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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Hospitals

Mapping Access to Children's Hospitals in Texas
Compares the population of Texas children with the location of children's hospitals to assess distance to care, evaluate bed availability, and highlight areas of disparity. Discusses vehicle access, travel times, and rural health disparities.
Author(s): Shadi Maleki, Nathaniel Dede-Bamfo, Elizabeth Ekren, Milad Mohammadalizadehkorde, Melinda Villagran
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 21(2), 140
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
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Implementation Costs of Technology-Enhanced Transitional Palliative Care for Rural Caregivers
Examines the feasibility and sustainability of a family caregiver-focused transitional palliative care intervention that uses telehealth technologies. Presents results of a budget impact analysis of a randomized control trial, community-dwelling rural caregivers of hospitalized patients with a serious, life-limiting illness and receiving palliative care during hospitalization. Describes potential reimbursement mechanisms available to offset health system costs to providing transitional palliative care to support caregivers, including transitional care management and chronic care management service reimbursement.
Author(s): Brystana G. Kaufman, Diane E. Holland, Catherine E. Vanderboom, Cory Ingram, et al.
Citation: American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care, 41(1), 38-44
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
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Pennsylvania Hospital Workforce Survey
Examines Pennsylvania hospitals' efforts to recruit and retain talented workers, using data from a survey conducted in October and November 2023. Describes how care is evolving to support providers and patients, examines healthcare professional shortages, and offers strategies to eliminate violence against healthcare professionals. Features statistics on vacancy rates, with breakdown by rural areas.
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania
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Needs Assessment of the Obstetric Workforce in Maine's Rural Hospitals
Report assessing the workforce needs for 15 hospitals with obstetrics units in rural Maine. Offers a SWOT Analysis and discusses factors contributing to sustainability of the workforce, community characteristics impacting the workforce, recruitment and retention challenges, and training challenges. Offers recommendations at the state, regional, health system, hospital, and unit level.
Author(s): Brianna Keefe-Oates, Katherine Simmonds, Louisa H. Smith, Jeni Stolow
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: MaineHealth, Roux Institute, The Maine Rural Maternity & Obstetrics Management Strategies Network
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Value-Based Care and North Dakota
Slides presented to the North Dakota legislature on January 30, 2024, providing an overview of an initiative assisting rural North Dakota Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) in preparing for value-based care and payment. Discusses principles of the transition from volume-based to value-based payment. Outlines the technical assistance the initiative provides to five core CAHs in the state and a summary of a high-level financial analysis.
Author(s): Clint MacKinney
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Value
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The Effects of Medicare Advantage on Rural Hospitals With St. Bernards Healthcare
Podcast episode featuring a discussion with Chris Barber, president and CEO of St. Bernards Healthcare, which serves communities in Arkansas and Missouri. Describes how certain Medicare Advantage plan practices can create problems for rural hospitals, health systems, and patients.
Date: 01/2024
Type: Audio
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Analysis: Hospitals and Health Systems Are Critical to Preserving Access to Care for Rural Communities
Provides information on how hospitals provide access to healthcare for rural communities, with a focus on hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs). Includes data related to rural physician practice acquisitions, rural outpatient visits to an HOPD, Medicaid eligibility, and more.
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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What States Can Learn from Maryland's Experience with Hospital Global Budgeting
Podcast episode exploring lessons learned from Maryland's hospital global budgeting model. Includes a discussion on small and rural hospitals' financial sustainability and their involvement in the model, as well as comparisons to the Pennsylvania Rural Health Model and the Vermont All-Payer Accountable Care Organization (ACO) Model.
Date: 01/2024
Type: Audio
Sponsoring organization: Mathematica
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Closing the Gap: How a Community Effort Can Improve Rural Maternity Care
Case study of a Critical Access Hospital (CAH) that increased access to maternal healthcare in rural North Carolina by opening a maternity care center. Discusses recruitment and retention of healthcare professionals and collaboration among healthcare organizations in the community.
Author(s): Jesus Ruiz
Citation: Annals of Family Medicine, 22(1), 68
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
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Hospital Financing: Volume Limits and Reporting Could Help Manage Risks of Expanding FHA's Mortgage Insurance Program
Describes the Federal Housing Administration's (FHA) Hospital Mortgage Insurance Program, which insures loans for capital improvements at hospitals; loans insured through the program between 2000 and 2022. Explores characteristics of hospitals ineligible for the program that may impact their financing options. Examines the potential effects and risks of extending Hospital Mortgage Insurance Program eligibility to currently ineligible hospital types on program participation risks. Offers recommendations to Congress if it decides to expand program eligibility to hospitals that primarily provide non-acute care services.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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