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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Healthcare facilities

The Economic Impacts of 26-50 Bed Prospective Pay System (PPS) Hospitals and 51-100 Bed PPS Hospitals on the Local Economies
Estimates the economic impact of different size rural Prospective Payment System (PPS) hospitals on their communities. Uses a sample of 347 rural hospitals from 41 states. Discusses direct impacts, such as employee wages and benefits, as well as secondary benefits such as construction activity and retail spending.
Author(s): Fred C. Eilrich, Cheryl F. St. Clair, Gerald A. Doeksen
Date: 07/2017
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Rural Health Works
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A Guide to Establishing Syringe Services Programs in Rural, At-Risk Areas
Describes the basics of syringe services programs, identifies the need for them in at-risk rural communities, and provides guidance on considerations when establishing programs. Includes examples of syringe services programs in Kentucky, West Virginia, Indiana, and North Carolina. Also covers information about syringe services-related regulations and laws in select locations.
Author(s): Regina La Belle
Date: 07/2017
Sponsoring organization: Comer Family Foundation
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Screening for Social Determinants of Health in Michigan Health Centers
Examines screening practices for the social determinants of health in Michigan health center settings, including Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). Includes map of Michigan with health center locations, health center characteristics and statistics, patients in the study, and percentages of health center screenings for core domains.
Author(s): Elena Byhoff, Alicia J. Cohen, Mary C. Hamati, et al.
Citation: Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, 30(4), 418-427
Date: 07/2017
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Rethinking Rural Hospitals
Discusses the various factors associated with rural hospital closures, and makes the case for adopting new, innovative approaches to rural healthcare delivery.
Author(s): Diana J. Mason
Citation: JAMA: Journal of the American Medical Association, 318(2), 114-115
Date: 07/2017
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Magnolia Regional Medical Center Excels as a Hospital in Transition
Documents Magnolia Regional Medical Center's (MRMC) top accomplishments after participating in the Small Rural Hospital Transition (SRHT) project and completing a financial operational assessment (FOA). Major areas of improvement include net income, net patient revenue, days cash on hand, swing bed utilization, and overall quality ratings.
Date: 07/2017
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Resource Center
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Telehealth: Delivering the Right Care, at the Right Place, at the Right Time
Highlights case examples of telehealth use in hospitals and health systems. Provides an overview and information on impacts, lessons learned, and future goals segments. Includes rural specific programs such as Intermountain Healthcare in Utah and Avera ePharmacy in South Dakota.
Date: 07/2017
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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The Financial Importance of Medicare Post-Acute and Hospice Care to Rural Hospitals
Findings brief describing variation in the number of hospitals in rural areas providing Medicare post-acute care (PAC) and hospice care, average amount of revenue generated for these services, and financial importance to rural hospitals. Includes statistics on 2015 Medicare PAC and hospice care revenue as percentage of patient revenue in 1,205 Critical Access Hospitals and 964 Prospective Payment System hospitals.
Author(s): Alex Schulte, H. Ann Howard, George H. Pink
Date: 07/2017
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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How Western Kentucky Leveraged Medicaid Expansion to Increase Access to Health Care
Describes improvements in healthcare access and quality in Paducah and nearby counties from 2011-2014, when almost 500,000 people were added to the Medicaid rolls. Includes demographic statistics, difference in health system rank from 2012 to 2016, and map showing locations of 9 clinics that have opened or expanded during that time.
Author(s): Sarah Klein, Martha Hostetter, Douglas McCarthy
Date: 07/2017
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
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Implementation of Antibiotic Stewardship Core Elements at Small and Critical Access Hospitals
Presents strategies for implementing antibiotic stewardship programs in critical access hospitals (CAHs). Includes examples of improved antibiotic-use strategies and guidelines for the prescribing physician, nurses, and pharmacists.
Date: 07/2017
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Promising Practice: Advisory Group in Washington State Works to Bring Palliative Care to Rural Patients
Describes the Palliative Care Rural Health Integration Advisory Team (PC-RHIAT) initiated by the Washington State Office of Rural Health (WA SORH), which aims to bring palliative care to rural patients through the use of telehealth and community engagement. The WA SORH facilitates this process by bringing experts in palliative care, rural health and telehealth, together with hospitals, clinics, and community team members to develop an action plan based in the rural community and within their healthcare organizations.
Author(s): Beth Blevins
Date: 06/2017
Sponsoring organization: National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health
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