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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Post-acute care

Impact of Swing Beds
Policy brief describes the value of swing beds as a critical healthcare service that provides quality care and can help reduce readmission rates. Discusses how swing beds can create additional revenue for small rural hospitals at risk of experiencing financial challenges.
Author(s): Jim Parrish, Ann Turner, Margaret Woeppel
Date: 02/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Post-discharge Rehabilitation Care Delivery for Rural Medicare Beneficiaries with Stroke
Discusses the factors associated with post-discharge rehabilitation care (PDRC) that influence the recovery and quality of life for rural stroke survivors receiving Medicare. Factors highlighted include distance to healthcare, type of rehabilitation, initial hospital admission, and patient race/ethnicity.
Additional links: Fact Sheet
Author(s): Jessica D. Bellinger, Zhimin Chen, Saundra Glover, et al.
Date: 09/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural and Minority Health Research Center (formerly the South Carolina Rural Health Research Center)
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A Critique of the Office of the Inspector General's Report on Swing Beds in Critical Access Hospitals
Evaluates the methods and data of a March 2015 report from the Office of the Inspector General (OIG), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, commenting on Medicare reimbursement policy for swing bed services in Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs).
Author(s): Kristin L. Reiter, G. Mark Holmes
Date: 03/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Medicare Could Have Saved Billions at Critical Access Hospitals If Swing-Bed Services Were Reimbursed Using the Skilled Nursing Facility Prospective Payment System Rates
Reports the Inspector General's findings from a study of swing bed services and reimbursement at Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs). Addresses changes in swing bed usage over time and examines the potential impact to Medicare of reimbursing swing bed services at skilled nursing facility (SNF) prospective payment system (PPS) rates.
Date: 03/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Review Strategies to Recruit and Retain Rural Patient Participating Self-Management Behavioral Trials
Discusses effective methods to encourage rural patients with cardiovascular disease to participate in self-management behavioral intervention trials designed to improve health outcomes and reduce healthcare costs.
Author(s): Lufei Young, Susan Barnason, Van Do
Citation: Online Journal of Rural Research & Policy, 10(2)
Date: 2015
Type: Document
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Quality of Life and Loneliness in Stroke Survivors Living in Appalachia
Reports on a study of loneliness and its effect on the quality of life (QoL) among rural stroke survivors in Appalachian West Virginia. Looks at post-stroke factors in determining QoL, such as continued smoking, recovery in a nursing home versus the patient's home, and comorbidity.
Author(s): Laurie Theeke, Patricia Horstman, Jennifer Mallow, et al.
Citation: Journal of Neuroscience Nursing, 46(6), E3-15
Date: 12/2014
Type: Document
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New Models for Rural Post-Acute Care: Critical Access Hospitals Optimize Patient Outcomes, Value, and Financial Stability
Reports on the Transitional and Ventilator Care Model, which provided transitional Ventilator Care and increased utilization of swing beds in Critical Access Hospitals, helping them expand their service offerings, reduce readmissions, and improve their finances. Addresses the program's initial success and expansion to 11 CAHs in Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin. Requires name, email address, and organization information to download.
Author(s): Mark Lindsay, Karl Palmer, Terry Hill, et al.
Date: 05/2014
Type: Document
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Discharge to Swing Bed or Skilled Nursing Facility: Who Goes Where?
Examines health conditions of patients discharged from rural Prospective Payment System (PPS) hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) to swing beds and skilled nursing facilities (SNFs).
Author(s): Victoria A. Freeman, Randy K. Randolph, Mark Holmes
Date: 02/2014
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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"Living With a Ball and Chain": The Experience of Stroke for Individuals and Their Caregivers in Rural Appalachian Kentucky
Describes a qualitative study based on interviews with 13 stroke survivors and 12 caregivers in rural Appalachian Kentucky. Analyzes the transcripts for qualitative data giving insight into the experience of stroke victims from the time of onset, through their treatment in the healthcare system, to their reintegration into their home and community.
Author(s): Megan M. Danzl, Elizabeth G. Hunter, Sarah Campbell, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 29(4), 368-382
Date: 10/2013
Type: Document
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Why Do Some Critical Access Hospitals Close Their Skilled Nursing Facility Services While Others Retain Them?
Examines the factors related to the operation of skilled nursing services by Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and specifically the factors related to closure of skilled nursing units by some CAHs and the continued provision of these services by others. Addresses the impact of swing beds.
Author(s): John A. Gale, Zachariah T. Croll, Andrew F. Coburn, Walter R. Gregg
Date: 11/2012
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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