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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Healthcare facilities

Collaborative Community Health Needs Assessments: Approaches and Benefits for Critical Access Hospitals
Informs the efforts of state Flex Programs to support Critical Access Hospitals in conducting collaborative Community Health Needs Assessments. The results of these assessments can be used by hospitals as well as state Flex Programs to inform their ongoing strategic initiatives.
Author(s): John A. Gale, Andrew F. Coburn, Helen E. Newton
Date: 05/2014
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Rural and Urban Hospitals' Role in Providing Inpatient Care, 2010
Compares inpatient care at rural and urban hospitals. Covers the amount of inpatient care provided, patient characteristics, first-listed diagnoses, number of procedures, and discharge location. Based on 2010 National Hospital Discharge Survey data.
Author(s): Margaret Jean Hall, Maria Owings
Date: 04/2014
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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Health Care for Rural Veterans: The Example of Federally Qualified Health Centers
Reports that among veterans enrolled in VA healthcare, 41% reside in rural or highly rural communities. Discusses access to healthcare for rural veterans, policy considerations to encourage improved collaboration between the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), and highlights how FQHCs can provide healthcare services to veterans.
Author(s): Elayne J. Heisler, Sidath Viranga Panangala, Erin Bagalman
Date: 04/2014
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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Compendium of Priority Recommendations: March 2014
Annual report identifying the top 25 unimplemented recommendations from the Office of Inspector General (OIG) that, in OIG's view, would have the most substantial positive impact on Health and Human Services (HHS) programs. Positive impact may refer to cost savings, program efficacy and efficiency, and/or quality improvement. Primary areas of interest in the March 2014 edition include: improving quality assurance programs in Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and updating location requirements and conditions of participation for Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs).
Date: 03/2014
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Adoption of Sodium Reduction Strategies in Small and Rural Hospitals, Illinois, 2012
Results of a 4-month-long intervention in which 30 hospitals promoted lower-sodium food choices in their cafeterias and vending machines, and made available information regarding benefits of sodium reduction.
Author(s): Nancy Amerson, Marguerite Nelson, Abigail Radcliffe, et al.
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 11
Date: 03/2014
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MedPAC Report to the Congress: Medicare Payment Policy, 2014
Annual review of Medicare payment policies, with recommendations to Congress. Discussions of rural aspects of Medicare payment policies are included throughout the report.
Date: 03/2014
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Development of the Nursing Community Apgar Questionnaire (NCAQ): A Rural Nurse Recruitment and Retention Tool
Introduces the Nursing Community Apgar Questionnaire, a guide to assess strengths and weaknesses of Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) in rural communities to help them improve nursing recruitment and retention.
Author(s): Molly Prengaman, Jeri Bigbee, Edward Baker, David Schmitz
Citation: Rural and Remote Health, 14(1), 2633
Date: 03/2014
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The Health IT Regional Extension Center Program: Evolution and Lessons for Health Care Transformation
Highlights the accomplishments of the Regional Extension Center (REC) program, from January 2010 through June 2013, that provides assistance to small, rural, and underserved healthcare facilities in developing their electronic health record (EHR) platform and in achieving meaningful use.
Author(s): Kimberly Lynch, Mat Kendall, Katherine Shanks, et al.
Citation: Health Services Research, 49(1 Pt 2), 421-437
Date: 02/2014
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The Evidence for Community Paramedicine in Rural Areas: State and Local Findings and the Role of the State Flex Program
Examines the role of the Flex program in supporting state Emergency Medical Services (EMS) in rural communities. Analyses the evidence base for community paramedicine in rural communities, the role of community paramedics in rural healthcare delivery systems, and the challenges faced by states in implementing community paramedicine programs.
Author(s): Karen Pearson, John Gale, George Shaler
Date: 02/2014
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Discharge to Swing Bed or Skilled Nursing Facility: Who Goes Where?
Examines health conditions of patients discharged from rural Prospective Payment System (PPS) hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) to swing beds and skilled nursing facilities (SNFs).
Author(s): Victoria A. Freeman, Randy K. Randolph, Mark Holmes
Date: 02/2014
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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