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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Healthcare facilities

Medicare Covers a Lower Percentage of Outpatient Costs in Hospitals Located in Rural Areas
Policy brief describing differences in Medicare Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) payments between urban and rural hospitals. Features statistics on OPPS payments as a percent of total net patient revenue, as a percent of Medicare outpatient cost by hospital payment classification, and as a percent of Medicare outpatient cost by number of acute beds, with breakdowns by urban and rural location.
Author(s): Pranathi Sana, George H. Pink
Date: 09/2021
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Keeping the Doors Open: Vulnerable Rural Hospitals Benefit from Federally Funded Technical Assistance
Features the work of Texas A&M's Center for Optimizing Rural Health (CORH), which provided technical assistance through a federally funded program for vulnerable hospitals. Highlights the experiences of a participating Oklahoma hospital.
Author(s): Kay Miller Temple
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 09/2021
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Higher Electronic Health Record (EHR) Functionality Lowers Urban Hospital Costs but Rural Impacts Are Minimal
Examines the relationship between electronic health record (EHR) functionality and hospital costs. Compares the effect of increasing EHR functionality in urban and rural hospitals and by inpatient and outpatient service categories.
Author(s): Claudia Alejandra Rhoades, Brian E. Whitacre, Alison F. Davis
Date: 09/2021
Sponsoring organization: Center for Economic Analysis of Rural Health
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A Qualitative Assessment of Barriers and Facilitators Associated with Addressing Social Determinants of Health among Members of a Health Collaborative in the Rural Midwest
Examines capacities and barriers in addressing social determinants of health for patients in rural Northeastern Minnesota and Northwestern Wisconsin based on interviews from 37 participants of a healthcare collaborative. Discusses specific needs of rural providers, including access to community-based social services, aligned payment models, and capacity for collaboration, among others.
Author(s): Kim Nichols Dauner, Lacey Loomer
Citation: BMC Health Services Research, 21,867
Date: 08/2021
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Rural Health Clinic COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Program
Recording of an August 31, 2021, webinar providing an overview of the Rural Health Clinic COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Program. Includes information on how to enroll in the program and the technical assistance available to participating providers.
Additional links: Presentation Slides
Date: 08/2021
Sponsoring organization: Georgia Health Policy Center
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The Pennsylvania Rural Health Model (PARHM): First Annual Report
Evaluates the first year of the Pennsylvania Rural Health Model (PARHM), an initiative designed to test if global budgets can help rural hospitals improve their financial viability, provide flexibility to meet locally defined community health needs, and reduce overall healthcare spending. Provides an overview of the model and describes the implementation experience of the first cohort of participating hospitals. Presents preliminary, descriptive data on the financial performance and utilization outcomes of Cohort 1 participants.
Additional links: Appendix, Findings at a Glance
Date: 08/2021
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, NORC at the University of Chicago
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Paying for Telemedicine in Smaller Rural Hospitals: Extending the Technology to Those Who Benefit Most
Viewpoint article discussing the positive financial impacts of telemedicine in emergency departments (EDs) and barriers to using telemedicine in small rural hospitals related to patient volume, high upfront costs, and reimbursement issues. Outlines policy interventions to support rural telemedicine.
Author(s): Kori S. Zachrison, Jessica V. Richard, Ateev Mehrotra
Citation: JAMA Health Forum, 2(8), e211570
Date: 08/2021
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Overview of Operating Room Procedures During Inpatient Stays in U.S. Hospitals, 2018
Report offering statistics on operating room (OR) procedures during 2018 using National Inpatient Sample (NIS) data. Compares OR procedure rates to overall hospital stays, examines patient characteristics including rural and metro location, and ranks the top 20 OR procedures with breakdowns by sex, age, and costliness.
Author(s): Kimberly W. McDermott, Lan Liang
Date: 08/2021
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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Grants Management 101 for RHC Vaccine Confidence Program
Recording of an August 25, 2021, webinar for Rural Health Clinics that received funding through the Rural Health Clinic Vaccine Confidence (RHCVC) program. Covers strategies and tools for successful grant management and reporting.
Additional links: Presentation Slides, Transcript
Date: 08/2021
Sponsoring organizations: National Association of Rural Health Clinics, National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health
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Emergency Department Visits Involving Dental Conditions, 2018
Presents data on emergency department (ED) visits involving dental conditions using the 2018 Nationwide Emergency Department Sample (NEDS). Describes characteristics of dental-related ED visits, including age, sex, and metropolitan status of patient residence. Includes statistics on the number and percentage of ED visits that resulted in hospital admission, types of dental-related ED visits by payer, and groups and types of dental conditions by type of ED visit.
Date: 08/2021
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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