Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Hospitals
Expanding the Care Team: Leveraging a Broad Workforce to Improve Health Care in Kansas
Discusses challenges facing the healthcare landscape in Kansas, such as hospital closures and healthcare workforce shortages, and how expanding healthcare teams to include professions like community paramedics and community health workers can help alleviate these challenges. Includes data on demographics of the Kansas population and related hospital closures that impact rural areas in particular.
Author(s): Valentina Blanchard, Wyatt J. Beckman, Linda J. Sheppard
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Kansas Health Institute
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Discusses challenges facing the healthcare landscape in Kansas, such as hospital closures and healthcare workforce shortages, and how expanding healthcare teams to include professions like community paramedics and community health workers can help alleviate these challenges. Includes data on demographics of the Kansas population and related hospital closures that impact rural areas in particular.
Author(s): Valentina Blanchard, Wyatt J. Beckman, Linda J. Sheppard
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Kansas Health Institute
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CAH Staff Perspectives on use of EHRs for Quality Measure Activities
Summarizes interviews with eight Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) regarding electronic health record (EHR) use for quality measurement and improvement activities. Describes strengths and challenges for CAHs using EHRs for quality-related activities. Discusses the CAHs' readiness for, and concerns about, new health equity and social drivers of health quality measures.
Author(s): Madeleine Pick, Megan Lahr, Abigail Wenninger, Dori Cross, Ben C.D. Weideman
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Summarizes interviews with eight Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) regarding electronic health record (EHR) use for quality measurement and improvement activities. Describes strengths and challenges for CAHs using EHRs for quality-related activities. Discusses the CAHs' readiness for, and concerns about, new health equity and social drivers of health quality measures.
Author(s): Madeleine Pick, Megan Lahr, Abigail Wenninger, Dori Cross, Ben C.D. Weideman
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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EHR Capabilities and Interoperability in Critical Access Hospitals
Explores the electronic health record (EHR) and interoperable health information exchange capabilities among Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) in 2019. Analyzes 2019 American Hospital Association Information Technology Supplement (AHAIT) survey data, which includes data from nearly 700 CAHs. Compares EHR capabilities and the use of electronic methods for four interoperability domains by CAH status and system affiliation. Discusses how to support CAHs in advancing information sharing and using comprehensive EHRs.
Author(s): Madeleine Pick, Alyssa Furukawa, Megan Lahr, Dori Cross
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Explores the electronic health record (EHR) and interoperable health information exchange capabilities among Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) in 2019. Analyzes 2019 American Hospital Association Information Technology Supplement (AHAIT) survey data, which includes data from nearly 700 CAHs. Compares EHR capabilities and the use of electronic methods for four interoperability domains by CAH status and system affiliation. Discusses how to support CAHs in advancing information sharing and using comprehensive EHRs.
Author(s): Madeleine Pick, Alyssa Furukawa, Megan Lahr, Dori Cross
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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A Comparison of 2017-19 Uncompensated Care of Rural and Urban Hospitals by Net Patient Revenue, System Affiliation, and Ownership
Examines the association between uncompensated care and three factors - net patient revenue, system affiliation, and ownership - using Medicare Cost Report data from 2017-2019. Compares rates of uncompensated care as a percentage of operating expenses across Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), rural prospective payment system (PPS) hospitals, and urban PPS hospitals.
Author(s): Emmaline Keesee, Susie Gurzenda, Kristie Thompson, George Pink
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Examines the association between uncompensated care and three factors - net patient revenue, system affiliation, and ownership - using Medicare Cost Report data from 2017-2019. Compares rates of uncompensated care as a percentage of operating expenses across Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), rural prospective payment system (PPS) hospitals, and urban PPS hospitals.
Author(s): Emmaline Keesee, Susie Gurzenda, Kristie Thompson, George Pink
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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January 2024 MedPAC Meeting Transcript
Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) January 2024 meeting. Covers payment adequacy and updates for physician and other health professional services, hospital inpatient and outpatient services, outpatient dialysis services, hospice services, skilled nursing facility services, home health agency services, and inpatient rehabilitation facility services. Discusses status reports on ambulatory surgical centers, Medicare Part D, and the Medicare Advantage program, as well as policy options for standardized benefits in Medicare Advantage plans. Includes rural references and considerations throughout.
