Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Healthcare quality
Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS): 2026 Improvement Activities Performance Category Quick Start Guide
Provides an overview of Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) requirements, data collection, and data submission for the improvement activities performance category for the 2026 performance year. Includes information about special status scoring for small practices and clinicians located in a rural or Health Professional Shortage Area.
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
view details
Provides an overview of Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) requirements, data collection, and data submission for the improvement activities performance category for the 2026 performance year. Includes information about special status scoring for small practices and clinicians located in a rural or Health Professional Shortage Area.
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
view details
Oregon Critical Access Hospital Quality Reporting Programs, FY25 Flex (Sept. 1, 2025-Aug. 31, 2026)
Serves as a guide to help Oregon Critical Access Hospital (CAH) quality improvement officers develop and support quality improvement activities and make informed decisions when reporting their quality improvement efforts.
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: Oregon Office of Rural Health
view details
Serves as a guide to help Oregon Critical Access Hospital (CAH) quality improvement officers develop and support quality improvement activities and make informed decisions when reporting their quality improvement efforts.
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: Oregon Office of Rural Health
view details
Nevada Sentinel Events Annual Summary 2024
Report of sentinel events in Nevada healthcare facilities in 2024. Data is presented by facility type, sentinel event type, reporting participation, and patient safety committee activities. Discusses rural facilities in the data.
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organization: Nevada Department of Health and Human Services
view details
Report of sentinel events in Nevada healthcare facilities in 2024. Data is presented by facility type, sentinel event type, reporting participation, and patient safety committee activities. Discusses rural facilities in the data.
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organization: Nevada Department of Health and Human Services
view details
Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS): 2025 Opt-in and Voluntary Reporting Election Guide
Discusses the eligibility of clinicians, groups, and Alternative Payment Model (APM) participants that exceed some low-volume threshold criteria to opt-in to the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) and the APM Performance Pathway (APP) for the 2025 performance period. Compares opting in and voluntarily reporting MIPS data and provides an overview of the election process.
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
view details
Discusses the eligibility of clinicians, groups, and Alternative Payment Model (APM) participants that exceed some low-volume threshold criteria to opt-in to the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) and the APM Performance Pathway (APP) for the 2025 performance period. Compares opting in and voluntarily reporting MIPS data and provides an overview of the election process.
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
view details
Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS): 2026 MIPS Quick Start Guide for Small Practices
Provides an overview of the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS). Outlines 6 steps for small practices regarding participation in the 2026 performance year. Includes information on performance category redistribution policies for small practices.
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
view details
Provides an overview of the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS). Outlines 6 steps for small practices regarding participation in the 2026 performance year. Includes information on performance category redistribution policies for small practices.
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
view details
Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS): 2026 Reporting MIPS Quality Measures through Medicare Part B Claims Quick Start Guide for Small Practices
Provides details on how small practices can report quality measures through Medicare Part B claims measures. Highlights changes to these measures in 2026, score redistribution policies for small practices, and information for clinicians at Critical Access Hospitals.
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
view details
Provides details on how small practices can report quality measures through Medicare Part B claims measures. Highlights changes to these measures in 2026, score redistribution policies for small practices, and information for clinicians at Critical Access Hospitals.
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
view details
Measuring State Flex Program Impact: Tools to Support Outcome Measurement and Evaluation
Toolkit designed to help State Flex Programs (SFPs) with manage and document project performance and comply with the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy's expectations regarding outcome measurement and reporting. Provides blank worksheets for SFPs as they work through the steps for their projects, as well as links to outcome measurement resources.
Additional links: Webinar Recording
Author(s): John Gale, Bridget Harr
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
view details
Toolkit designed to help State Flex Programs (SFPs) with manage and document project performance and comply with the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy's expectations regarding outcome measurement and reporting. Provides blank worksheets for SFPs as they work through the steps for their projects, as well as links to outcome measurement resources.
Additional links: Webinar Recording
Author(s): John Gale, Bridget Harr
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
view details
When the Hospital CEO Becomes the Patient: Rural Maternal Care Up Close
A conversation with Eilidh Pederson, CEO of Western Wisconsin Health, focused on her experience giving birth at a rural Critical Access Hospital. Discusses high-quality maternal healthcare access in rural communities.
Author(s): Tom Haederle, Julia Resnick, Eilidh Pederson
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
view details
A conversation with Eilidh Pederson, CEO of Western Wisconsin Health, focused on her experience giving birth at a rural Critical Access Hospital. Discusses high-quality maternal healthcare access in rural communities.
Author(s): Tom Haederle, Julia Resnick, Eilidh Pederson
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
view details
Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS): Traditional MIPS Scoring Guide for the 2025 Performance Year
Provides details on how scores are calculated for the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS), one of two tracks under the Medicare Quality Payment Program. Explains the four performance categories that affect Medicare Physician Fee Schedule payments: quality, cost, improvement activities, and promoting interoperability. Includes information for small practices.
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
view details
Provides details on how scores are calculated for the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS), one of two tracks under the Medicare Quality Payment Program. Explains the four performance categories that affect Medicare Physician Fee Schedule payments: quality, cost, improvement activities, and promoting interoperability. Includes information for small practices.
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
view details
Reimbursement and Policy Considerations of Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) in Rural Family Medicine
Examines the current Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) reimbursement landscape, challenges, and opportunities for improvement in rural primary care and emergency departments. Includes a section on financial differences between providing POCUS in Critical Access Hospitals and in Rural Health Clinics.
Author(s): Kylie Long, Geoffrey Bocobo, Andrew Goldsmith
Citation: The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, 38(6), 967-973
Date: 11/2025
view details
Examines the current Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) reimbursement landscape, challenges, and opportunities for improvement in rural primary care and emergency departments. Includes a section on financial differences between providing POCUS in Critical Access Hospitals and in Rural Health Clinics.
Author(s): Kylie Long, Geoffrey Bocobo, Andrew Goldsmith
Citation: The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, 38(6), 967-973
Date: 11/2025
view details