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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Hospitals

Still Stealing Rural America's Breath: An Update on Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Discusses rural research efforts focused on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), with insights from researchers, philanthropists, and healthcare providers. Explores the impact of COVID-19 on COPD. Also covers the importance of pulmonary rehabilitation and new research findings on the impact of this treatment.
Author(s): Kay Miller Temple
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 06/2021
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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MedPAC Report to the Congress: Medicare and the Health Care Delivery System, June 2021
Evaluates Medicare payment issues and offers recommendations to the U.S. Congress. Chapter 5 presents an interim report on Medicare beneficiaries' access to care in rural areas. Also includes chapters on Medicare Advantage benchmark policy, alternative payment models, private equity and Medicare, the skilled nursing facility value-based purchasing program, indirect medical education payments, Medicare coverage of vaccines, separately payable drugs in the hospital outpatient prospective payment system, clinical laboratory fee schedule payment rates, and the relationship between clinician services and other Medicare services.
Additional links: Executive Summary
Date: 06/2021
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Quality Time: Sharing PIE - Using "Small Data" to Drive Big Improvements
Podcast episode exploring how two Critical Access Hospital (CAH) leaders utilize data for quality improvement. Discusses how different kinds of data have informed quality improvement initiatives and considerations for analyzing data in low-volume contexts.
Date: 06/2021
Sponsoring organization: Stratis Health
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Hospital Capabilities to Enable Patient Electronic Access to Health Information, 2019
Reports on the percentage of U.S. hospitals that provide patients with electronic access to health information. Includes charts comparing types of electronic access; facility type including Critical Access, rural, and suburban-urban hospitals; and what types of information patients access.
Author(s): Christian Johnson, Wesley Barker
Date: 06/2021
Sponsoring organization: Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy/Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology
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Use of the Spatial Access Ratio to Measure Geospatial Access to Emergency General Surgery Services in California
Evaluates the ability of Spatial Access Ratio (SPAR) to identify disparities in emergency general surgery (EGS) access in California. Compares the locations of 238 EGS-capable hospitals to the location of California residents with focus on the socio-demographic characteristics of population size, poverty rate, health insurance coverage, and rural or urban status. Table 2 shows access to EGS hospitals by rurality, among other data. Discusses the use of SPAR to allocate resources differently.
Author(s): Marta McCrum, Neng Wan, Steven Lizotte, et al.
Citation: The Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, 90(5), 853-860
Date: 05/2021
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National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey: 2018 Emergency Department Summary Tables
Provides data on ambulatory care emergency department (ED) hospital visits. Table 1 provides metropolitan/nonmetropolitan ED visit data based on hospital location, Table 2 includes metro/nonmetro ED visit data by location of patient residence, and Table 14 has metro/nonmetro injury visit data based on hospital location.
Date: 05/2021
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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Building on the Evidence Base: Studies on the Effects of Medicaid Expansion, February 2020 to March 2021
Summarizes the results of a review of 200 studies published between February 2020 and March 2021 on the impact of state Medicaid expansions under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). Highlights findings on mortality; cancer, chronic disease, and disabilities; sexual and reproductive health; behavioral health; economic impacts on states and providers, including rural providers; disparities; and social determinants of health. Builds on a literature review that examined studies published between January 2014 and January 2020.
Author(s): Madeline Guth, Meghana Ammula
Date: 05/2021
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Mid-Level Leaders and the Transition to Value Video Series
A 6-part video series on healthcare leadership for mid-level Critical Access Hospital (CAH) leaders. Provides information and strategies on leading a team through the shift to value-based payment with training modules on strategic and systems thinking, collaborative and change leadership, healthcare finance, and talent development.
Additional links: Action Plan, Discussion Questions and Recommended Activities, Resource Guide
Date: 05/2021
Sponsoring organizations: National Rural Health Resource Center, Technical Assistance and Services Center
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Physician Workforce: Caps on Medicare-funded Graduate Medical Education at Teaching Hospitals
Provides an overview of Medicare physician graduate medical education (GME) funding to teaching hospitals. Describes the extent to which hospitals were over or under their Medicare GME caps in 2018, including their urban or rural status. Summarizes stakeholder views on extending the time frame for hospitals with new GME programs to establish their caps.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 05/2021
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Vaccine Hesitancy among Rural Hospitals: The Arrival of a Challenging "New Normal"
Summarizes the results of a survey of rural hospital leaders between March 12-April 15, 2021, regarding COVID-19 vaccination among rural hospital personnel. Explores the percentage of rural hospital employees that have declined a vaccine, are partially vaccinated, and are fully vaccinated; reasons for declining the vaccine; and changing attitudes toward the vaccine.
Date: 05/2021
Sponsoring organization: The Chartis Group
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