The importance of quality end-of-life care in rural America can be difficult to understand until you need hospice care. A rural family shares their journey with hospice and how it helped them care for their father at the end of his life. A CAH CEO explains how hospice care intersects with the mission to provide care to the community.
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Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease has higher prevalence and death rates in rural than urban populations. John Linnell, a rural COPD Foundation State Captain, talks about the disease and how he and other Captains can be partners in efforts to impact this disease.
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Electronic health records are central to rural healthcare providers’ and organizations’ transition to value-based care. Several rural organizations are using their EHR data to make changes for the patient populations they serve.
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Talking electronic health record “interoperability,” a rural hospital CEO and a HIT workforce educator talk about what that means for hospitals, clinics, and other organizations like those providing behavioral health.
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The connection between bullying and youth suicide in rural Union Parish, Louisiana, led a Critical Access Hospital to create an anti-bullying program. Together with local law enforcement, they teach students in elementary through high school the negative effects of peer victimization and how to model positive social behavior.
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Obstetric services were available in 205 fewer rural hospitals in 2014 than in 2004. Realizing the importance of maternity and childbirth services, a CAH in Alaska works to keep its providers’ skills sharp and a rural OB-GYN residency program in Wisconsin is beginning to train a new generation of physicians.
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Moving the conversation away from finances, advocates share why general surgery plays an important role in a comprehensive rural population health strategy by delivering the right care in the right place at the right time.
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Across the country, recruitment and retention challenges are common for rural healthcare entities providing post-acute care. Healthcare leaders share practical examples that have created incentive for staff to join, and stay on, their healthcare teams.
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Post-acute care (PAC) services available locally can make fully recovering from a serious illness or injury faster and easier, setting the patient and provider up for the best possible outcome. This article looks at how a tertiary facility’s communication with skilled nursing facilities, a Critical Access Hospital’s swing bed program, and a home health agency are improving patient transitions from acute care to PAC.
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In addition to providing advice for those with potential interest in rural healthcare executive positions, four Critical Access Hospitals leaders – all under age 40 – share stories of innovation and impact on their organizations and communities.
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