Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Healthcare facilities
Improving Hospital Transfers: A Step Toward Equitable, Patient-Centered Acute Care
Discuss emergency department (ED) transfers, including the importance of timely transfers, where patients transferred from the ED are more likely to initially present, and how transferred patients are considered in hospital quality metrics. Identifies three ways to incentivize hospital coordination to improve patient-centered care for transfer patients.
Author(s): Charleen Hsuan
Citation: Health Affairs Forefront
Date: 09/2023
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Discuss emergency department (ED) transfers, including the importance of timely transfers, where patients transferred from the ED are more likely to initially present, and how transferred patients are considered in hospital quality metrics. Identifies three ways to incentivize hospital coordination to improve patient-centered care for transfer patients.
Author(s): Charleen Hsuan
Citation: Health Affairs Forefront
Date: 09/2023
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Optimizing Inpatient Bed Management in a Rural Community-Based Hospital: A Quality Improvement Initiative
Provides an overview of a project aimed at maintaining appropriate hospital bed capacity within a hub-and-spoke healthcare system in rural, southwest Minnesota. Discusses project phases of discovery, planning, and implementation, as well as the strategy to increase capacity at the tertiary/hub medical center by utilizing beds at partner/spoke hospitals for less complex or acute inpatient stays.
Author(s): Brian N. Bartlett, Nadine N. Vanhoudt, Hanyin Wang, et al.
Citation: BMC Health Services Research, 23, 1000
Date: 09/2023
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Provides an overview of a project aimed at maintaining appropriate hospital bed capacity within a hub-and-spoke healthcare system in rural, southwest Minnesota. Discusses project phases of discovery, planning, and implementation, as well as the strategy to increase capacity at the tertiary/hub medical center by utilizing beds at partner/spoke hospitals for less complex or acute inpatient stays.
Author(s): Brian N. Bartlett, Nadine N. Vanhoudt, Hanyin Wang, et al.
Citation: BMC Health Services Research, 23, 1000
Date: 09/2023
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The Pennsylvania Rural Health Model (PARHM): Third Annual Evaluation Report
Evaluates the third performance 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 participating hospitals and payers. Presents a descriptive quantitative assessment of financial performance, spending and utilization, access to care, and quality of care outcomes from 2016, the model's baseline, through 2021. Includes three case studies discussing three themes: the recruitment and retention of system-affiliated hospitals, engagement and coordination with community organizations and providers, and exploring service line changes.
Additional links: Appendix, Findings at a Glance
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, NORC at the University of Chicago
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Evaluates the third performance 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 participating hospitals and payers. Presents a descriptive quantitative assessment of financial performance, spending and utilization, access to care, and quality of care outcomes from 2016, the model's baseline, through 2021. Includes three case studies discussing three themes: the recruitment and retention of system-affiliated hospitals, engagement and coordination with community organizations and providers, and exploring service line changes.
Additional links: Appendix, Findings at a Glance
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, NORC at the University of Chicago
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Health Panel Comment Letter - 2024 Physician Fee Schedule and Medicare Part B Proposed Rule
Comments offered in response to a July 13, 2023, Federal Register proposed rule revising the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule. Includes discussions on telehealth services, services addressing health-related social needs, advancing access to behavioral health services, Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), and the Medicare Shared Savings Program.
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
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Comments offered in response to a July 13, 2023, Federal Register proposed rule revising the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule. Includes discussions on telehealth services, services addressing health-related social needs, advancing access to behavioral health services, Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), and the Medicare Shared Savings Program.
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
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MedPAC Comment on CMS's Proposed Rule on the Outpatient Prospective Payment System for FY 2024
Comment on the July 31, 2023, Federal Register proposed rule revising the physician fee schedule to improve Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and Medicare Ambulatory Surgical Center (ACS) payments for calendar year 2024. Includes discussions on extending the use of the hospital market basket to update ASC payment rates, a proposed quality measure for emergency department visits in Rural Emergency Hospitals (REHs), and more.
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Comment on the July 31, 2023, Federal Register proposed rule revising the physician fee schedule to improve Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and Medicare Ambulatory Surgical Center (ACS) payments for calendar year 2024. Includes discussions on extending the use of the hospital market basket to update ASC payment rates, a proposed quality measure for emergency department visits in Rural Emergency Hospitals (REHs), and more.
