Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Healthcare quality
Rural Hospital Experiences in the Colorado Hospital Transformation Program
Provides an overview of the Colorado Hospital Transformation Program (CO HTP), a 5-year program that ties Medicaid supplemental payments to hospitals' ability to meet performance targets through September 2026. Describes the experiences of three Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and explores how CO HTP impacts rural hospitals. Covers planning and community engagement, quality of care, and healthcare costs.
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Value
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Provides an overview of the Colorado Hospital Transformation Program (CO HTP), a 5-year program that ties Medicaid supplemental payments to hospitals' ability to meet performance targets through September 2026. Describes the experiences of three Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and explores how CO HTP impacts rural hospitals. Covers planning and community engagement, quality of care, and healthcare costs.
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Value
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Introduction to Rural Clinically Integrated Networks
Provides an overview of clinically integrated networks (CINs), including common CIN characteristics and the relationship between CINs and healthcare value. Offers examples of CINs comprised of independent rural healthcare organizations.
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Value
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Provides an overview of clinically integrated networks (CINs), including common CIN characteristics and the relationship between CINs and healthcare value. Offers examples of CINs comprised of independent rural healthcare organizations.
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Value
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Current Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Project (MBQIP) Measures
Chart outlining the required and optional MBQIP measures. Measures are broken down into two categories, core and additional, and then into five domains: global measures, patient safety, patient engagement, care coordination, and emergency department. MBQIP is a Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility (Flex) quality improvement grant program for Critical Access Hospitals.
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural Quality Improvement Technical Assistance (RQITA) Resource Center
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Chart outlining the required and optional MBQIP measures. Measures are broken down into two categories, core and additional, and then into five domains: global measures, patient safety, patient engagement, care coordination, and emergency department. MBQIP is a Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility (Flex) quality improvement grant program for Critical Access Hospitals.
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural Quality Improvement Technical Assistance (RQITA) Resource Center
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Nursing at an Inflection Point: Creating Systems of Care that Support and Value the Contributions of Nurses: 20th Annual Report to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Congress
Presents policy and programmatic recommendations to address valuing the impact of nursing care on patient outcomes, strengthening academic-practice partnerships, removing practice barriers for advanced practice registered nursing, and supporting the infusion of technology of nursing education and practice. Includes rural references throughout.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Council on Nurse Education and Practice
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Presents policy and programmatic recommendations to address valuing the impact of nursing care on patient outcomes, strengthening academic-practice partnerships, removing practice barriers for advanced practice registered nursing, and supporting the infusion of technology of nursing education and practice. Includes rural references throughout.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Council on Nurse Education and Practice
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Eighth Biennial Report 2025: Health Issues for the State of North Dakota
Updates the previous seven editions of this report with a comprehensive examination of healthcare workforce licensure data related to number of licensed professionals, locations, specialties, and demographics in rural and urban North Dakota. Includes three new chapters on indigenous health, women's and children's health, and the community impacts of the School of Medicine and Health Sciences.
Additional links: Executive Summary
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: University of North Dakota School of Medicine & Health Sciences
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Updates the previous seven editions of this report with a comprehensive examination of healthcare workforce licensure data related to number of licensed professionals, locations, specialties, and demographics in rural and urban North Dakota. Includes three new chapters on indigenous health, women's and children's health, and the community impacts of the School of Medicine and Health Sciences.
Additional links: Executive Summary
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: University of North Dakota School of Medicine & Health Sciences
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Emergency Triage, Treat, and Transport (ET3) Model: Final Evaluation Report
Presents quantitative and qualitative results from the evaluation of the Emergency Triage, Treat, and Transport (ET3) Model, a voluntary model that allowed ambulance care teams to use alternate models of emergency healthcare to improve quality and lower care costs. Describes the characteristics of ET3 participants, the extent to which ET3 interventions successfully prevented emergency department (ED) visits, and how average Medicare Parts A and B spending for patients that received ET3 interventions compared to patients who had low acuity ED visits. Discusses challenges and barriers to delivering ET3 interventions. Includes rural references throughout.
