Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) – Resources
Selected recent or important resources focusing on Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs).
Changes in Service Offerings Post-System Affiliation in Rural Hospitals
Explores the effects of joining or leaving a regional or national healthcare system on 62 service offerings at rural prospective payment system (PPS) hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) between 2008 through 2020. Compares services offered at hospitals that joined a system, left a system, were always in a system during the study period, and were never is a system during the study period.
Date: 01/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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Explores the effects of joining or leaving a regional or national healthcare system on 62 service offerings at rural prospective payment system (PPS) hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) between 2008 through 2020. Compares services offered at hospitals that joined a system, left a system, were always in a system during the study period, and were never is a system during the study period.
Date: 01/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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Rural Hospitals Must Keep up with Innovation to Remain Viable
Describes changes to the healthcare market environment, including technology, telehealth, services offered by retailers and large corporations, and declining patient volume. Outlines priorities for Critical Access Hospitals to remain viable, including the transition to population-based payment. Details a transition framework to guide hospitals as they move to a population-based payment system and navigate a changing environment.
Date: 01/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Stroudwater Associates
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Describes changes to the healthcare market environment, including technology, telehealth, services offered by retailers and large corporations, and declining patient volume. Outlines priorities for Critical Access Hospitals to remain viable, including the transition to population-based payment. Details a transition framework to guide hospitals as they move to a population-based payment system and navigate a changing environment.
Date: 01/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Stroudwater Associates
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Impacts of Critical Access Hospital Independence and System Ownership during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Summarizes findings from a survey of 155 Critical Access Hospital (CAH) executives regarding experiences and challenges responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. Examines the impact of healthcare system affiliation on the CAHs' response to COVID, including the advantages and disadvantages of system affiliation and independence.
Author(s): Madeleine Pick, Megan Lahr, Abigail Wenninger
Date: 01/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Summarizes findings from a survey of 155 Critical Access Hospital (CAH) executives regarding experiences and challenges responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. Examines the impact of healthcare system affiliation on the CAHs' response to COVID, including the advantages and disadvantages of system affiliation and independence.
Author(s): Madeleine Pick, Megan Lahr, Abigail Wenninger
Date: 01/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Characteristics of Rural Hospitals Eligible for Conversion to Rural Emergency Hospitals and Three Rural Hospitals Considering Conversion
Findings brief presenting updated data for Rural Emergency Hospital (REH)-eligible hospitals. Compares financial and operational measures of 3 rural hospitals that have expressed interest in REH conversion with those of all 1,787 REH-eligible hospitals. Also discusses what factors may determine the number of rural hospitals that convert to REH, including risk of permanent closure.
Author(s): George Pink, Susie Gurzenda, Kristie Thompson, Ann Howard
Date: 12/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Findings brief presenting updated data for Rural Emergency Hospital (REH)-eligible hospitals. Compares financial and operational measures of 3 rural hospitals that have expressed interest in REH conversion with those of all 1,787 REH-eligible hospitals. Also discusses what factors may determine the number of rural hospitals that convert to REH, including risk of permanent closure.
Author(s): George Pink, Susie Gurzenda, Kristie Thompson, Ann Howard
Date: 12/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Interpretation Services for Patients with Limited English Proficiency in Critical Access Hospitals
Discusses the importance of language interpretation services and guidelines for communication and language assistance in healthcare. Describes common themes that emerged through interviews with six Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) located in areas with a high proportion of patients with limited English proficiency (LEP) regarding the provision of language translation services, and identifies best practices that CAHs can emulate.
Author(s): Madeleine Pick, Megan Lahr, Shehrose Charania
Date: 12/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Discusses the importance of language interpretation services and guidelines for communication and language assistance in healthcare. Describes common themes that emerged through interviews with six Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) located in areas with a high proportion of patients with limited English proficiency (LEP) regarding the provision of language translation services, and identifies best practices that CAHs can emulate.
Author(s): Madeleine Pick, Megan Lahr, Shehrose Charania
Date: 12/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Rates of Limited English Proficiency in Counties with Critical Access Hospitals
Describes the rates of residents with limited English proficiency (LEP) in counties with at least one Critical Access Hospital. Summarizes research on the relationship between the availability of language interpreting services and better healthcare outcomes.