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) January 2024 meeting. Covers payment adequacy and updates for physician and other health professional services, hospital inpatient and outpatient services, outpatient dialysis services, hospice services, skilled nursing facility services, home health agency services, and inpatient rehabilitation facility services. Discusses status reports on ambulatory surgical centers, Medicare Part D, and the Medicare Advantage program, as well as policy options for standardized benefits in Medicare Advantage plans. Includes rural references and considerations throughout.
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Legislative Action Bridging Public Health and Clinical Healthcare
Discusses legislation that relates to equitable access to healthcare, with a focus on telehealth, infrastructure, safety net services, management of healthcare costs, and the expansion of the healthcare workforce. Includes information on access to emergency departments in rural areas and the Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) designation.
Author(s): Ashley Cram, Brianna Gorman
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
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Discusses legislation that relates to equitable access to healthcare, with a focus on telehealth, infrastructure, safety net services, management of healthcare costs, and the expansion of the healthcare workforce. Includes information on access to emergency departments in rural areas and the Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) designation.
Author(s): Ashley Cram, Brianna Gorman
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
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Critical Access Hospital-Local Health Department Partnerships to Address Rural Community Needs
Explores Critical Access Hospital (CAH) involvement in collaborative community health networks that include local public health departments (LHDs), other healthcare organizations, social service agencies, and other community organizations. Uses survey data from the American Hospital Association (AHA) to describe the collaborative partnerships CAHs are engaged in, the organizations with which they partner, and the activities these partnerships undertake. Presents findings from qualitative interviews with four pairs of CAH and LHD leaders regarding challenges and lessons learned from these local-level collaborations. Identifies three areas of activity - community health needs assessments, emergency preparedness planning, and emergent public health crises - that provide an opportunity to encourage collaboration between CAHs and LHDs and address priority needs
Author(s): Zachariah Croll, Celia Jewell, John Gale
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Explores Critical Access Hospital (CAH) involvement in collaborative community health networks that include local public health departments (LHDs), other healthcare organizations, social service agencies, and other community organizations. Uses survey data from the American Hospital Association (AHA) to describe the collaborative partnerships CAHs are engaged in, the organizations with which they partner, and the activities these partnerships undertake. Presents findings from qualitative interviews with four pairs of CAH and LHD leaders regarding challenges and lessons learned from these local-level collaborations. Identifies three areas of activity - community health needs assessments, emergency preparedness planning, and emergent public health crises - that provide an opportunity to encourage collaboration between CAHs and LHDs and address priority needs
Author(s): Zachariah Croll, Celia Jewell, John Gale
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Medicare Claims Processing Manual Chapter 4 - Part B Hospital (Including Inpatient Hospital Part B and OPPS)
Outlines rules and regulations for processing Medicare Part B hospital claims. Covers special rules for Critical Access Hospital outpatient billing, hospital-based Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) billing for non-RHC/FQHC services, and payment adjustments for Rural Emergency Hospitals (REHs).
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Outlines rules and regulations for processing Medicare Part B hospital claims. Covers special rules for Critical Access Hospital outpatient billing, hospital-based Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) billing for non-RHC/FQHC services, and payment adjustments for Rural Emergency Hospitals (REHs).
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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RHCs, FQHCs, Tribal Clinics and CAHs in Rural Oregon
Shows a county-level map of Oregon identifying the Rural Health Clinics (RHCs), Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), tribal clinics, and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs). Highlights rural, urban, and frontier areas.
Date: 01/2024
Type: Map/Mapping System
Sponsoring organization: Oregon Office of Rural Health
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Shows a county-level map of Oregon identifying the Rural Health Clinics (RHCs), Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), tribal clinics, and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs). Highlights rural, urban, and frontier areas.
Date: 01/2024
Type: Map/Mapping System
Sponsoring organization: Oregon Office of Rural Health
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Medicare COVID-19 Hospitalization Trends Report
Reports cases and hospitalization data for Medicare beneficiaries diagnosed with COVID-19 between January 1, 2020, and June 30, 2023. Includes data on beneficiary demographics, case and hospitalization trends, and discharge status among beneficiaries hospitalized for COVID-19. Compares COVID-19 case and hospitalization rates by rural and urban status.
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Reports cases and hospitalization data for Medicare beneficiaries diagnosed with COVID-19 between January 1, 2020, and June 30, 2023. Includes data on beneficiary demographics, case and hospitalization trends, and discharge status among beneficiaries hospitalized for COVID-19. Compares COVID-19 case and hospitalization rates by rural and urban status.
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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