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Resources by Topic: Healthcare quality

Accelerating Value-Based Payment in California's Federally Qualified Health Centers: Options for Medicaid Health Plans
Highlights examples of value-based payment (VBP) models for Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), including a rural Hawaii model and a Colorado model that incorporates rural FQHCs. Covers Accountable Care Organization (ACO) models, state-led Capitated Alternative Payment Models (APMs), state-led quality payment adjustments, and Medicaid shared savings ACO models. Addresses how FQHCs and health plans can overcome challenges when launching new VBP models and offers recommendations for California's health plans.
Author(s): Greg Howe, Tricia McGinnis, Rob Houston
Date: 08/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Care Strategies
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Rural Success: Upper Connecticut Valley Hospital, NH
Highlights the quality improvement efforts of a Critical Access Hospital in rural New Hampshire. Focuses on their Quality Improvement Committee, response times, rounding, care transitions, and transferring practices.
Citation: MBQIP Monthly, 1-2
Date: 08/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Stratis Health
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Department of Health Care Services: It Has Not Ensured That Medi-Cal Beneficiaries in Some Rural Counties Have Reasonable Access to Care
Findings from a study to determine whether rural beneficiaries of the Medi-Cal Regional Model health plan were given acceptable access to care and adequate quality of care after the state transitioned into managed care plans in 2013. Includes county-level map showing Medi-Cal Managed Care Models and statistics showing maximum distance required to access care, with breakdowns by provider type.
Author(s): Elaine M. Howle
Citation: California State Auditor Report 2018-122
Date: 08/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Auditor of the State of California
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ACOs' Strategies for Transitioning to Value-Based Care: Lessons From the Medicare Shared Savings Program
Describes strategies used by successful Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) to reduce spending and increase healthcare quality. Addresses social determinants of health, behavioral health, reducing hospitalizations, using technology to share information, and more. Two of the 20 ACOs included in the study served rural communities.
Date: 07/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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IHS Needs to Improve Oversight of Its Hospitals' Opioid Prescribing and Dispensing Practices and Consider Centralizing Its Information Technology Functions
Reports on a review of Indian Health Service (IHS) hospitals with a focus on opioid prescriptions and dispensing, information technology (IT), and cybersecurity. Identifies deficiencies related to opioid policies and procedures and supports centralizing IHS IT systems.
Date: 07/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Rosebud Hospital: Indian Health Service Management of Emergency Department Closure and Reopening, A Case Study
Examines management of Indian Health Services (IHS) closure of Rosebud Hospital in South Dakota and its reopening to identify lessons learned. Addresses reasons for hospital closure, the impact of the closure, corrective actions taken following its reopening, and issues with sustaining improvements and compliance. Supports developing procedures for temporary emergency department closures and investing in rural workforce recruitment, retention, and training, among other recommendations.
Date: 07/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Solutions to Reduce Fraud, Waste, and Abuse in HHS Programs: OIG's Top Recommendations
Annual report identifying the top 25 unimplemented recommendations from the Office of Inspector General (OIG) that, in their view, would have the most substantial positive impact on Health and Human Services (HHS) programs. Positive impact may refer to cost savings, program efficacy and efficiency, and/or quality improvement. Primary areas of interest in the July 2019 edition include: reforming the hospital wage index system, a quality program and disaster planning for Indian Health Service (IHS) hospitals, and Medicaid payments for 340B drugs.
Date: 07/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Rural Success: Dahl Memorial Healthcare Association, MT
Highlights a frontier Critical Access Hospital in Ekalaka, Montana, with a focus on their quality improvement efforts. Covers their plans for a new building, updated electronic health records system, antibiotic stewardship efforts, and training to improve Emergency Department Transfer Communication (EDTC).
Citation: MBQIP Monthly, 1-2
Date: 07/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Stratis Health
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Data Report: 2018 Indiana Physician Assistant Licensure Survey
Provides demographic and practice characteristics of the Indiana physician assistant (PA) workforce as well as supply and distribution information, intended to improve the quality and accessibility to primary care. Features statistics including county-level PA geographic distribution with breakdowns by urban and rural location.
Author(s): Analise Dickinson, Sierra Vaughn, Hannah Maxey
Date: 06/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Bowen Center for Health Workforce Research and Policy
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The Rural Hospital Problem
Provides a perspective on rural hospital closures, summarizing literature on contributing factors and impacts on healthcare access and rural economies. Also discusses hospital quality and hospital competition.
Author(s): Austin B. Frankt
Citation: JAMA, 321(23), 2271-2272
Date: 06/2019
Type: Document
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