Author(s): Robert Barclay, Nathan Bean, Madeleine Pick, Megan Lahr
Date: 12/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Describes the rates of residents with limited English proficiency (LEP) in counties with at least one Critical Access Hospital. Summarizes research on the relationship between the availability of language interpreting services and better healthcare outcomes.
Author(s): Robert Barclay, Nathan Bean, Madeleine Pick, Megan Lahr
Date: 12/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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COVID-19 Response in System-Owned and Independent CAHs
Recording of a November 2022 webinar presenting findings from Critical Access Hospital (CAH) executives regarding experiences and challenges responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. Compares the experiences of system-affiliated and independent CAHs.
Additional links: Presentation Slides
Author(s): Madeleine Pick
Date: 11/2022
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Recording of a November 2022 webinar presenting findings from Critical Access Hospital (CAH) executives regarding experiences and challenges responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. Compares the experiences of system-affiliated and independent CAHs.
Additional links: Presentation Slides
Author(s): Madeleine Pick
Date: 11/2022
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Best Practices in Patient Experience at CAHs: Incorporating Lessons from COVID-19
Summarizes findings from an August 2022 meeting of high-performing Critical Access Hospitals regarding best practices for maintaining and improving healthcare quality amid challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and changing healthcare landscape. Provides an overview of the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey. Presents best practices for improving performance by HCAHPS domain. Updates the 2017 publication, A Study of HCAHPS Best Practices in High Performing Critical Access Hospitals.
Additional links: Summary
Date: 11/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Stratis Health
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Summarizes findings from an August 2022 meeting of high-performing Critical Access Hospitals regarding best practices for maintaining and improving healthcare quality amid challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and changing healthcare landscape. Provides an overview of the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey. Presents best practices for improving performance by HCAHPS domain. Updates the 2017 publication, A Study of HCAHPS Best Practices in High Performing Critical Access Hospitals.
Additional links: Summary
Date: 11/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Stratis Health
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Medicare Program: Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment and Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment Systems and Quality Reporting Programs; Organ Acquisition; Rural Emergency Hospitals: Payment Policies, Conditions of Participation, Provider Enrollment, Physician Self-Referral; New Service Category for Hospital Outpatient Department Prior Authorization Process; Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating; COVID-19
Establishes the Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) provider type. Outlines REH payment policy, Conditions of Participation (CoPs), quality measures, and enrollment policy. Outlines changes to the Critical Access Hospitals (CAH) CoPs regarding location and distance requirements, patient's rights requirements, and flexibilities for CAHs that are part of a larger health system. Among other things, this rule also revises the Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and Medicare Ambulatory Surgical Center (ACS) payment system for calendar year 2023 and finalizes provisions included in the COVID-19 interim final rules.
Additional links: Fact Sheet
Date: 11/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Establishes the Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) provider type. Outlines REH payment policy, Conditions of Participation (CoPs), quality measures, and enrollment policy. Outlines changes to the Critical Access Hospitals (CAH) CoPs regarding location and distance requirements, patient's rights requirements, and flexibilities for CAHs that are part of a larger health system. Among other things, this rule also revises the Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and Medicare Ambulatory Surgical Center (ACS) payment system for calendar year 2023 and finalizes provisions included in the COVID-19 interim final rules.
Additional links: Fact Sheet
Date: 11/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Financial Characteristics of Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) Participating in Accountable Care Organizations (ACO)
Examines Critical Access Hospital (CAH) participation in Medicare and non-Medicare Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) in 2019. Compares the organizational and financial characteristics of CAHs across facilities that participate in ACOs and those that do not participate in an ACO. Includes data on profitability, liquidity, outpatient revenue, and Medicare payer mix.
Author(s): Angelina Budko, George Pink, Susie Gurzenda, Ann Howard, Kristin L. Reiter
Date: 11/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Examines Critical Access Hospital (CAH) participation in Medicare and non-Medicare Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) in 2019. Compares the organizational and financial characteristics of CAHs across facilities that participate in ACOs and those that do not participate in an ACO. Includes data on profitability, liquidity, outpatient revenue, and Medicare payer mix.
Author(s): Angelina Budko, George Pink, Susie Gurzenda, Ann Howard, Kristin L. Reiter
Date: 11/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Last Updated: 1/23/2024