Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Healthcare facilities
CY 2024 Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System and Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment System Final Rule (CMS 1786-FC)
Fact sheet providing an overview of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) final rule regarding updates and changes to the Medicare payments for hospital outpatient and Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) services for calendar year 2024. Summarizes provisions regarding changes to the community mental health centers (CMHC) Conditions of Participation (CoPs); payment for intensive outpatient program (IOP) services; payment methodology for Indian Health Service (IHS) and tribal facilities that convert to Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) status; the Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting (OQR), Ambulatory Surgical Center Quality Reporting (ASCQR), and Rural Emergency Hospital Quality Reporting (REHQR) Programs; and more.
Date: 11/2023
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Fact sheet providing an overview of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) final rule regarding updates and changes to the Medicare payments for hospital outpatient and Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) services for calendar year 2024. Summarizes provisions regarding changes to the community mental health centers (CMHC) Conditions of Participation (CoPs); payment for intensive outpatient program (IOP) services; payment methodology for Indian Health Service (IHS) and tribal facilities that convert to Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) status; the Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting (OQR), Ambulatory Surgical Center Quality Reporting (ASCQR), and Rural Emergency Hospital Quality Reporting (REHQR) Programs; and more.
Date: 11/2023
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Calendar Year (CY) 2024 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule
Fact sheet providing an overview of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) final rule regarding updates and changes to the Medicare payments under the Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) and other Medicare Part B issues for calendar year 2024. Summarizes provisions related to paying separately for Community Health Integration, Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) Risk Assessment, and Principal Illness Navigation services; telehealth services; mental health visits furnished by Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), including marriage and family therapists and mental health counselors as eligible for payment at RHCs and FQHCs; and more.
Date: 11/2023
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Fact sheet providing an overview of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) final rule regarding updates and changes to the Medicare payments under the Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) and other Medicare Part B issues for calendar year 2024. Summarizes provisions related to paying separately for Community Health Integration, Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) Risk Assessment, and Principal Illness Navigation services; telehealth services; mental health visits furnished by Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), including marriage and family therapists and mental health counselors as eligible for payment at RHCs and FQHCs; and more.
Date: 11/2023
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems Overview: Vendor Directory
Provides information about the benefits and challenges of implementing a HCAHPS survey process in small rural hospitals, specifically Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs). Includes a full directory of vendors currently authorized to perform HCAHPS data collection.
Date: 11/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Resource Center
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Provides information about the benefits and challenges of implementing a HCAHPS survey process in small rural hospitals, specifically Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs). Includes a full directory of vendors currently authorized to perform HCAHPS data collection.
Date: 11/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Resource Center
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Formative Evaluation of Colorectal Cancer Screening Practices at Two Hawaiʻi Rural Community Health Centers and One Urban Hospital
Reports on colorectal cancer screening (CRCS) practices in 2 rural community health centers and 1 urban hospital in Hawaii. Covers types of intervention provided, barriers and facilitators of CRCS, and recommendations for increasing CRCS. Identifies challenges related to rural access to care.
Author(s): David A. Stupplebeen, Whitney Watts
Date: 10/2023
Sponsoring organization: University of Hawaii and Mānoa Office of Public Health Studies
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Reports on colorectal cancer screening (CRCS) practices in 2 rural community health centers and 1 urban hospital in Hawaii. Covers types of intervention provided, barriers and facilitators of CRCS, and recommendations for increasing CRCS. Identifies challenges related to rural access to care.
Author(s): David A. Stupplebeen, Whitney Watts
Date: 10/2023
Sponsoring organization: University of Hawaii and Mānoa Office of Public Health Studies
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Performance Management/Program Evaluation Guide: Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility (Flex) Program
Offers guidance to state Flex program coordinators to incorporate performance management and evaluation into Flex program operations as required by the Flex Program Cooperative Agreement. Supports the state's capacity for assessing program activities, making improvements, and establishing if activities are effective. Defines key terms and concepts, discusses reporting requirements, demonstrates a performance year work plan, covers data collection, and provides examples of goals and measures to be included in the evaluation plan.
Additional links: Flex Program Glossary of Evaluation Terms, Quick List: Flex Program Evaluation Resources
Date: 10/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Resource Center
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Offers guidance to state Flex program coordinators to incorporate performance management and evaluation into Flex program operations as required by the Flex Program Cooperative Agreement. Supports the state's capacity for assessing program activities, making improvements, and establishing if activities are effective. Defines key terms and concepts, discusses reporting requirements, demonstrates a performance year work plan, covers data collection, and provides examples of goals and measures to be included in the evaluation plan.
