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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Critical Access Hospitals

Identifying Adverse Drug Events in Rural Hospitals: An Eight-State Study
Analyzes adverse drug events (ADEs), or events involving patient injury resulting from medication use, and identifies ways to improve medication safety in rural hospitals. Uses 2013 data from 8 states with significant rural populations, and examines ADE rates based on hospital characteristics and across 4 main categories: steroids, antibiotics, opiates/narcotics, and anticoagulants. Companion brief lists resources that can be used to reduce and prevent ADEs in rural hospitals, including rural prospective payment system (PPS) hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs).
Additional links: Resources to Reduce Adverse Drug Events in Rural Hospitals
Author(s): Michelle Casey, Peiyin Hung, Emma Distel, Shailendra Prasad
Date: 05/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Finance in Rural and Urban Hospitals
Summary of the impact of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on the insurance coverage rates and reimbursement methods in rural hospitals in Minnesota. Includes a discussion of public and private insurance programs, uncompensated care, and operating margins. Includes data and statistic comparisons for Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), other rural hospitals, and urban hospitals.
Date: 04/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Department of Health - Office of Rural Health and Primary Care
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Report to Congress on Medicaid and CHIP, March 2017
Reports on three aspects of Medicaid: Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) payments to states and providers, access to Medicaid, and children's coverage under CHIP. Chapter 2 includes the second annual report on DSH payments, which provide support to safety-net hospitals to help offset uncompensated care costs for Medicaid and uninsured patients. Table 2-1 identifies DSH spending for urban and rural hospitals and for Critical Access Hospitals. Chapter 3 examines state policies for distributing DSH payments to hospitals, including which states target rural or Critical Access Hospitals.
Date: 03/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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Medicaid Expansion, Budgetary Projections, and Impact on Hospitals
Examines the impact of Medicaid expansion in Louisiana on rural hospitals, healthcare providers, and the state budget. Addresses the potential impact on rural hospitals of a cutback in disproportionate share (DSH) payments for uncompensated care.
Author(s): James A. Richardson, Jared J. Llorens, Roy L. Heidelberg
Date: 03/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Louisiana Public Health Institute
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Madison County Memorial Hospital: Making the Most of FOA
Documents Madison County Memorial Hospital's (MCMH) successes from participating in the Small Rural Hospital Transition (SRHT) project. Top accomplishments include improving relationships with the community and other providers, business office operations, leadership development, and transitions of care, as well as developing outpatient rehab services. MCMH is a 25-bed, nonprofit Critical Access Hospital located in Madison, Florida.
Date: 03/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Resource Center
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Strategies for Superbugs: Antibiotic Stewardship for Rural Hospitals
Discusses the need for antibiotic stewardship (AS) and challenges rural hospitals face in implementing AS programs. Highlights efforts underway for a group of hospitals in Utah and at Critical Access Hospitals in Idaho and Utah.
Author(s): Kay Miller Temple
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 03/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Russell County Hospital Aligning for Future Success
Details the improvements made by Russell County Hospital (RCH), a 25-bed Critical Access Hospital located in Russell Springs, Kentucky, as part of the Small Rural Hospital Transition (SRHT) project. Major accomplishments include expanding primary care and surgery services, developing a strategic plan, establishing and monitoring quality indicators, and optimizing participation in the 340B Drug Pricing Program. RCH is also working with the community and the media to promote their quality scores, which are consistently high.
Date: 02/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Resource Center
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Getting Started with the Quality Payment Program: An Overview of MIPS for Small, Rural, and Underserved Practices
Provides a webinar recording discussing the effects of the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) on small, rural, and underserved practices. Includes sections on eligibility, participation, reporting, performance categories, and submission and scoring methods. Outlines specific eligibility requirements for Rural Health Clinics (RHCs), Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), and provides a checklist for preparing and participating in MIPS.
Additional links: Presentation Slides, Transcript, Webinar Playlist by Section
Date: 02/2017
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Hospital Compare Quality Measure Results for CAHs, 2015
Examines Hospital Compare data for calendar year 2015 and summarizes reporting rates and performance among all U.S. Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs). Charts and graphs allow comparison of overall reporting rates and performance for specific quality measures, and state-by-state comparison of CAH reporting rates for inpatient and outpatient measures.
Author(s): Michelle Casey, Tami Swenson, Alex Evenson
Date: 02/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Early Death After Discharge From Emergency Departments: Analysis of National US Insurance Claims Data
Report regarding the incidence of early death after release from emergency departments in the United States and what risk factors may contribute to those deaths. Compares urban and rural hospital location, with data for Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and rural non-CAHs. Includes data for rural and urban populations as well as poverty level, previous healthcare use, and other demographics.
Author(s): Ziad Obermeyer, Brent Cohn, Michael Wilson, Anupam B Jena, David M Cutler
Citation: BMJ, 356(j239)
Date: 02/2017
Type: Document
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