Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Hospitals
The Pennsylvania Rural Health Model (PARHM): Second Annual Evaluation Report
Evaluates the second year of the Pennsylvania Rural Health Model (PARHM), an initiative designed to test if global budgets can help rural hospitals improve their financial viability, provide flexibility to meet locally defined community health needs, and reduce overall healthcare spending. Provides an overview of the model and describes the implementation experience of participating hospitals and payers. Presents a descriptive quantitative assessment of financial performance, spending and utilization, access to care, and quality of care outcomes during the second performance year.
Additional links: Appendix, Findings at a Glance
Date: 06/2022
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, NORC at the University of Chicago
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Evaluates the second year of the Pennsylvania Rural Health Model (PARHM), an initiative designed to test if global budgets can help rural hospitals improve their financial viability, provide flexibility to meet locally defined community health needs, and reduce overall healthcare spending. Provides an overview of the model and describes the implementation experience of participating hospitals and payers. Presents a descriptive quantitative assessment of financial performance, spending and utilization, access to care, and quality of care outcomes during the second performance year.
Additional links: Appendix, Findings at a Glance
Date: 06/2022
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, NORC at the University of Chicago
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MedPAC Comment on CMS's Proposed Rule on the Hospital Inpatient PPS and the Long-term Care Hospital PPS for FY 2023
Comments on a May 10, 2022, Federal Register proposed rule revising the hospital inpatient and long-term care hospital (LTCH) prospective payment systems (PPS). Discusses proposals on rate-setting in both the inpatient prospective payment systems (IPPS) and LTCH PPS, promoting stability in the IPPS and LTCH PPS, creating a permanent supplemental payment for Puerto Rico and Indian Health Service (IHS) hospitals, establishing a payment adjustment for domestic N95 respirators, adding new measures to the LTCH quality reporting program, and establishing overarching principles for measuring equity and health care quality disparities across CMS quality programs.
Date: 06/2022
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Comments on a May 10, 2022, Federal Register proposed rule revising the hospital inpatient and long-term care hospital (LTCH) prospective payment systems (PPS). Discusses proposals on rate-setting in both the inpatient prospective payment systems (IPPS) and LTCH PPS, promoting stability in the IPPS and LTCH PPS, creating a permanent supplemental payment for Puerto Rico and Indian Health Service (IHS) hospitals, establishing a payment adjustment for domestic N95 respirators, adding new measures to the LTCH quality reporting program, and establishing overarching principles for measuring equity and health care quality disparities across CMS quality programs.
Date: 06/2022
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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MedPAC Report to the Congress: Medicare and the Health Care Delivery System, June 2022
Evaluates Medicare payment issues and provides recommendations to the U.S. Congress. Chapter 2 presents a report on access to care for beneficiaries in Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs), who are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid, or have multiple chronic conditions. Also includes chapters on alternative payment models, safety net providers, the cost of drugs covered under Medicare Part B, the accuracy of Medicare Advantage payments, the alignment of fee-for-service payment rates across ambulatory settings, and segmentation in the stand-alone Part D plan market.
Date: 06/2022
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Evaluates Medicare payment issues and provides recommendations to the U.S. Congress. Chapter 2 presents a report on access to care for beneficiaries in Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs), who are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid, or have multiple chronic conditions. Also includes chapters on alternative payment models, safety net providers, the cost of drugs covered under Medicare Part B, the accuracy of Medicare Advantage payments, the alignment of fee-for-service payment rates across ambulatory settings, and segmentation in the stand-alone Part D plan market.
Date: 06/2022
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Supporting Critical Access Hospital Staff during COVID-19
Presents summaries of initiatives taken in three Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) to support staff during the COVID-19 pandemic with regard to child care, stress and well-being, and work flexibility. Discusses similarities across these programs and offers considerations for CAHs interested in implementing similar initiatives.
Author(s): Madeleine Pick, Megan Lahr, Shehrose Charania, Ira Moscovice
Date: 06/2022
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Presents summaries of initiatives taken in three Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) to support staff during the COVID-19 pandemic with regard to child care, stress and well-being, and work flexibility. Discusses similarities across these programs and offers considerations for CAHs interested in implementing similar initiatives.
Author(s): Madeleine Pick, Megan Lahr, Shehrose Charania, Ira Moscovice
Date: 06/2022
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Association of Financial Factors and Telemedicine Adoption for Heart Attack and Stroke Care Among Rural and Urban Hospitals: A Longitudinal Study
Examines the adoption of telemedicine for cardiac and stroke care in rural and urban hospitals between 2012 and 2017. Analyzes indicators for telemedicine adoption with a focus on hospital profitability and geographic location. Includes data on 4,108 hospitals across the U.S., such as academic centers, Critical Access Hospitals, and general medical, among other hospital types, as well as breakdowns of hospital characteristics by rural versus urban location.
