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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Hospitals

Overview of Operating Room Procedures During Inpatient Stays in U.S. Hospitals, 2018
Report offering statistics on operating room (OR) procedures during 2018 using National Inpatient Sample (NIS) data. Compares OR procedure rates to overall hospital stays, examines patient characteristics including rural and metro location, and ranks the top 20 OR procedures with breakdowns by sex, age, and costliness.
Author(s): Kimberly W. McDermott, Lan Liang
Date: 08/2021
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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Emergency Department Visits Involving Dental Conditions, 2018
Presents data on emergency department (ED) visits involving dental conditions using the 2018 Nationwide Emergency Department Sample (NEDS). Describes characteristics of dental-related ED visits, including age, sex, metropolitan status of patient residence, and community-level income. Includes statistics on the number and percentage of ED visits that resulted in hospital admission, types of dental-related ED visits by payer, and groups and types of dental conditions by type of ED visit.
Date: 08/2021
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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State and Regional Differences in Access to Hospital-Based Obstetric Services for Rural Residents, 2018
Highlights a study on rural access to hospital-based obstetric services by state and region. Compares rates regionally and by state across the country and discusses the factors that affect obstetrics access.
Author(s): Julia D. Interrante, Mariana S. Tuttle, Bridget Basile Ibrahim, et al.
Date: 08/2021
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Potential Implications of SARS-CoV-2 Delta Variant Surges for Rural Areas and Hospitals
Opinion piece highlighting features of rural healthcare systems that make it more difficult for those hospitals to withstand surges in COVID-19 cases. Suggests possible solutions for institutions, governments, and society as they navigate the potentially rural-dominant Delta variant phase.
Author(s): Sameer S. Kadri, Steven Q. Simpson
Citation: JAMA
Date: 08/2021
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The Swing Bed Program: Impacting Patients, Providers, and Community
Brief video overview of the swing bed program, which helps rural hospitals provide patient- and community-centric post-acute healthcare. Describes the history, related policy issues, early implementation, and evolution of the program.
Date: 08/2021
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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History of the Swing Bed: A Look Through the Rural Rearview Mirror
Reviews the history of the swing bed program, which helps rural hospitals serve patients and the community through provision of post-acute care. Shares insights from experts who describe early implementation and key program elements that have contributed to the program's success.
Author(s): Kay Miller Temple
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 08/2021
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Understanding the Rural Swing Bed: More than Just a Reimbursement Policy
Provides an overview of the swing bed program and its role as a patient-centric post-acute care solution that helps rural hospitals serve their communities. Discusses the impact of the program, reimbursement, quality measures, and more.
Author(s): Kay Miller Temple
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 08/2021
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Quality Time: Sharing PIE - Making Quality Improvement Fun
Podcast episode discussing ways two Critical Access Hospital (CAH) leaders make quality improvement activities fun and engaging for hospital staff. Highlights engagement strategies that resulted in measurable improvements, staff recognition activities, and the impact these efforts have on staff morale and investment in quality improvement initiatives.
Date: 08/2021
Sponsoring organization: Stratis Health
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COVID-19: HHS's Collection of Hospital Capacity Data
Examines the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) implementation of the HHS Project, which was launched in April 2020 to collect national and state-level hospital capacity data. Discusses reporting requirements and challenges, use of the data collected, and lessons learned regarding the collection of hospital capacity data during a public health emergency.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 08/2021
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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The Rural Emergency Hospital and Value-Based Care
Summarizes the new Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) legislation, outlines local considerations before REH conversion, and prepares stakeholders to comment when the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services releases REH proposed rules for public input. Addresses questions regarding anticipated proposed rules and describes opportunities to inform REH rulemaking.
Date: 08/2021
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Value
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