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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Type: Document

Minnesota State Oral Health Plan 2020-2030
Outlines the state oral health plan for Minnesota, focusing on the oral health infrastructure, access to oral healthcare, health systems integration, disability, special care needs and inclusion, and data. Includes rural considerations throughout.
Date: 08/2021
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Department of Health
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Evaluation of the Vermont All-Payer Accountable Care Organization Model: First Evaluation Report
Evaluates the first two performance years of the Vermont All-Payer Accountable Care Organization Model (VTAPM), which aims to assess whether scaling an Accountable Care Organization (ACO) across all payers in the state can reduce program expenditures while preserving or improving care quality. Discusses the implementation of the model, provider engagement, efforts to address population health goals; characteristics of participating hospitals, practitioners, and beneficiaries; and the model's impacts on Medicare spending, utilization, and quality of care. Includes information on hospital and provider participation in rural counties and unique challenges for rural Critical Access Hospitals.
Additional links: Findings at a Glance, Technical Appendices
Date: 08/2021
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, NORC at the University of Chicago
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The Pennsylvania Rural Health Model (PARHM): First Annual Report
Evaluates the first year of the Pennsylvania Rural Health Model (PARHM), an initiative designed to test if global budgets can help rural hospitals improve their financial viability, provide flexibility to meet locally defined community health needs, and reduce overall health care spending. Provides an overview of the model and describes the implementation experience of the first cohort of participating hospitals. Presents preliminary, descriptive data on the financial performance and utilization outcomes of Cohort 1 participants.
Additional links: Appendix, Findings at a Glance
Date: 08/2021
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, NORC at the University of Chicago
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Paying for Telemedicine in Smaller Rural Hospitals: Extending the Technology to Those Who Benefit Most
Viewpoint article discussing the positive financial impacts of telemedicine in emergency departments (EDs) and barriers to using telemedicine in small rural hospitals related to patient volume, high upfront costs, and reimbursement issues. Outlines policy interventions to support rural telemedicine.
Author(s): Kori S. Zachrison, Jessica V. Richard, Ateev Mehrotra
Citation: JAMA Health Forum, 2(8), e211570
Date: 08/2021
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Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Innovations in Native American Communities
Report highlights the efforts of tribal programs to address opioid use disorder in their communities. Presents success stories of programs providing culturally competent treatment, prevention, and recovery for American Indian and Alaska Native communities in several states.
Date: 08/2021
Sponsoring organization: National American Indian and Alaska Native Addiction Technology Transfer Center
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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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Primary Care Case Management in Medicaid: A Strategy for Supporting Primary Care in Rural Areas
Describes how Medicaid agencies in five states - Alabama, Colorado, Maine, Idaho, and Oklahoma - utilize primary care case management (PCCM) programs to strengthen primary care, particularly in rural areas. Identifies three strategies implemented by some or all of these states to support primary care providers, and highlights lessons learned for state Medicaid programs that want to strengthen primary care in rural areas.
Author(s): Neva Kaye
Date: 08/2021
Sponsoring organization: National Academy for State Health Policy
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MedPAC Comment on CMS's Proposed Rule on the ESRD PPS for CY 2022
Comments on a July 9, 2021, Federal Register proposed rule related to Medicare payment policies for end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Includes comments addressing the low-volume payment adjustment (LVPA) and the rural adjustment.
Date: 08/2021
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Mobile Telemedicine for Buprenorphine Treatment in Rural Populations With Opioid Use Disorder
Results of a study conducted from June-October 2020 in Caroline County, Maryland, to evaluate the implementation of an initiative to extend access to telemedicine (TM) medications for opioid use disorder to rural communities, by bringing care via a TM mobile treatment unit (TM-MTU). Features demographics and statistics on opioid use during TM-MTU treatment.
Author(s): Eric Weintraub, Chamindi Seneviratne, Jessica Anane, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 4(8)
Date: 08/2021
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Maternal Morbidity and Mortality Measurement Recommendations Report
Provides an overview of two measurement frameworks, one for maternal morbidity and one for maternal mortality. Includes a list of short- and long-term recommendations for each measurement topic, which cover equitable treatment; timely access to treatment and services; follow-up and care coordination of care; protocols and guidelines; substance use disorders, mental health, and behavioral health; access to pain management and labor support; and patient- and family-reported outcomes and experiences of care. Discusses three potential, actionable measure concepts for maternal mortality.
Date: 08/2021
Sponsoring organization: National Quality Forum
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