Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Hospitals
Variation in Interoperability Among U.S. Non-Federal Acute Care Hospitals in 2017
Provides information on non-federal acute care hospitals sending, receiving, finding, and integrating electronic patient health information. Offers statistics on the four domains of interoperability and summarizes common barriers to exchanging electronic patient health information for small, rural, and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs).
Author(s): Yuriy Pylypchuk, Christian Johnson, JaWanna Henry, Diana Ciricean
Date: 11/2018
Sponsoring organization: Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy/Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology
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Provides information on non-federal acute care hospitals sending, receiving, finding, and integrating electronic patient health information. Offers statistics on the four domains of interoperability and summarizes common barriers to exchanging electronic patient health information for small, rural, and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs).
Author(s): Yuriy Pylypchuk, Christian Johnson, JaWanna Henry, Diana Ciricean
Date: 11/2018
Sponsoring organization: Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy/Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology
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Washington County Memorial Hospital Improving Patient Experience
Highlights a Critical Access Hospital (CAH) in Potosi, Missouri that participated in the Small Rural Hospital Transition (SRHT) project. Improvements focused on quality reporting, patient communication, patient rounding, and more.
Date: 11/2018
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Resource Center
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Highlights a Critical Access Hospital (CAH) in Potosi, Missouri that participated in the Small Rural Hospital Transition (SRHT) project. Improvements focused on quality reporting, patient communication, patient rounding, and more.
Date: 11/2018
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Resource Center
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Northern Maine Medical Center – Fort Kent, Maine: Purchase of Retail Pharmacy Enhances Services to the Community
Profiles a hospital in rural Maine that purchased a community pharmacy to offer prevention and wellness services, reduce readmissions, and improve medication adherence.
Date: 10/2018
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Profiles a hospital in rural Maine that purchased a community pharmacy to offer prevention and wellness services, reduce readmissions, and improve medication adherence.
Date: 10/2018
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Report to Congress: Rural Community Hospital Demonstration
Summarizes findings from the Rural Community Hospital Demonstration (RCHD) over the twelve years authorized by the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA) and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). Reports on the characteristics of the participating hospitals and the effect of the demonstration on hospital finances and other outcomes. Also discusses steps the hospitals expected to take at the end of the demonstration, if it had not been extended for an additional five years by the 21st Century Cures Act of 2016.
Date: 10/2018
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Summarizes findings from the Rural Community Hospital Demonstration (RCHD) over the twelve years authorized by the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA) and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). Reports on the characteristics of the participating hospitals and the effect of the demonstration on hospital finances and other outcomes. Also discusses steps the hospitals expected to take at the end of the demonstration, if it had not been extended for an additional five years by the 21st Century Cures Act of 2016.
Date: 10/2018
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Factors Affecting the Development of Medicaid Hospital Payment Policies: Findings from Structured Interviews in Five States
Study examining Medicaid hospital payment policies with a focus on factors affecting payment mix and structure, the impact of state policies and financing methods, how states target hospital services or types such as rural hospitals, barriers to and drivers of change to payment methods, and more. Focuses on 5 states that made or are making significant hospital policy changes: Arizona, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, and Virginia. Appendix B includes state profiles.
Author(s): Thomas Marks, Kathy Gifford, Steven Perlin, Melisa Byrd, Timothy Beger
Date: 10/2018
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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Study examining Medicaid hospital payment policies with a focus on factors affecting payment mix and structure, the impact of state policies and financing methods, how states target hospital services or types such as rural hospitals, barriers to and drivers of change to payment methods, and more. Focuses on 5 states that made or are making significant hospital policy changes: Arizona, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, and Virginia. Appendix B includes state profiles.
Author(s): Thomas Marks, Kathy Gifford, Steven Perlin, Melisa Byrd, Timothy Beger
Date: 10/2018
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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Ensuring Access to Quality Health Care in Vulnerable Communities
Highlights the health characteristics and conditions of vulnerable populations in rural and urban communities, and the essential healthcare services as identified by the American Hospital Association Task Force on Ensuring Access in Vulnerable Communities. Discusses several strategies recommended by the task force to address social determinants of health, enhance virtual care services to reform healthcare delivery and payment methods, and support hospitals in their efforts to provide the needed health services.
