Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) – Resources
Selected recent or important resources focusing on Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs).
CAH Medicaid Payer Mix in Expansion vs. Non-Expansion States
Examines the change in median Medicaid payer mix among Critical Access Hospitals between 2013 and 2018 and compares the change across states that adopted Medicaid expansion and those that did not.
Author(s): Savannah Stallings, George Pink, Kristin Reiter
Date: 04/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
view details
Examines the change in median Medicaid payer mix among Critical Access Hospitals between 2013 and 2018 and compares the change across states that adopted Medicaid expansion and those that did not.
Author(s): Savannah Stallings, George Pink, Kristin Reiter
Date: 04/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
view details
Hospital Compare Quality Measure Results for CAHs, 2018
Describes the rates at which Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) reported quality improvement measures in 2018. Reports state rankings based on reporting rates. Includes national CAH performance results of selected inpatient and outpatient quality measures. Contains links to state-specific reports.
Additional links: State Profiles
Author(s): Megan Lahr, Tongtan Chantarat, Ira Moscovice
Date: 03/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
view details
Describes the rates at which Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) reported quality improvement measures in 2018. Reports state rankings based on reporting rates. Includes national CAH performance results of selected inpatient and outpatient quality measures. Contains links to state-specific reports.
Additional links: State Profiles
Author(s): Megan Lahr, Tongtan Chantarat, Ira Moscovice
Date: 03/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
view details
Report to Congress: Demonstration Project on Community Health Integration Models in Certain Rural Counties - Final Report
Presents findings from the Frontier Community Health Integration Project Demonstration (FCHIP) demonstration project over the 3-year project period. Shares results for the 10 participating Critical Access Hospitals in three states: North Dakota, Montana, and Nevada. The demonstration focused on interventions addressing ambulance services, skilled nursing facility/nursing facility beds, and telehealth. Offers recommendations for legislative and administrative action.
Date: 2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
view details
Presents findings from the Frontier Community Health Integration Project Demonstration (FCHIP) demonstration project over the 3-year project period. Shares results for the 10 participating Critical Access Hospitals in three states: North Dakota, Montana, and Nevada. The demonstration focused on interventions addressing ambulance services, skilled nursing facility/nursing facility beds, and telehealth. Offers recommendations for legislative and administrative action.
Date: 2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
view details
Critical Access Hospital Governing Board Manual: Volume III
Written with governing board members in mind, addresses several pressing issues facing Critical Access Hospital (CAH) governing boards. Builds on the material found in the Governing Board Manual: Volume I and Critical Access Hospital Governing Board Manual: Volume II, and focuses on the following topic areas: the board member's role, quality and fiduciary responsibilities, strategic and community initiatives, and the future of rural healthcare.
Date: 2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network
view details
Written with governing board members in mind, addresses several pressing issues facing Critical Access Hospital (CAH) governing boards. Builds on the material found in the Governing Board Manual: Volume I and Critical Access Hospital Governing Board Manual: Volume II, and focuses on the following topic areas: the board member's role, quality and fiduciary responsibilities, strategic and community initiatives, and the future of rural healthcare.
Date: 2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network
view details
Post-Acute Care Virtual Summit
Summarizes a May 2020 virtual summit of key stakeholders that examines the state of post-acute care (PAC) in rural America. Discusses issues, challenges, and strategies related to the integration of rural acute and post-acute care. Explores how state Flex Programs can help rural providers address PAC. Includes a collection of PAC best practices.
Date: 2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: National Rural Health Resource Center, Stroudwater Associates
view details
Summarizes a May 2020 virtual summit of key stakeholders that examines the state of post-acute care (PAC) in rural America. Discusses issues, challenges, and strategies related to the integration of rural acute and post-acute care. Explores how state Flex Programs can help rural providers address PAC. Includes a collection of PAC best practices.
Date: 2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: National Rural Health Resource Center, Stroudwater Associates
view details
CAH Participation in Flex Financial and Operational Improvement Activities, 2015–2018
Examines patterns of Critical Access Hospital (CAH) participation in activities funded by the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility (Flex) Program. Looks at CAHs' participation in financial and operational improvement activities, with information by various hospital characteristics including risk of financial distress.
