Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) resources via the Rural Health Information Hub

Event: Strengthening the Rural Nursing Workforce: Transition to Practice as a Statewide Strategy

Mon, 05 Oct 2026 10:24:13 -0500

-- American Hospital Association

Event: Geriatric Emergency Care: Practical Strategies for Rural Hospitals

Thu, 01 Oct 2026 08:41:20 -0500

-- Rural Health Quality Improvement Exchange

News: CMS: Medicare Program; Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems for Acute Care Hospitals (IPPS) and the Long-Term Care Hospital Prospective Payment System and Policy Changes and Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 Rates; Requirements for Quality Programs; Other Policy Changes; and Adoption of Updated Versions of Certain Health Information Technology Standards; Correction

Tue, 29 Sep 2026 08:29:24 -0500

Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services making technical and typographical corrections to the August 4, 2026, final rule. These corrections are effective October 1, 2026.

Event: 2026 Critical Access Hospital Webinar Series - Hot Topics and Medicare Reimbursement Impacts

Fri, 25 Sep 2026 10:28:16 -0500

Event: 2026 Critical Access Hospital Webinar Series - Medicare & Medicaid Enrollment in Motion: Key Regulatory Changes CAH Leaders Need to Know

Fri, 25 Sep 2026 10:23:04 -0500

Event: 2026 Critical Access Hospital Webinar Series - Strengthening Financial Sustainability

Fri, 25 Sep 2026 10:19:27 -0500

Event: 2026 Critical Access Hospital Webinar Series - Key Updates from Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Impacting Revenue Cycle

Fri, 25 Sep 2026 10:15:19 -0500

Resource: CAH Quality Infrastructure Resources

Thu, 24 Sep 2026 10:32:40 -0500

Provides resources related to the Critical Access Hospital (CAH) Quality Infrastructure measure, which is part of the Flex Program's Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Project (MBQIP) core measures. Covers CAH Quality Infrastructure measure specifications and detailed codebooks from 2023 to 2025. -- Flex Monitoring Team

Resource: Twenty-Five Years of Progress: Evidence-Based Strategies for Rural Hospital Replacement

Tue, 15 Sep 2026 13:39:15 -0500

Recording of a conference presentation exploring the financial and operational performance of Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) before and after a facility replacement. Describes trends across successful replacement projects and profiles Rio Grande Hospital in Del Norte, Colorado. Includes a demonstration of the Stroudwater Capital Partners CAH Replacement Directory. -- Stroudwater Associates

Resource: Critical Access Hospital Replacement Directory

Tue, 01 Sep 2026 10:52:53 -0500

Provides directory information for Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) that underwent facility/building replacement. Allows user to search directory by rurality, region, state, replacement year, and hospital name.

Resource: Critical Access Hospital Replacement Study Dashboard

Tue, 01 Sep 2026 10:46:46 -0500

Provides interactive data on Critical Access Hospital (CAH) financial and operational performance before and after a facility/building replacement. Allows user to filter information by key performance indicator, rurality, region, state, and average net patient revenue.

Resource: Critical Access Hospital (CAH) Evaluation of Compliance with the Rural and Distance Requirements

Fri, 21 Aug 2026 14:36:18 -0500

Provides guidance regarding the evaluation of Critical Access Hospital (CAH) status and location requirements for current CAHs and initial CAH determinations. Covers the circumstances that trigger a CAH eligibility review, the evaluation of whether a proposed provider-based location will impact a CAH's status, and procedures for decennial reviews of existing CAHs. -- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Resource: Critical Access Hospital and Hospital Requirements Streamlined to Reduce Burden

Mon, 03 Aug 2026 15:32:00 -0500

Outlines streamlined Joint Commission requirements for accreditation and Elements of Performance (EPs) for hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs). Includes links to survey process guides, disposition reports, and crosswalk and crosswalk compare reports for each deemed program's Conditions of Participation and the equivalent Joint Commission EPs. -- Joint Commission

Resource: Rural Hospital Financial Performance: Tools for Data-Driven Decision Making

Thu, 23 Jul 2026 14:19:04 -0500

Webinar recording featuring speakers from the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) and the North Carolina Rural Health Research Center discussing two data-driven tools, the Rural Hospital Financial Performance Dashboard and the Hospital Financial Distress Index, that can provide valuable insights into the financial health of rural hospitals. -- Rural Health Information Hub

Resource: Small Rural Hospital and Clinic Finance 101

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 12:09:39 -0500

Provides introductory information on healthcare facility finances and payment for state Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility (Flex) Program personnel, Critical Access Hospital (CAH) staff and board members, small rural prospective payment system (PPS) hospitals, and provider-based Rural Health Clinics (RHC). -- National Rural Health Resource Center

Resource: Concordance Between Social Needs Screening and Availability of Associated Programs in US Hospitals

Thu, 25 Jun 2026 09:35:28 -0500

Examines the extent to which hospitals screen patients for social needs by analyzing data from the 2022 American Hospital Association (AHA) survey. Explores the alignment between hospitals that screen for social needs and the availability of programs to address those needs. Compares data on social needs screening and corresponding programs at hospitals by rural and urban location, Critical Access Hospital (CAH) status, region, ownership, and participation in Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs). -- RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis

Event: 2027 12th Annual Rural Hospital Innovation Summit

Mon, 22 Jun 2026 17:02:04 -0500

New Orleans LA
May 18, 2027 -- National Rural Health Association

Resource: 'Good Stewards': Rural Healthcare Experts Discuss Governance Board Best Practices

