Rural Healthcare Quality – News
News stories from the past 60 days.
Aug 27, 2026 - Appeals regarding endorsed and not endorsed Spring 2026 quality measures may be submitted to the Partnership for Quality Measurement. The deadline to submit an appeal is September 16, 2026.
Source: Partnership for Quality Measurement
Aug 4, 2026 - The American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer has added a new accreditation category for rural hospitals with the goal of improving healthcare quality and outcomes for cancer patients. Notes that there are fewer accredited hospitals and less access to specialty care in rural areas.
Source: PR Newswire
CMS, CDC, HHS: Request for Information; Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA) Regulations
Federal Register
Jul 16, 2026 - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) are seeking comments on various topics related to Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 including breath testing; laboratory processes and procedures; emergency preparedness, biosafety and security, and cybersecurity; and specialty testing areas. The use of remote direct observation for assessing laboratory personnel competency for the benefit of rural and remote facilities is of particular interest. Comments are due by September 14, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
CMS: Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request
Federal Register
Jul 16, 2026 - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is seeking comments on the following information collections: 1) Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) Survey for Merit-based Incentive Payment Systems (MIPS); and 2) Hospice Survey and Deficiencies Report Form and Supporting Regulations. Comments are due August 17, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Jul 9, 2026 - The Consensus-Based Entity (CBE) Report on 2025 Activities to Congress and the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Secretary's comments on the report, are published by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in the Federal Register in accordance with the Social Security Act. The report includes references to challenges related to quality measure reporting for rural providers and rural facilities.
Source: Federal Register