Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Rural Emergency Hospitals
An Early Look at Profitability Before and After Conversion to Rural Emergency Hospital
Examines the impact of the Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) designation on profitability of hospitals. Analyzes Medicare Cost Reports (MCRs) from 32 REHs before and after conversion and provides information on REH total and operating margins.
Author(s): Aditya Pillutla, George Pink, Kristie Thompson, Mark Holmes
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Examines the impact of the Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) designation on profitability of hospitals. Analyzes Medicare Cost Reports (MCRs) from 32 REHs before and after conversion and provides information on REH total and operating margins.
Author(s): Aditya Pillutla, George Pink, Kristie Thompson, Mark Holmes
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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2025-2026 Pre-Rulemaking Measure Review Final Recommendations Report
Reviews the 24 pre-rulemaking quality measures the Battelle's Partnership for Quality Measurement (PQM) considered during the 2025-2026 Pre-Rulemaking Measure Review (PRMR) cycle. Discusses measures for clinician, hospital, and post-acute care/long-term care programs. Includes rural references and considerations throughout.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Partnership for Quality Measurement
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Reviews the 24 pre-rulemaking quality measures the Battelle's Partnership for Quality Measurement (PQM) considered during the 2025-2026 Pre-Rulemaking Measure Review (PRMR) cycle. Discusses measures for clinician, hospital, and post-acute care/long-term care programs. Includes rural references and considerations throughout.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Partnership for Quality Measurement
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REH Learning Brief: Obstetric Care in Rural Emergency Hospitals
Describes how three Rural Emergency Hospitals (REHs) approach delivering obstetric-related care. Discusses challenges to providing obstetric services each facility faced prior to their conversion to REH status, and strategies implemented under the REH designation. Identifies common strategies these facilities take to support obstetric care without traditional labor and delivery services.
Author(s): Hope Burch, Candice Talkington, Annette Schnabel, et al.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Redesign Center
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Describes how three Rural Emergency Hospitals (REHs) approach delivering obstetric-related care. Discusses challenges to providing obstetric services each facility faced prior to their conversion to REH status, and strategies implemented under the REH designation. Identifies common strategies these facilities take to support obstetric care without traditional labor and delivery services.
Author(s): Hope Burch, Candice Talkington, Annette Schnabel, et al.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Redesign Center
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Trauma and Emergency Surgical Care at Rural Emergency Hospital-Eligible Facilities: Interstate Variation and Policy Implications for Rural Health Systems
Explores trauma and emergency general surgery volumes at hospitals eligible to become Rural Emergency Hospitals (REHs). Analyzes 2021 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project data from California, Florida, Iowa, Maryland, and Wisconsin, to describe the volume of emergency general surgery and trauma care performed at REH-eligible hospitals. Examines the characteristics of the populations and communities served by hospitals eligible for REH designation compared with those served by REH-ineligible hospitals. Discusses the potential impact of converting to the REH designation on access to trauma and emergency general surgery.
Author(s): Nina M. Clark, Alexandra H. Hernandez, Cody L. Mullens, et al.
Citation: Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, 100(5), 768-776
Date: 01/2026
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Explores trauma and emergency general surgery volumes at hospitals eligible to become Rural Emergency Hospitals (REHs). Analyzes 2021 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project data from California, Florida, Iowa, Maryland, and Wisconsin, to describe the volume of emergency general surgery and trauma care performed at REH-eligible hospitals. Examines the characteristics of the populations and communities served by hospitals eligible for REH designation compared with those served by REH-ineligible hospitals. Discusses the potential impact of converting to the REH designation on access to trauma and emergency general surgery.
Author(s): Nina M. Clark, Alexandra H. Hernandez, Cody L. Mullens, et al.
Citation: Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, 100(5), 768-776
Date: 01/2026
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REH: Service Line Development
Summarizes an educational session regarding how a Rural Emergency Hospital can evaluate service line opportunities. Identifies building blocks for effective service line development, best practices, and key takeaways for leaders.