Additional links: Findings at a Glance, Technical Appendix
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Presents quantitative and qualitative results from the evaluation of the Emergency Triage, Treat, and Transport (ET3) Model, a voluntary model that allowed ambulance care teams to use alternate models of emergency healthcare to improve quality and lower care costs. Describes the characteristics of ET3 participants, the extent to which ET3 interventions successfully prevented emergency department (ED) visits, and how average Medicare Parts A and B spending for patients that received ET3 interventions compared to patients who had low acuity ED visits. Discusses challenges and barriers to delivering ET3 interventions. Includes rural references throughout.
Additional links: Findings at a Glance, Technical Appendix
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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A Summary of State Innovation Models (SIM) Evaluation Results Across 17 States (2013-2020)
Summarizes evaluation results of the State Innovation Models (SIM), which examined the ability of 17 state governments to implement and test innovative value-based payment (VBP) healthcare models across multiple payers between 2013 and 2020. Presents findings regarding the implementation and impact of 29 delivery and payment models, including patient-centered medical homes, accountable care organizations, behavioral health integration, and more. Covers state contracting and consensus building, practice transformation, pediatric care, behavioral healthcare, beneficiary and provider perspectives, and more. Includes a section on payment model designs tailored to unique state needs, including rural populations, as well as rural references throughout.
Additional links: A Summary of State Innovation Models (SIM): Focus on State-Led Transformation - Findings at a Glance, Executive Summary, Findings at a Glance
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Summarizes evaluation results of the State Innovation Models (SIM), which examined the ability of 17 state governments to implement and test innovative value-based payment (VBP) healthcare models across multiple payers between 2013 and 2020. Presents findings regarding the implementation and impact of 29 delivery and payment models, including patient-centered medical homes, accountable care organizations, behavioral health integration, and more. Covers state contracting and consensus building, practice transformation, pediatric care, behavioral healthcare, beneficiary and provider perspectives, and more. Includes a section on payment model designs tailored to unique state needs, including rural populations, as well as rural references throughout.
Additional links: A Summary of State Innovation Models (SIM): Focus on State-Led Transformation - Findings at a Glance, Executive Summary, Findings at a Glance
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Enhancing Maternal Health Initiative
Describes accomplishments of the Health Resources and Services Administration's initiative to strengthen, expand, and accelerate work to address maternal mortality and maternal health disparities, especially in underserved areas. Mentions rural throughout.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: Health Resources and Services Administration
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Describes accomplishments of the Health Resources and Services Administration's initiative to strengthen, expand, and accelerate work to address maternal mortality and maternal health disparities, especially in underserved areas. Mentions rural throughout.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: Health Resources and Services Administration
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Patient Centered Medication Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder in Rural Vermont: A Qualitative Study
Examines patient perspectives on medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) treatment in rural Vermont, utilizing interview data from 15 people who received care at Vermont Hub and Spoke clinics. Highlights patient perspectives on aspects of patient-centered care, and their influences on retention and engagement with treatment.
Author(s): Emily G. Hichborn, Owen B. Murray, Eilis I. Murphy, et al.
Citation: Addiction Science & Clinical Practice, 20, 3
Date: 01/2025
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Examines patient perspectives on medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) treatment in rural Vermont, utilizing interview data from 15 people who received care at Vermont Hub and Spoke clinics. Highlights patient perspectives on aspects of patient-centered care, and their influences on retention and engagement with treatment.
Author(s): Emily G. Hichborn, Owen B. Murray, Eilis I. Murphy, et al.
Citation: Addiction Science & Clinical Practice, 20, 3
Date: 01/2025
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Combating Antimicrobial Resistance During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Perceived Risks and Protective Practices
Explores the range of factors that impacted efforts to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Presents findings from an analysis of published scholarly sources and lessons learned from urban and rural healthcare professionals involved in antimicrobial stewardship. Includes rural references and considerations throughout.
Author(s): Casey Sullivan, Cody R. Fisher, Laurin Grabowsky, et al.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Eastern Research Group, Inc., HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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Explores the range of factors that impacted efforts to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Presents findings from an analysis of published scholarly sources and lessons learned from urban and rural healthcare professionals involved in antimicrobial stewardship. Includes rural references and considerations throughout.
Author(s): Casey Sullivan, Cody R. Fisher, Laurin Grabowsky, et al.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Eastern Research Group, Inc., HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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