Author(s): Jay Bhatt, Priya Bathija
Citation: Academic Medicine, 93(9), 1271-1275
Date: 09/2018
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Highlights the health characteristics and conditions of vulnerable populations in rural and urban communities, and the essential healthcare services as identified by the American Hospital Association Task Force on Ensuring Access in Vulnerable Communities. Discusses several strategies recommended by the task force to address social determinants of health, enhance virtual care services to reform healthcare delivery and payment methods, and support hospitals in their efforts to provide the needed health services.
Author(s): Jay Bhatt, Priya Bathija
Citation: Academic Medicine, 93(9), 1271-1275
Date: 09/2018
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Telestroke Adoption among Community Hospitals in North Carolina: A Cross-sectional Study
Discusses the advantages of implementing telestroke in rural acute care hospitals, including Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), where stroke mortality is higher than in urban settings. Identifies the community and hospital characteristics associated with the adoption of the telestroke approach in acute care hospitals in North Carolina.
Author(s): Christopher M. Shea, Amir Alishahi Tabriz, Kea Turner, Steve North, Kristin L. Reiter
Citation: Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases, 27(9), 2411-2417
Date: 09/2018
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Discusses the advantages of implementing telestroke in rural acute care hospitals, including Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), where stroke mortality is higher than in urban settings. Identifies the community and hospital characteristics associated with the adoption of the telestroke approach in acute care hospitals in North Carolina.
Author(s): Christopher M. Shea, Amir Alishahi Tabriz, Kea Turner, Steve North, Kristin L. Reiter
Citation: Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases, 27(9), 2411-2417
Date: 09/2018
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Promising Practice: Texas SORH's Handheld Ultrasound Project - An Innovative Approach to Providing Training & Technology to Small Rural Hospitals
Details a pilot program implemented by the Texas State Office of Rural Health that allows rural hospitals to use handheld ultrasound machines as a cost-effective method for improving quality of care.
Author(s): Beth Blevins
Date: 09/2018
Sponsoring organization: National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health
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Details a pilot program implemented by the Texas State Office of Rural Health that allows rural hospitals to use handheld ultrasound machines as a cost-effective method for improving quality of care.
Author(s): Beth Blevins
Date: 09/2018
Sponsoring organization: National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health
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Evergreen Medical Center Remains Committed to Quality Care
Describes Evergreen Medical Center's (EMC) progress as part of the Small Rural Hospital Transition (SRHT) Project, focused on care transitions and healthcare quality. EMC is a short-term acute care hospital located in Evergreen, Alabama. EMC focused on patient satisfaction, clinical documentation, preventing readmissions by improving care transitions, and quality reporting.
Date: 09/2018
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Resource Center
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Describes Evergreen Medical Center's (EMC) progress as part of the Small Rural Hospital Transition (SRHT) Project, focused on care transitions and healthcare quality. EMC is a short-term acute care hospital located in Evergreen, Alabama. EMC focused on patient satisfaction, clinical documentation, preventing readmissions by improving care transitions, and quality reporting.
Date: 09/2018
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Resource Center
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Rural Hospital Closures: Number and Characteristics of Affected Hospitals and Contributing Factors
Examines rural hospital closures from 2013-2017, including their financial health, hospital characteristics, and the impact on healthcare access. Compares data to 2008-2012 closures and discusses the implications for federal healthcare policies. Addresses the role of Medicare rural hospital designations, new healthcare delivery and payment models, and other rural Health and Human Services (HHS) programs. Identifies the number of rural hospitals that closed for each state.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 09/2018
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Examines rural hospital closures from 2013-2017, including their financial health, hospital characteristics, and the impact on healthcare access. Compares data to 2008-2012 closures and discusses the implications for federal healthcare policies. Addresses the role of Medicare rural hospital designations, new healthcare delivery and payment models, and other rural Health and Human Services (HHS) programs. Identifies the number of rural hospitals that closed for each state.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 09/2018
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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