Wed, 10 Jun 2026 13:16:07 -0500

Provides an overview of hospital and health center boards, with insights from rural CEOs and board members in Colorado, Missouri, North Dakota, and Oklahoma and experts from national organizations. Discusses board orientation and ongoing education, as well as ways to improve board governance. -- Rural Health Information Hub

Resource: MBQIP Fundamentals Guide for State Flex Programs: A Guide for Flex Coordinators on the Current Status of the MBQIP

Wed, 03 Jun 2026 15:02:51 -0500

Provides an overview of the history and current status of the Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Project (MBQIP). Offers links to resources to support Flex program personnel and relevant subcontractors understand the basics of MBQIP. -- Rural Quality Improvement Technical Assistance (RQITA) Resource Center

Resource: MBQIP Quality Measures National Annual Report - 2024

Tue, 02 Jun 2026 08:53:08 -0500

Summarizes quality measure reporting rates and performance among Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) in 2024. Presents data on the five Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Project (MBQIP) domains: global measures, patient safety, patient engagement, care coordination, and emergency department. -- Flex Monitoring Team

Resource: CAH Financial Indicators Report: Summary of Indicator Medians by State

Mon, 18 May 2026 11:38:09 -0500

Presents state and national median values of 30 financial indicators included in the Critical Access Hospital Measurement and Performance Assessment System (CAHMPAS). Provides an overview of each measurement and reports median values by state. Indicators represent seven areas of financial performance: profitability, liquidity, capital structure, revenue, cost, utilization, and other. -- Flex Monitoring Team

Resource: Payer Mix Shifts and Profitability at Critical Access Hospitals, 2011 to 2023

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 21:24:27 -0500

Analyzes 1,384 Critical Access Hospitals between 2011 and 2023 to determine the impact of changes in commercial, Medicare, Medicaid, and uncompensated care on their finances. Discusses reimbursement policy based on study findings.

Resource: 2025 National CAH Quality Inventory & Assessment National Report

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 09:12:13 -0500

Presents a high-level summary of key data points from the September-November 2025 National Critical Access Hospital (CAH) Quality Inventory and Assessment. Includes data on CAH system affiliation; median average daily census and emergency department volume; median swing bed admissions and swing bed length of stay; hospital inpatient, behavioral health and specialty care, and outpatient and other service lines; CAH quality payment model participation; and CAH quality improvement topic priorities. -- Flex Monitoring Team

Resource: Strategies for Critical Access Hospital Financial and Operational Performance Improvement: A Systematic Review

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 09:26:13 -0500

Summarizes findings from a systematic review of peer-reviewed and grey literature published since 2000 regarding financial and operational performance improvement interventions implemented by Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and rural hospitals in the United States and in other developed countries. Identifies key intervention areas, including service line optimization, revenue and cost management, and technology adoption, among others. Describes how State Flex Programs and hospital administrators can use these findings to inform decision-making and resource allocation. -- Flex Monitoring Team

Resource: Trends in Inpatient Revenue and Volume Among Critical Access Hospitals

Mon, 06 Apr 2026 10:45:07 -0500

Examines trends in Critical Access Hospital (CAH) revenue and volume between 2017 and 2024. Presents data on average outpatient-to-total revenue and mean average daily census among CAHs each year by CAH urban or rural location, region, profit status, and system affiliation. -- Flex Monitoring Team

Resource: A Chartbook on the Characteristics and Needs of Frontier Critical Access Hospitals

Thu, 02 Apr 2026 10:54:09 -0500

Summarizes findings from a 2025 national survey of executives from 117 Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) in frontier counties. Includes data on the distribution and characteristics of frontier CAHs. Identifies themes related to financial and operational challenges, service availability, and access to care in frontier settings. -- Flex Monitoring Team

Resource: An Examination of All-Payer Inpatient Rural Hospital Bypass

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 10:18:36 -0500

Examines the extent to which rural patients bypassed their nearest rural hospital for inpatient care in eight states. Analyzes data on inpatient hospital admissions for rural residents of these states using the 2018 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) State Inpatient Databases (SID). Identifies factors associated with hospital-level bypass rates by patient and hospital characteristics. -- ETSU/NORC Rural Health Research Center

Resource: MedPAC Report to the Congress: Medicare Payment Policy: Skilled Nursing Facility Services: Chapter 7

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 13:36:42 -0500

Discusses payment adequacy for skilled nursing facility (SNF) services. Features statistics on SNF care provided by rural hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) via swing beds and Medicare margins for urban, rural, and frontier freestanding SNFs in 2024. -- Medicare Payment Advisory Commission

Resource: Reporting and Performance of Maternity-Related Quality Measures in Critical Access Hospitals

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 10:21:59 -0600

Describes the characteristics of Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) with and without labor and delivery services. Examines CAH quality reporting and performance on five key measures related to maternity care and birth outcomes. Explores relationships between maternity care quality performance and CAH characteristics such as system affiliation, volume, and location. Identifies quality measures related to maternity and birth outcomes that are most feasible and relevant for CAHs and rural hospitals. -- Flex Monitoring Team

Resource: Delivering Quality: Maternity Care Innovation in Critical Access Hospitals

Tue, 24 Feb 2026 10:01:17 -0600

Presents case studies of six Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) that are high performers on maternity care quality measures. Summarizes interviews with leaders from each CAH regarding the benefits of their Perinatal Quality Collaboratives, use of safety bundles, training activities, and other successes in providing maternity care. -- Flex Monitoring Team