Additional links: Flex Program Glossary of Evaluation Terms, Quick List: Flex Program Evaluation Resources
Date: 10/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Resource Center
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Early Learnings From the Rural Health Redesign Center and its Rural Emergency Hospital Technical Assistance Center
Provides a brief overview of the Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) designation and the Rural Health Redesign Center's Rural Emergency Hospital Technical Assistance Center (REH-TAC). Describes the characteristics of Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and rural prospective payment system (PPS) hospitals that have explored REH conversion and have sought technical assistance from REH-TAC. Includes data on net patient revenue, operating income, margins, annualized 340B revenue, and more, by hospital type. Highlights common concerns raised by hospitals exploring REH conversion.
Date: 10/2023
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Redesign Center
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Provides a brief overview of the Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) designation and the Rural Health Redesign Center's Rural Emergency Hospital Technical Assistance Center (REH-TAC). Describes the characteristics of Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and rural prospective payment system (PPS) hospitals that have explored REH conversion and have sought technical assistance from REH-TAC. Includes data on net patient revenue, operating income, margins, annualized 340B revenue, and more, by hospital type. Highlights common concerns raised by hospitals exploring REH conversion.
Date: 10/2023
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Redesign Center
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Georgia Counties Offering CON-Authorized Obstetrical (OB) Services
County-level map showing the location of obstetrical (OB) services authorized by Georgia's Certificate of Need program. Distinguishes between rural and urban counties containing OB facilities, and identifies counties containing Critical Access Hospitals with OB facilities.
Date: 10/2023
Sponsoring organization: Georgia State Office of Rural Health
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County-level map showing the location of obstetrical (OB) services authorized by Georgia's Certificate of Need program. Distinguishes between rural and urban counties containing OB facilities, and identifies counties containing Critical Access Hospitals with OB facilities.
Date: 10/2023
Sponsoring organization: Georgia State Office of Rural Health
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First-Ever Rural Physician and Advanced Practice Provider Compensation Survey
Recording of an October 11, 2023, webinar discussing results of a January 2023 survey of rural hospitals regarding physician and advanced-practice provider compensation. Presents results for primary care and specialty care providers by provider type, hospital system affiliation, and region. Highlights factors that influence compensation and nurse practitioner practice environments by state. Transcript available in the video description.
Additional links: Presentation Slides
Date: 10/2023
Sponsoring organizations: National Rural Health Association, Stroudwater Associates
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Recording of an October 11, 2023, webinar discussing results of a January 2023 survey of rural hospitals regarding physician and advanced-practice provider compensation. Presents results for primary care and specialty care providers by provider type, hospital system affiliation, and region. Highlights factors that influence compensation and nurse practitioner practice environments by state. Transcript available in the video description.
Additional links: Presentation Slides
Date: 10/2023
Sponsoring organizations: National Rural Health Association, Stroudwater Associates
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MBQIP Quality Measures National Annual Report - 2022
Summarizes quality measure reporting rates and performance among Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) in 2022. Presents data on the four Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Project (MBQIP) domains: patient safety/inpatient, outpatient, patient engagement, and care transitions.
Author(s): Megan Lahr, Alyssa Furukawa, Madeleine Pick, Robert Barclay
Date: 10/2023
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Summarizes quality measure reporting rates and performance among Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) in 2022. Presents data on the four Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Project (MBQIP) domains: patient safety/inpatient, outpatient, patient engagement, and care transitions.
Author(s): Megan Lahr, Alyssa Furukawa, Madeleine Pick, Robert Barclay
Date: 10/2023
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Rural Health: Addressing Barriers to Care
An infographic that presents data on rural versus urban health disparities and barriers to healthcare in rural America. Includes interactive data on percentage of rural residents by state, rural life expectancy and chronic health conditions, hospital closures and lack of access to healthcare, rural workforce shortages, and more. Provides strategies to improve rural access to healthcare.
Author(s): Carrie Cochran-McClain
Date: 10/2023
Sponsoring organizations: National Institute for Health Care Management, National Rural Health Association
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An infographic that presents data on rural versus urban health disparities and barriers to healthcare in rural America. Includes interactive data on percentage of rural residents by state, rural life expectancy and chronic health conditions, hospital closures and lack of access to healthcare, rural workforce shortages, and more. Provides strategies to improve rural access to healthcare.
Author(s): Carrie Cochran-McClain
Date: 10/2023
Sponsoring organizations: National Institute for Health Care Management, National Rural Health Association
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