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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Healthcare business and finance

Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) Guide: Using HCAHPS to Drive Patient and Employee Satisfaction
Describes the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey and data collection process. Explains how rural providers can use the survey findings to improve hospital operations, patient outcomes, and quality scores. Includes case studies of two hospitals that used HCAHPS data to successfully drive patient and employee satisfaction.
Date: 03/2013
Sponsoring organizations: National Rural Health Resource Center, Technical Assistance and Services Center
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MedPAC Report to the Congress: Medicare Payment Policy, 2013
Annual review of Medicare payment policies, with recommendations to Congress. Discussions of rural aspects of Medicare payment policies are included throughout the report.
Date: 03/2013
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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The Future of Rural Health
Describes the state of the rural healthcare system and the opportunities for improvement with the passage of the Affordable Care Act. Discusses core concepts of providing primary care, basic mental health and oral health services, surgery and obstetric, pharmacy, eye and audiology services, public health, new models of care, workforce issues, and more.
Author(s): Charlie Alfero, Tommy Barnhart, Darrold Bertsch, et al.
Date: 02/2013
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Rural America's Oral Health Care Needs
Provides an overview of rural America's oral healthcare needs. Includes recommendations for improving oral health in rural America.
Author(s): Anne Braswell, Nalo Johnson
Date: 02/2013
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Rural Hospital Participation in the Medicare Shared Savings Program
Proposes modifications to the Medicare Shared Savings Programs (MSSP) and the Advanced Payment Program to help transform the healthcare delivery system in rural communities. Discusses expanding Medicare beneficiaries in rural communities from a single primary care provider to a Community Care Organization (CCO) with shared savings payments and providing early payments to CCOs to support infrastructure and chronic disease management.
Author(s): Lynn Barr
Date: 02/2013
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Telehealth and Medicare: Payment Policy, Current Use, and Prospects for Growth
Examines growth in Medicare paid telehealth services by analyzing claims data matched to patient zip codes and provider characteristics. Includes a map of Medicare beneficiaries using telehealth by county of residence and analysis on the types of telehealth services provided.
Author(s): Matlin Gilman, Jeff Stensland
Citation: Medicare & Medicaid Research Review, 3(4)
Date: 2013
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Geographic Accessibility and Utilization of Orthodontic Services among Medicaid Children and Adolescents
Reports the rates of Iowa children and adolescents receiving Medicaid-funded orthodontia services. Identifies geographic barriers to care and factors associated with utilization. Figure 1 illustrates the orthodontic dental service areas (DSAs) and Table 3 provides descriptive characteristics of orthodontic DSAs.
Author(s): Susan C. McKernan, Raymond A. Kuthy, Elizabeth T. Momany, et al.
Citation: Journal of Public Health Dentistry, 73(1), 56-64
Date: 2013
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Rural-Urban Differences in Consumer Governance at Community Health Centers
Presents a study on the difference in the structure of community health center (CHC) governing boards in urban and rural communities. Draws conclusions from phone interviews with CHC board members in 14 different states. Discusses board composition and consumer input into the direction of CHCs.
Author(s): David Bradley Wright
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 29(2), 125-131
Date: 2013
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Medicaid Handbook: Interface with Behavioral Health Services
Provides a basic understanding of the Medicaid program, specifically emphasizing the interplay between Medicaid principles and the provision of behavioral health services in both rural and urban settings.
Date: 2013
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Summary Health Statistics for the U.S. Population: National Health Interview Survey, 2011
Summarizes data from the 2011 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), and includes estimates on various health measures of the U.S. population such as health status, special education, early intervention services, health insurance coverage, injury, health care access, and limitations in activities. Includes some data by place of residence for large metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs), small MSAs, and nonmetro (not in an MSA) areas.
Author(s): Patricia F. Adams, Whitney K. Kirzinger, Michael E. Martinez
Date: 12/2012
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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