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Redesign Center
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Summarizes an educational session regarding how a Rural Emergency Hospital can evaluate service line opportunities. Identifies building blocks for effective service line development, best practices, and key takeaways for leaders.
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Redesign Center
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Rural Emergency Hospital Educational Webinar and Fireside Chat
Recording of a January 8, 2026, webinar for Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and other small rural hospitals exploring the Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) designation. Describes the REH designation, policy and regulatory requirements, and REH Technical Assistance Center (TAC) services and resources. Features a discussion with two hospital executives that led their facilities through the conversion to REH status. Transcript available in the video description.
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Redesign Center
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Recording of a January 8, 2026, webinar for Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and other small rural hospitals exploring the Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) designation. Describes the REH designation, policy and regulatory requirements, and REH Technical Assistance Center (TAC) services and resources. Features a discussion with two hospital executives that led their facilities through the conversion to REH status. Transcript available in the video description.
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Redesign Center
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Rural Emergency Hospitals: Emerging Patterns of Adaptation and Community Perception
Examines characteristics of Rural Emergency Hospitals (REHs) and their impact on the community. Utilizes Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services cost report data to compare hospitals that converted to REHs to hospitals that did not convert. Analyzes issues such as hospital finances, local healthcare access, economic stabilization, REH reputation and use, community perceptions of quality, and more.
Author(s): Anders Van Sandt, Kaitlyn Line, Anja Gruber, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 42(1), e70112
Date: 01/2026
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Examines characteristics of Rural Emergency Hospitals (REHs) and their impact on the community. Utilizes Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services cost report data to compare hospitals that converted to REHs to hospitals that did not convert. Analyzes issues such as hospital finances, local healthcare access, economic stabilization, REH reputation and use, community perceptions of quality, and more.
Author(s): Anders Van Sandt, Kaitlyn Line, Anja Gruber, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 42(1), e70112
Date: 01/2026
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REH: Improving Rural Emergency Hospital Care: RCA and FMEA
Summarizes an educational session discussing two tools for improving patient safety: root cause analysis (RCA) and failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA). Provides a brief description of each method and best practices for rural hospitals.
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Redesign Center
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Summarizes an educational session discussing two tools for improving patient safety: root cause analysis (RCA) and failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA). Provides a brief description of each method and best practices for rural hospitals.
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Redesign Center
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January 2026 Annual Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) Monthly Facility Payment Amount
Presents the monthly Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) monthly facility payment amount for Calendar Year 2026.
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
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Presents the monthly Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) monthly facility payment amount for Calendar Year 2026.
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
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December 2025 MedPAC Meeting Transcript
Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) December 2025 meeting. Covers payment adequacy and updates for physician and other health professional services, hospital inpatient and outpatient services, Rural Emergency Hospitals (REHs), post-acute care, skilled nursing facility services, inpatient rehabilitation facility services, home health services, hospice services, and outpatient dialysis services. Includes discussions on improving Medicare payment approaches and mandated reports on the impact of recent changes to the home health prospective payment system and an assessment of the Medicare ground ambulance data collection system.
Additional links: Assessing Payment Adequacy and Updating Payments: Hospital Inpatient and Outpatient Services; Mandated Report on Rural Emergency Hospitals; And Update on Site-neutral Payments - Presentation Slides, Mandated Report: Assessment of the Medicare Ground Ambulance Data Collection System - Presentation Slides
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) December 2025 meeting. Covers payment adequacy and updates for physician and other health professional services, hospital inpatient and outpatient services, Rural Emergency Hospitals (REHs), post-acute care, skilled nursing facility services, inpatient rehabilitation facility services, home health services, hospice services, and outpatient dialysis services. Includes discussions on improving Medicare payment approaches and mandated reports on the impact of recent changes to the home health prospective payment system and an assessment of the Medicare ground ambulance data collection system.
Additional links: Assessing Payment Adequacy and Updating Payments: Hospital Inpatient and Outpatient Services; Mandated Report on Rural Emergency Hospitals; And Update on Site-neutral Payments - Presentation Slides, Mandated Report: Assessment of the Medicare Ground Ambulance Data Collection System - Presentation Slides
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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