital Transition (SRHT) Project, completed in 2017, focused on improving quality of care and transition of care. DMH is a 25-bed Critical Access Hospital located in Dumas, Arkansas. 12 months after implementing the recommendations, DMH met two of their three measurable goals. The SEAL team, or Service Excellence Advisor Leaders, are charged with regularly reviewing patient satisfaction surveys to identify service areas that need improvement.
Date: 05/2018
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Resource Center
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Immigrant Health Policy Paper
Policy position brief about new immigrants in rural areas, in terms of health care access, health disparities, economic contributions, health care facilities and Community Health Workers, and service strategies to benefit immigrants. Includes case studies of immigrants in Minnesota and immigrants employed in the meat-processing industry and in rural farming.
Author(s): Susan Kunz, April Fernandez, Matt Gilleskie, et al.
Date: 05/2018
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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