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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Critical Access Hospitals

Reducing Potentially-Preventable Readmissions in Critical Access Hospitals
Policy brief describing evidence-based readmission prevention programs and strategies shown to be effective at reducing readmission rates for small rural hospitals, including Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs).
Author(s): Emma Distel, Michelle Casey, Shailendra Prasad
Date: 03/2016
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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2012-14 Profitability of Urban and Rural Hospitals by Medicare Payment Classification
Compares the total margin and operating margin of rural and urban hospitals using 2012-2014 profitability data. Analysis divides rural hospitals by the size of the prospective payment system and by the Medicare payment classification – Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), Medicare dependent hospitals, sole community hospitals, and rural referral centers.
Author(s): Sharita R. Thomas, G. Mark Holmes, George H. Pink
Date: 03/2016
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Geographic Variation in the Profitability of Urban and Rural Hospitals
Analyzes and compares the 2014 profitability margins of rural and urban hospitals by census region, census division, and by state. Provides information on rural hospitals broken down by Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and other rural hospitals; the other rural hospitals group includes Medicare dependent hospitals, sole community hospitals, and rural prospective payment system hospitals.
Author(s): Sharita R. Thomas, George H. Pink, G. Mark Holmes
Date: 03/2016
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Spotlight on Cibola General Hospital
Highlights Cibola General Hospital (CGH), a 25 bed Critical Access Hospital located in Grants, New Mexico. Examines the progress CGH has made working to improve quality of care and transitions of care as part of the Small Rural Hospital Transition (SRHT) Project.
Date: 02/2016
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Resource Center
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Impact of Swing Beds
Policy brief describes the value of swing beds as a critical healthcare service that provides quality care and can help reduce readmission rates. Discusses how swing beds can create additional revenue for small rural hospitals at risk of experiencing financial challenges.
Author(s): Jim Parrish, Ann Turner, Margaret Woeppel
Date: 02/2016
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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AzCRH 2015 Safety Net Health Care in Arizona Report
Provides an analysis of data from a survey of Arizona's Critical Access Hospitals, Rural Health Clinics, Federally Qualified Health Centers, and county health departments. Addresses insurance coverage with breakdowns by county and for Latinos, American Indians, and adults with disabilities; hospital margins; access to healthcare; staffing FTE and recruitment issues; and services provided.
Author(s): Joe Tabor, Nick Jennings, Lindsay Kohler, et al.
Date: 02/2016
Sponsoring organization: Arizona Center for Rural Health
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Patients' Experiences in CAHs: HCAHPS Results, Q2 2014 - Q1 2015
Results of the April 2014 - March 2015 Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey of reporting rates and performance in Critical Access Hospitals in the United States. Includes data broken down by state, national ranking, and links to state-specific reports.
Author(s): Michelle Casey, Peiyin Hung, Alex Evenson
Date: 02/2016
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Report to Congress on Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital Payments
First annual report on Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) payments, which provide support to safety-net hospitals to help offset uncompensated care costs for Medicaid and uninsured patients. Discusses Medicaid policy, current and future DSH allotments, and data needs. Table B-3 projects FY2018 DSH payments under different scenarios, with data for urban and rural hospitals and for Critical Access Hospitals.
Date: 02/2016
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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CMS Manual System: Revisions to Medicare State Operations Manual, Chapter 9 - Critical Access Hospital (CAH) Recertification Checklist: Rural and Distance or Necessary Provider Verification
Provides a list of the necessary components to be confirmed when Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) are surveyed for recertification to determine if they meet the rural location and distance or necessary provider requirements to maintain their CAH status. Identifies the procedures used by the CMS Regional Office and state survey agencies to determine if CAHs meet the necessary requirements.
Date: 02/2016
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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2016 Rural Hospital Replacement Facility Study
Examines the effects of facility replacement on rural Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), including service volumes, operating efficiency, financial performance, and healthcare quality.
Date: 2016
Sponsoring organizations: National Rural Health Association, Stroudwater Associates
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