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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Healthcare quality

Evaluation of the Million HeartsĀ® Cardiovascular Disease Risk Reduction Model: Fourth Annual Report
Evaluates the first four years of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Million Hearts Cardiovascular Disease Risk Reduction Model to determine whether, and how, it reduces first-time strokes, heart attacks, and Medicare spending. Covers participant characteristics, including rural or urban status and organization type; implementation of the model; changes in cardiovascular disease risk scores among high-risk beneficiaries; intermediate- and long-term impacts on beneficiaries; and the relevance of these findings to other research on cardiovascular disease prevention.
Author(s): Greg Peterson, Alli Steiner, Rhea Powell, et al.
Date: 02/2022
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Mathematica
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CMS Bundled Payments for Care Improvement Advanced Model: Third Evaluation Report
Third annual report of the Bundled Payments for Care Improvement Advanced (BPCI Advanced) Model, which tests whether linking payments for a clinical episode of care can reduce Medicare expenditures while maintaining or improving quality of care. Explores the impact of BPCI Advanced on episode payments, utilization, and quality of care through Model Years 1 and 2, Medicare savings in Model Years 1 and 2, and how the COVID-19 pandemic affected BPCI Advanced participants through June 30, 2020.
Additional links: Appendices, Findings at a Glance
Author(s): The Lewin Group, Abt Associates, GDIT, Telligen
Date: 02/2022
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Antibiotic Stewardship Profile Series: Astria Sunnyside Hospital
Profiles the antibiotic stewardship efforts of Astria Sunnyside Hospital, a Critical Access Hospital (CAH) in Sunnyside, Washington. Describes the development of the antimicrobial stewardship program, leadership, drug expertise, tracking and reporting, provider education, and more.
Date: 02/2022
Sponsoring organization: Stratis Health
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Quality Payment Program Participation in 2020: Results At-a-Glance
Provides an overview of the results of the Quality Payment Program for the 2020 performance year. Highlights mean and median final scores in the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) for small practices.
Date: 02/2022
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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January 2022 MedPAC Meeting Transcript
Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) January 2022 meeting. Covers payment adequacy and updates for hospital inpatient and outpatient services, physician and other health professional services, outpatient dialysis services and improving the ESRD payment system, skilled nursing facility services, home health agency services, long-term care hospital services, inpatient rehabilitation facility services, hospice services, and ambulatory surgical center services. Includes rural references throughout.
Date: 01/2022
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Critical Access Hospital Financial and Operational Best Practices
Webinar recording that discusses rural hospital operations, with a focus on Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs). Covers inpatient services, emergency services, quality improvement, managing revenue cycle, and other financial topics. Transcript is available in the video description.
Date: 01/2022
Sponsoring organizations: Oklahoma Office of Rural Health, Stroudwater Associates
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Advancing Transcultural Care through Cultural Competency
Profiles St. Charles Madras Hospital, a Critical Access Hospital in Jefferson County, Oregon. Discusses the hospital's efforts to establish cultural competence through the implementation of components of evidence-based guidelines to improve the American Indian and Hispanic or Latino patient experiences.
Date: 01/2022
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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CARES Act Telehealth Expansion: Trends in Post-Discharge Follow-Up and Association with 30-Day Readmissions for Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program Health Conditions
Provides an overview of the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP) and examines the impact of expanded Medicare payment for telehealth services on post-discharge follow-up and hospital readmissions for HRRP conditions. Describes trends in post-discharge follow-up before and after the telehealth expansion and compares trends by health condition, sociodemographic characteristics, rurality, and follow-up method.
Date: 01/2022
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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"It's the Relationships": Q&A with Peggy Broussard Wheeler
An interview with Peggy Broussard Wheeler, Vice President of Policy at the California Hospital Association. Covers the challenges rural hospitals face during the pandemic, health equity efforts, workforce issues, and more. Discusses how rural hospitals work together to address concerns.
Author(s): Allee Mead
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 01/2022
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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High-Performing Rural Health System
Update to the September 2011 RUPRI Health Panel document "The High Performance Rural Health Care System of the Future." Describes affordable and accessible healthcare for all rural residents through a sustainable system delivering high quality, high value services. Defines pillars of accessibility, affordability, community health, and quality.
Author(s): Andrew Coburn, Alva O. Ferdinand, Alana Knudson, et al.
Date: 01/2022
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
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