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Rural Health Value Summit: Driving Value Through Community-Based Partnerships
Provides an overview of a June 2023 summit regarding the intersection of rural providers and communities, value-based care and payment models, and social determinants of health (SDOH). Describes the efforts of Arkansas, Michigan, Oregon, and South Carolina communities that had representatives at the summit. Discusses opportunities for policymakers, payers, and health system leaders to build and support infrastructure to address social determinants of health in rural communities and offers possible next steps.
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Value
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Provides an overview of a June 2023 summit regarding the intersection of rural providers and communities, value-based care and payment models, and social determinants of health (SDOH). Describes the efforts of Arkansas, Michigan, Oregon, and South Carolina communities that had representatives at the summit. Discusses opportunities for policymakers, payers, and health system leaders to build and support infrastructure to address social determinants of health in rural communities and offers possible next steps.
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Value
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New Research Shows RHC Program Continues to Grow
Explores trends in the Rural Health Clinic (RHC) landscape between 2020-2022 using data from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) Quality, Certification, and Oversight Reports (QCOR). Presents data and maps on the number of RHCs that opened, closed, had a CMS Certification Number (CCN) change, and are no longer operating as an RHC by state and free-standing or provider-based status.
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organizations: NARHC Research and Education Foundation, National Association of Rural Health Clinics, National Center for the Analysis of Healthcare Data (NCAHD)
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Explores trends in the Rural Health Clinic (RHC) landscape between 2020-2022 using data from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) Quality, Certification, and Oversight Reports (QCOR). Presents data and maps on the number of RHCs that opened, closed, had a CMS Certification Number (CCN) change, and are no longer operating as an RHC by state and free-standing or provider-based status.
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organizations: NARHC Research and Education Foundation, National Association of Rural Health Clinics, National Center for the Analysis of Healthcare Data (NCAHD)
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Further Extension of Grace Period Related to the "Four Walls" Requirement under 42 C.F.R. § 440.90 for Indian Health Service and Tribal Facilities to February 11, 2025
Guidance announcing the extension of a grace period permitting Indian Health Service (IHS) and tribal facilities to claim Medicaid reimbursement under the clinic services benefit for services provided outside of the "four walls" of the facility through February 11, 2025. Provides an overview of the history of this flexibility during the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) and previous guidance.
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
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Guidance announcing the extension of a grace period permitting Indian Health Service (IHS) and tribal facilities to claim Medicaid reimbursement under the clinic services benefit for services provided outside of the "four walls" of the facility through February 11, 2025. Provides an overview of the history of this flexibility during the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) and previous guidance.
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
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Characteristics of Short-Term Acute Care Hospitals That Experienced a Ransomware Attack from 2016 to 2021
Analyzed short-term acute care hospitals experiencing a ransomware attack between 2016 and 2019 to identify characteristics associated with an attack. Considered variables such as rurality, various financial characteristics, information technology infrastructure, and more. Includes recommendation for future research regarding rural impacts.
Author(s): Claire C. McGlave, Sayeh S. Nikpay, Carrie Henning-Smith, Katie Rydberg, Hannah T. Neprash
Citation: Health Affairs Scholar, 1(3)
Date: 09/2023
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Analyzed short-term acute care hospitals experiencing a ransomware attack between 2016 and 2019 to identify characteristics associated with an attack. Considered variables such as rurality, various financial characteristics, information technology infrastructure, and more. Includes recommendation for future research regarding rural impacts.
Author(s): Claire C. McGlave, Sayeh S. Nikpay, Carrie Henning-Smith, Katie Rydberg, Hannah T. Neprash
Citation: Health Affairs Scholar, 1(3)
Date: 09/2023
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Quality Time: Sharing PIE – Improving Swing Bed Quality
Podcast episode discussing how two Critical Access Hospital (CAH) quality improvement leaders in Mississippi and Nevada used proactive approaches to improve their swing bed programs. Describes efforts in reducing healthcare-associated infections with pneumonia and improving the documentation and coordination of swing bed patients.
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organization: Stratis Health
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Podcast episode discussing how two Critical Access Hospital (CAH) quality improvement leaders in Mississippi and Nevada used proactive approaches to improve their swing bed programs. Describes efforts in reducing healthcare-associated infections with pneumonia and improving the documentation and coordination of swing bed patients.
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organization: Stratis Health
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