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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Hospitals

A Critique of the Office of the Inspector General's Report on Swing Beds in Critical Access Hospitals
Evaluates the methods and data of a March 2015 report from the Office of the Inspector General (OIG), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, commenting on Medicare reimbursement policy for swing bed services in Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs).
Author(s): Kristin L. Reiter, G. Mark Holmes
Date: 03/2015
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Emergency Department Visits and Proximity to Patients' Residences, 2009-2010
Provides data on how often patients go to the emergency department (ED) closest to their home. Includes comparisons for patients living inside metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) and outside MSAs, with data on whether patients visited the closest ED by patient age, hospital visit volume, and ED wait times.
Author(s): Amy M. Brown, Sandra L. Decker, Frederic W. Selck
Date: 03/2015
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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MedPAC Report to the Congress: Medicare Payment Policy, 2015
Annual review of Medicare payment policies, with recommendations to Congress. Discussions of rural aspects of Medicare payment policies are included throughout the report.
Date: 03/2015
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Medicare Could Have Saved Billions at Critical Access Hospitals If Swing-Bed Services Were Reimbursed Using the Skilled Nursing Facility Prospective Payment System Rates
Reports the Inspector General's findings from a study of swing bed services and reimbursement at Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs). Addresses changes in swing bed usage over time and examines the potential impact to Medicare of reimbursing swing bed services at skilled nursing facility (SNF) prospective payment system (PPS) rates.
Date: 03/2015
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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The Effect of Surgery on the Profitability of Rural Hospitals
Examines the effect of surgery on the profitability of rural hospitals, through analysis of market data from 2000 to 2008.
Author(s): Saleema A. Karim, George M. Holmes, George H. Pink
Citation: The Journal of Health Care Finance, 41(4)
Date: 02/2015
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Variability in General Surgical Procedures in Rural and Urban U.S. Hospital Inpatient Settings
Analyzes rural and urban variations in frequently performed inpatient surgical procedures that could be handled by general surgeons rather than subspecialists.
Author(s): Mark P. Doescher, J. Elizabeth Jackson, Meredith A. Fordyce, Dana C. Lynge
Date: 02/2015
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Illinois Critical Access Hospital Hospitalist Study
Evaluates Illinois Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) with hospitalist programs. Discusses advantages and challenges, as well as how these programs might affect rural communities that are trying to recruit and retain rural providers.
Author(s): Martin MacDowell, Katherine Johns, Dana Evans, Hana Hinkle
Date: 02/2015
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Rural Health Professions
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Will Hospitals Become Insurers?
Explores the impact on rural communities should healthcare systems also become insurance providers.
Author(s): Wayne Myers
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 02/2015
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Use and Performance Variations in U.S. Rural Emergency Departments: Implications for Improving Care Quality and Reducing Costs
Illustrates the utilization and performance of emergency departments (EDs) across the urban/rural spectrum for non-emergency health conditions. Identifies and discusses the potential risk factors that may impact ED use for non-emergent healthcare.
Author(s): Yvonne Jonk, Marilyn G. Klug, Gary Hart
Date: 02/2015
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Reform Policy Research Center
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Financially Fragile Rural Hospitals: Mergers and Closures
Highlights a national trend of financial stress on rural hospitals that have led to facility and service closures and mergers in recent years. Discusses the causes of the financial stress, including the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, the lack of Medicaid expansion in some states, and operational challenges in transitioning to value-based care.
Author(s): Mark Holmes
Citation: North Carolina Medical Journal, 76(1), 37-40
Date: 01/2015
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