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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Critical Access Hospitals

Rural Hospital Participation and Performance in Value-Based Purchasing and Other Delivery System Reform Initiatives
Reports on the participation of delivery system reform initiatives by rural hospitals, and discusses the supporting factors and challenges for successful participation. Includes data comparing rural and urban Hospital Value-Based Payment (HVBP) performance.
Author(s): Karen E. Joynt, Nguyen Nguyen, Lok Wong Samson, et al.
Date: 10/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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Trends in Risk of Financial Distress among Rural Hospitals
Illustrates the proportion of rural hospitals, including Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), at high risk of financial distress by Census region and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) payment type for the 2013-2016 period.
Author(s): Brystana G. Kaufman, Randy Randolph, George H. Pink, Mark Holmes
Date: 10/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Task Force on Ensuring Access in Vulnerable Communities, Rural and Frontier: Executive Summary and Report
Reviews characteristics of South Dakota's rural and frontier communities. Identifies innovative healthcare delivery and payment models and makes state and federal policy recommendations to improve rural health. Highlights the importance of Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs). Linked map includes locations of South Dakota CAHs, Rural Health Clinics, and more.
Additional links: South Dakota Vulnerable Communities Task Force Map
Date: 09/2016
Type: Document, Map/Mapping System
Sponsoring organization: South Dakota Association of Healthcare Organizations
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North Sunflower Medical Center Successfully Addressing Chronic Care Management
Documents North Sunflower Medical Center's (NSMC) progress as part of the Small Rural Hospital Transition (SRHT) project, particularly in the areas of discharge planning and follow-up, placing patients in the correct level of care, and chronic disease management. NSMC is a 25-bed Critical Access Hospital located in Ruleville, Mississippi.
Date: 09/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Resource Center
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Telemedicine Penetration and Consultation Among Rural Trauma Patients in Critical Access Hospital Emergency Departments in North Dakota
Discusses the use of telemedicine in rural Critical Access Hospital (CAH) emergency departments in North Dakota and how the availability of those services changed outcomes for trauma patients. Includes data and statistics regarding use.
Author(s): Nicholas M. Mohr, Karisa K. Harland, Elizabeth Chrischilles, et al.
Date: 09/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Telehealth Research Center
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Why Are Obstetric Units in Rural Hospitals Closing Their Doors?
Examines factors associated with obstetric unit closure based on a mixed methods study of rural hospitals in 9 states between 2010 and 2014. Addresses hospital characteristics such as accreditation, ownership, and Critical Access Hospital status; distance to next closest hospital with obstetric services; and county-level characteristics including health workforce supply.
Author(s): Peiyin Hung, Katy B. Kozhimannil, Michelle M. Casey, Ira S. Moscovice
Citation: Health Services Research, 51(4), 1546-1560
Date: 08/2016
Type: Document
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Marcum & Wallace Memorial Hospital Successfully Impacts Project Outcomes
Highlights the progress of Kentucky's Marcum and Wallace Memorial Hospital as they worked through the Small Rural Hospital Transition (SRHT) project in 2015. By participating in the SRHT project, Marcum & Wallace was able to make significant improvements to emergency department operations, swing bed services, 340B usage, and more.
Date: 08/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Resource Center
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Population Health Strategies of Critical Access Hospitals
Provides examples of population health strategies developed by Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) from 8 different rural communities that have significantly contributed to the improvement of population health and the health of their community.
Author(s): John Gale, Andrew Coburn, Karen Pearson, Zachariah Croll, George Shaler
Date: 08/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Frontier Community Health Integration Project (FCHIP) Demonstration Fact Sheet
Provides an overview of the Frontier Community Health Integration Project (FCHIP) Demonstration, which tested models of healthcare delivery in the most sparsely populated rural counties. Identifies the participating Critical Access Hospitals and the interventions they focused on.
Date: 08/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Medicaid Outpatient Payment Policy
Provides an overview of Medicaid payment policies for outpatient hospital services. Attached Excel sheet includes details for each state, including adjustments for rural geography and for Critical Access Hospitals.
Additional links: State Medicaid Payment Policies for Outpatient Hospital Services
Date: 07/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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