Author(s): Amir Alishahi Tabriz, Kea Turner, Dunc Williams Jr., et al.
Citation: Telemedicine and e-Health, 28(6), 781-788
Date: 06/2022
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Examines the adoption of telemedicine for cardiac and stroke care in rural and urban hospitals between 2012 and 2017. Analyzes indicators for telemedicine adoption with a focus on hospital profitability and geographic location. Includes data on 4,108 hospitals across the U.S., such as academic centers, Critical Access Hospitals, and general medical, among other hospital types, as well as breakdowns of hospital characteristics by rural versus urban location.
Author(s): Amir Alishahi Tabriz, Kea Turner, Dunc Williams Jr., et al.
Citation: Telemedicine and e-Health, 28(6), 781-788
Date: 06/2022
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Higher Electronic Health Record Functionality Is Associated with Lower Operating Costs in Urban—but Not Rural—Hospitals
Explores the relationship between electronic health record (EHR) use and functionality and hospital operating costs. Examines the effects of different categories of EHR functionality on general, inpatient, and outpatient costs. Compares the relationship between EHR functionality and operating costs across urban and rural hospitals.
Author(s): Claudia A. Rhoades, Brian E. Whitacre, Alison F. Davis
Citation: Applied Clinical Informatics, 13(3), 665-676
Date: 05/2022
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Explores the relationship between electronic health record (EHR) use and functionality and hospital operating costs. Examines the effects of different categories of EHR functionality on general, inpatient, and outpatient costs. Compares the relationship between EHR functionality and operating costs across urban and rural hospitals.
Author(s): Claudia A. Rhoades, Brian E. Whitacre, Alison F. Davis
Citation: Applied Clinical Informatics, 13(3), 665-676
Date: 05/2022
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DRCHSD Spotlight on Henry County Medical Center
Discusses how the Delta Region Community Health Systems Development Program and the Henry County Medical Center in Tennessee assemble a group of diverse community partners to identify and address the behavioral health gaps in their community.
Date: 05/2022
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Resource Center
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Discusses how the Delta Region Community Health Systems Development Program and the Henry County Medical Center in Tennessee assemble a group of diverse community partners to identify and address the behavioral health gaps in their community.
Date: 05/2022
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Resource Center
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Connected Nation Texas Rural Hospital Survey Results
Presents results of a survey of 163 rural Texas hospitals on internet technology use, barriers to using online services for healthcare providers and patients, and ways to expand remote options for rural residents. Addresses internet connectivity and service, cybersecurity, and federal and state grant opportunities to support broadband expansion.
Date: 05/2022
Sponsoring organizations: Connected Nation Texas, Texas State Office of Rural Health
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Presents results of a survey of 163 rural Texas hospitals on internet technology use, barriers to using online services for healthcare providers and patients, and ways to expand remote options for rural residents. Addresses internet connectivity and service, cybersecurity, and federal and state grant opportunities to support broadband expansion.
Date: 05/2022
Sponsoring organizations: Connected Nation Texas, Texas State Office of Rural Health
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Rx for the Rural Healthcare Workforce and Access to Care
Podcast with Tom Morris of the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy about trends related to the rural healthcare workforce and efforts to overcome challenges. Discusses the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, rural hospital closures, telehealth, graduate medical education in rural areas, community health workers and community paramedics, funding opportunities to promote healthcare access in rural areas, the opioid crisis, and more.
Author(s): Jessica Nicholson
Date: 05/2022
Sponsoring organization: The Conference Board
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Podcast with Tom Morris of the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy about trends related to the rural healthcare workforce and efforts to overcome challenges. Discusses the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, rural hospital closures, telehealth, graduate medical education in rural areas, community health workers and community paramedics, funding opportunities to promote healthcare access in rural areas, the opioid crisis, and more.
Author(s): Jessica Nicholson
Date: 05/2022
Sponsoring organization: The Conference Board
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MedPAC Comment on CMS's Proposed Rule on the Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility PPS for FY 2023
Comments on an April 6, 2022, Federal Register proposed rule addressing updates to the prospective payment system for inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs) for fiscal year 2023. Includes comments on the IRF teaching and rural payment adjustments.
Date: 05/2022
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Comments on an April 6, 2022, Federal Register proposed rule addressing updates to the prospective payment system for inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs) for fiscal year 2023. Includes comments on the IRF teaching and rural payment adjustments.
Date: 05/2022
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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