Author(s): Kathleen Knocke, Kristin Reiter, George H. Pink
Date: 10/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
view details
Examines patterns of Critical Access Hospital (CAH) participation in activities funded by the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility (Flex) Program. Looks at CAHs' participation in financial and operational improvement activities, with information by various hospital characteristics including risk of financial distress.
Author(s): Kathleen Knocke, Kristin Reiter, George H. Pink
Date: 10/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
view details
Antibiotic Stewardship Implementation: Suggested Strategies from High Performing Critical Access Hospitals
Describes antibiotic stewardship (AS) best practices identified through focus groups of 34 high performing Critical Access Hospitals across 25 states. Provides an overview of focus group findings on the seven core elements of hospital AS and identifies recurring themes.
Date: 09/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Stratis Health
view details
Describes antibiotic stewardship (AS) best practices identified through focus groups of 34 high performing Critical Access Hospitals across 25 states. Provides an overview of focus group findings on the seven core elements of hospital AS and identifies recurring themes.
Date: 09/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Stratis Health
view details
Small Rural Hospital Transition (SRHT) Project Guide: A Rural Hospital Guide to Improving Care Management: 2019 Update
A guide for rural hospital leadership that identifies best practices in care management. Addresses care management roles and staffing needs and covers utilization review and discharge planning. Helps identify opportunities for process improvement. Also discusses competencies needed to transition to a value-based reimbursement environment focused on population health.
Date: 08/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: National Rural Health Resource Center, Stroudwater Associates
view details
A guide for rural hospital leadership that identifies best practices in care management. Addresses care management roles and staffing needs and covers utilization review and discharge planning. Helps identify opportunities for process improvement. Also discusses competencies needed to transition to a value-based reimbursement environment focused on population health.
Date: 08/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: National Rural Health Resource Center, Stroudwater Associates
view details
A Flexible Solution: How Critical Access Hospitals Reshaped Rural Health
Brief video overview describing how the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 created the Critical Access Hospital designation to reduce rural hospital closures. Discusses the role of the Senate Finance Committee and Federal Office of Rural Health Policy in developing the related policies, the transition of rural hospitals to critical access status, and the creation and impact of the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program (Flex Program).
Date: 07/2019
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
view details
Brief video overview describing how the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 created the Critical Access Hospital designation to reduce rural hospital closures. Discusses the role of the Senate Finance Committee and Federal Office of Rural Health Policy in developing the related policies, the transition of rural hospitals to critical access status, and the creation and impact of the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program (Flex Program).
Date: 07/2019
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
view details
Identification of High-Need Rural Counties to Assist in Resource Location Planning
Demonstrates a technique for identifying rural counties that are at risk for poor health outcomes and have few or no Rural Health Clinics, Federally Qualified Health Centers, or Critical Access Hospitals. Features statistics and county-level maps showing distribution of safety net providers in rural counties, and distribution of average decile scores for health outcomes, socioeconomic characteristics, health behaviors, access to health care, and physical environment, among rural counties lacking a core safety net provider.
Author(s): Charity B. Breneman, Jan M. Eberth, Janice C. Probst
Date: 05/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural and Minority Health Research Center (formerly the South Carolina Rural Health Research Center)
view details
Demonstrates a technique for identifying rural counties that are at risk for poor health outcomes and have few or no Rural Health Clinics, Federally Qualified Health Centers, or Critical Access Hospitals. Features statistics and county-level maps showing distribution of safety net providers in rural counties, and distribution of average decile scores for health outcomes, socioeconomic characteristics, health behaviors, access to health care, and physical environment, among rural counties lacking a core safety net provider.
Author(s): Charity B. Breneman, Jan M. Eberth, Janice C. Probst
Date: 05/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural and Minority Health Research Center (formerly the South Carolina Rural Health Research Center)
view details
Additional resources are available related to this guide. See the full list of resources by topic for:
Last Updated: 11/27/2023