Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Hospitals
The Exchange Feature Issue: Preparing for and Responding to Wildfires and Planned Outages
Newsletter issue focusing on lessons learned by medical facilities and communities in Colorado and California during the wildfires of 2017 and 2019. Covers information useful for rural hospital emergency managers and administration, including mass sheltering, hospital evacuation, managing stress and compassion fatigue among workers, and community recovery.
Citation: Issue 10
Date: 03/2020
Sponsoring organization: Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response
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Newsletter issue focusing on lessons learned by medical facilities and communities in Colorado and California during the wildfires of 2017 and 2019. Covers information useful for rural hospital emergency managers and administration, including mass sheltering, hospital evacuation, managing stress and compassion fatigue among workers, and community recovery.
Citation: Issue 10
Date: 03/2020
Sponsoring organization: Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response
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Report to Congress on Medicaid and CHIP, March 2020
Reports on three aspects of Medicaid: improving the structure of Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) payments, state reporting on the quality of care for individuals covered by Medicaid or the State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and the timeliness and quality of Medicaid demonstration evaluations. Chapter 1 examines the relationship between DSH allotments to states and the number of uninsured individuals, the amounts and sources of hospitals' uncompensated care costs, and the amounts and sources of hospitals' uncompensated care costs. Table 1-1 details DSH spending for urban and rural hospitals and for Critical Access Hospitals.
Date: 03/2020
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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Reports on three aspects of Medicaid: improving the structure of Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) payments, state reporting on the quality of care for individuals covered by Medicaid or the State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and the timeliness and quality of Medicaid demonstration evaluations. Chapter 1 examines the relationship between DSH allotments to states and the number of uninsured individuals, the amounts and sources of hospitals' uncompensated care costs, and the amounts and sources of hospitals' uncompensated care costs. Table 1-1 details DSH spending for urban and rural hospitals and for Critical Access Hospitals.
Date: 03/2020
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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Issue Brief: Creating a High-value Telehealth Strategy
Explores how hospitals can use telehealth services to improve patient outcomes and reduce costs. Discusses approaches to deliver telehealth services and provides guidelines to consider when developing a telehealth strategy. Provides examples of how rural hospitals are using telehealth services to meet community needs.
Date: 03/2020
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Explores how hospitals can use telehealth services to improve patient outcomes and reduce costs. Discusses approaches to deliver telehealth services and provides guidelines to consider when developing a telehealth strategy. Provides examples of how rural hospitals are using telehealth services to meet community needs.
Date: 03/2020
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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The Effects of Medicaid Expansion under the ACA: Studies from January 2014 to January 2020
Updates a literature review on the impact of state Medicaid expansions on insurance coverage, access to care, and economic measures. Addresses the impact of Medicaid expansion on rural insurance rates and hospital finances.
Author(s): Madeline Guth, Rachel Garfield, Robin Rudowitz
Date: 03/2020
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Updates a literature review on the impact of state Medicaid expansions on insurance coverage, access to care, and economic measures. Addresses the impact of Medicaid expansion on rural insurance rates and hospital finances.
Author(s): Madeline Guth, Rachel Garfield, Robin Rudowitz
Date: 03/2020
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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The Grant Project Life Cycle: A Grant Subcontract Management Guide
Presents a guide for State Office of Rural Health (SORH) Directors and Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility (FLEX) Program Coordinators to establish the scope of work for consultants, vendors, and other subcontractors on FLEX grants. Includes subcontractor selection criteria and considers the role of the subcontractor at the initiation, planning, closure, and execution phase of the project.
Additional links: Guide PDF
Date: 03/2020
Sponsoring organizations: National Rural Health Resource Center, Technical Assistance and Services Center
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Presents a guide for State Office of Rural Health (SORH) Directors and Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility (FLEX) Program Coordinators to establish the scope of work for consultants, vendors, and other subcontractors on FLEX grants. Includes subcontractor selection criteria and considers the role of the subcontractor at the initiation, planning, closure, and execution phase of the project.
Additional links: Guide PDF
Date: 03/2020
Sponsoring organizations: National Rural Health Resource Center, Technical Assistance and Services Center
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The Rural Health Safety Net Under Pressure: Rural Hospital Vulnerability
Examines financial and operational metrics for closed hospitals in the 36 months prior to closure. Identifies 453 rural facilities vulnerable to closure and the performance variables that have the greatest impact on a facility's likelihood of closure.
Date: 02/2020
Sponsoring organization: Chartis Center for Rural Health
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Examines financial and operational metrics for closed hospitals in the 36 months prior to closure. Identifies 453 rural facilities vulnerable to closure and the performance variables that have the greatest impact on a facility's likelihood of closure.
Date: 02/2020
Sponsoring organization: Chartis Center for Rural Health
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Val Verde Regional Medical Center Implements SMART ER
Describes Val Verde Regional Medical Center's (VVRMC) progress as part of the Small Rural Hospital Transition (SRHT) Project focused on care transitions and healthcare quality. VVRMC is a 47-bed hospital in Del Rio, Texas. Discusses how VVRMC collected data and implemented protocols to improve patient satisfaction.
Date: 02/2020
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Resource Center
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Describes Val Verde Regional Medical Center's (VVRMC) progress as part of the Small Rural Hospital Transition (SRHT) Project focused on care transitions and healthcare quality. VVRMC is a 47-bed hospital in Del Rio, Texas. Discusses how VVRMC collected data and implemented protocols to improve patient satisfaction.
Date: 02/2020
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Resource Center
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Safety in Numbers: Hospital Performance on Leapfrog's Surgical Volume Standard Based on Results of the 2019 Leapfrog Hospital Survey
Compares hospital and surgeon volume for 8 high-risk procedures to Leapfrog's minimum volume standards. Identifies the percent of rural hospitals that meet Leapfrog's volume standard for each procedure, as well as the percent of rural hospitals that do not electively perform these procedures.
Date: 02/2020
Sponsoring organization: Leapfrog Group
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Compares hospital and surgeon volume for 8 high-risk procedures to Leapfrog's minimum volume standards. Identifies the percent of rural hospitals that meet Leapfrog's volume standard for each procedure, as well as the percent of rural hospitals that do not electively perform these procedures.
Date: 02/2020
Sponsoring organization: Leapfrog Group
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Medicare: Information on Medicare-Dependent Hospitals
Provides an overview of the Medicare-dependent hospital (MDH) program, how the MDH designation differs from other rural hospital designations, and how MDH hospitals have changed over time. Discusses the decrease in the number of MDHs over time. Examines a variety of operational and financial metrics across MDHs over time.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 02/2020
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Provides an overview of the Medicare-dependent hospital (MDH) program, how the MDH designation differs from other rural hospital designations, and how MDH hospitals have changed over time. Discusses the decrease in the number of MDHs over time. Examines a variety of operational and financial metrics across MDHs over time.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 02/2020
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Impact of Medicaid Work Requirements on Hospital Finances
Explores the potential financial impact of approved or pending Medicaid Section 1115 demonstration waivers that include work requirements on hospitals in 16 states. Provides a fact sheet on each state, including a section comparing the potential impact of Medicaid work requirements on rural hospitals' operating margins to all hospitals in the state.
Date: 02/2020
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
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Explores the potential financial impact of approved or pending Medicaid Section 1115 demonstration waivers that include work requirements on hospitals in 16 states. Provides a fact sheet on each state, including a section comparing the potential impact of Medicaid work requirements on rural hospitals' operating margins to all hospitals in the state.
Date: 02/2020
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
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