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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Healthcare facilities

Ensuring Access to Quality Health Care in Vulnerable Communities
Highlights the health characteristics and conditions of vulnerable populations in rural and urban communities, and the essential healthcare services as identified by the American Hospital Association Task Force on Ensuring Access in Vulnerable Communities. Discusses several strategies recommended by the task force to address social determinants of health, enhance virtual care services to reform healthcare delivery and payment methods, and support hospitals in their efforts to provide the needed health services.
Author(s): Jay Bhatt, Priya Bathija
Citation: Academic Medicine, 93(9), 1271-1275
Date: 09/2018
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Telestroke Adoption among Community Hospitals in North Carolina: A Cross-sectional Study
Discusses the advantages of implementing telestroke in rural acute care hospitals, including Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), where stroke mortality is higher than in urban settings. Identifies the community and hospital characteristics associated with the adoption of the telestroke approach in acute care hospitals in North Carolina.
Author(s): Christopher M. Shea, Amir Alishahi Tabriz, Kea Turner, Steve North, Kristin L. Reiter
Citation: Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases, 27(9), 2411-2417
Date: 09/2018
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Promising Practice: Texas SORH's Handheld Ultrasound Project - An Innovative Approach to Providing Training & Technology to Small Rural Hospitals
Details a pilot program implemented by the Texas State Office of Rural Health that allows rural hospitals to use handheld ultrasound machines as a cost-effective method for improving quality of care.
Author(s): Beth Blevins
Date: 09/2018
Sponsoring organization: National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health
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Evergreen Medical Center Remains Committed to Quality Care
Describes Evergreen Medical Center's (EMC) progress as part of the Small Rural Hospital Transition (SRHT) Project, focused on care transitions and healthcare quality. EMC is a short-term acute care hospital located in Evergreen, Alabama. EMC focused on patient satisfaction, clinical documentation, preventing readmissions by improving care transitions, and quality reporting.
Date: 09/2018
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Resource Center
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Rural Hospital Closures: Number and Characteristics of Affected Hospitals and Contributing Factors
Examines rural hospital closures from 2013-2017, including their financial health, hospital characteristics, and the impact on healthcare access. Compares data to 2008-2012 closures and discusses the implications for federal healthcare policies. Addresses the role of Medicare rural hospital designations, new healthcare delivery and payment models, and other rural Health and Human Services (HHS) programs. Identifies the number of rural hospitals that closed for each state.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 09/2018
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Hospital Mergers and Public Accountability: Tennessee and Virginia Employ a Certificate of Public Advantage
Examines how state officials can use the certificate of public advantage (COPA) to supervise hospital mergers to benefit the public, particularly in rural areas where mergers may be sought to address financial challenges. Focuses on a case study where officials in Tennessee and Virginia developed COPAs in response to a proposed rural hospital merger affecting both their states. Addresses the role of the states, their processes, and policy implications for other states.
Author(s): Erin C. Fuse Brown
Date: 09/2018
Sponsoring organization: Milbank Memorial Fund
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The Indian Health Service Did Not Always Resolve Audit Recommendations in Accordance With Federal Requirements
Reports on the Indian Health Service's (IHS) failure to resolve audit recommendations in the allotted time for the 2015 and 2016 fiscal years. Details the number of recommendations resolved and the number past-due after the required 6-month period.
Additional links: Report in Brief
Date: 09/2018
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Implementing an Integrated Medication-Assisted Treatment Program at Community Health Centers: Lessons from a Pilot Project in California
Evaluates the implementation phase of a pilot project to treat patients with opioid use disorder (OUD) at Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) in California, including rural FQHCs. Highlights interventions focused on medication-assisted treatment (MAT) and integrating substance use and mental healthcare in a primary care setting.
Author(s): Jane Wishner, Lisa Clemans-Cope, Jeremy Marks, Marni Epstein
Date: 09/2018
Sponsoring organization: Urban Institute
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MedPAC Comment on CMS's Proposed Rule on the Physician Fee Schedule and Other Revisions to Part B for CY 2019
Comment on a July 2018 Federal Register proposed rule revising the physician fee schedule to improve payment systems for physicians and other Medicare Part B revisions.
Author(s): Francis J. Crosson
Date: 09/2018
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Policy Landscape for Community Health Center Integration of Behavioral Health & SUD/OUD Services
Presents the findings from an analysis of community health centers (CHCs) in fourteen states to evaluate the services they offer, and recognize the barriers preventing CHCs from implementing, developing, and sustaining the integration of behavioral health and substance abuse disorder services.
Author(s): Kima Taylor
Date: 08/2018
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Community Health Centers
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