Rural Hospitals – Resources
Selected recent or important resources focusing on Rural Hospitals.
Rural Comprehensive Cancer Care: Qualitative Analysis of Current Challenges and Opportunities
Highlights a study aiming to understand the challenges in providing comprehensive cancer care in rural hospitals from the prospective of rural providers. Bases finding on interviews with 13 practitioners providing cancer care in rural hospitals in Iowa. Identifies strengths and barriers to providing cancer care in rural hospitals.
Author(s): Sydney Evans, Aaron T. Seaman, Erin C. Johnson, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health
Date: 05/2024
Type: Document
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Highlights a study aiming to understand the challenges in providing comprehensive cancer care in rural hospitals from the prospective of rural providers. Bases finding on interviews with 13 practitioners providing cancer care in rural hospitals in Iowa. Identifies strengths and barriers to providing cancer care in rural hospitals.
Author(s): Sydney Evans, Aaron T. Seaman, Erin C. Johnson, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health
Date: 05/2024
Type: Document
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Calculation of Overall Hospital Quality Star Ratings With and Without Inclusion of the Peer Grouping Step
Examines potential implications of including a peer grouping step in the calculation of Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Overall Star Ratings. Uses January 2023 Medicare Care Compare data on 3,076 hospitals that received a star rating to calculate the peer groups based on the number of quality measure groups for which hospitals had 3 or more reported measures. Presents data on the characteristics of each peer group, the distribution of star ratings whether the peer grouping step was used or not used, and the number of hospitals with a higher, lower, or identical star rating when the peer grouping step was applied. Compares data by hospital characteristics, including safety-net status, Critical Access Hospital status, rural or urban location, and more.
Author(s): Cameron J. Gettel, Kyle Bagshaw, Li Qin, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 7(5), e2411933
Date: 05/2024
Type: Document
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Examines potential implications of including a peer grouping step in the calculation of Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Overall Star Ratings. Uses January 2023 Medicare Care Compare data on 3,076 hospitals that received a star rating to calculate the peer groups based on the number of quality measure groups for which hospitals had 3 or more reported measures. Presents data on the characteristics of each peer group, the distribution of star ratings whether the peer grouping step was used or not used, and the number of hospitals with a higher, lower, or identical star rating when the peer grouping step was applied. Compares data by hospital characteristics, including safety-net status, Critical Access Hospital status, rural or urban location, and more.
Author(s): Cameron J. Gettel, Kyle Bagshaw, Li Qin, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 7(5), e2411933
Date: 05/2024
Type: Document
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Rural Health Care: Supporting Lives and Improving Communities
Presents the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance May 16, 2024, hearing on rural healthcare. Discusses the financial vulnerability of rural hospitals, the rural healthcare workforce and graduate medical education (GME), access to maternal healthcare, health information technology and telehealth, and more. Features testimony from the Chartis Center for Rural Health; Grande Ronde Hospital, a Critical Access Hospital in Oregon; the Wisconsin Collaborative for Rural Graduate Medical Education; and the Rural Policy Research Institute.
Additional links: Jeremy P. Davis, Grande Ronde Hospital - Testimony, Keith J. Mueller, Rural Policy Research Institute - Testimony, Lori Rodefeld, Wisconsin Collaborative for Rural Graduate Medical Education - Testimony, Michael Topchik, Chartis Center for Rural Health - Testimony
Date: 05/2024
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Senate Committee on Finance
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Presents the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance May 16, 2024, hearing on rural healthcare. Discusses the financial vulnerability of rural hospitals, the rural healthcare workforce and graduate medical education (GME), access to maternal healthcare, health information technology and telehealth, and more. Features testimony from the Chartis Center for Rural Health; Grande Ronde Hospital, a Critical Access Hospital in Oregon; the Wisconsin Collaborative for Rural Graduate Medical Education; and the Rural Policy Research Institute.
Additional links: Jeremy P. Davis, Grande Ronde Hospital - Testimony, Keith J. Mueller, Rural Policy Research Institute - Testimony, Lori Rodefeld, Wisconsin Collaborative for Rural Graduate Medical Education - Testimony, Michael Topchik, Chartis Center for Rural Health - Testimony
Date: 05/2024
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Senate Committee on Finance
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Differences in Measurement of Operating Margin: An Update
Describes how differences in measurement of operating margin for hospitals can affect the reported values. Compares the operating margins of urban and rural prospective payment system hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) across three definitions of operating margin using Medicare Cost Report data from April 2021 through March 2022. Describes situations in which each operating margin would be the most appropriate to calculate. Updates a 2008 study from the Flex Monitoring Team.
Author(s): Jessie Ma, Susie Gurzenda, Kristin Reiter, George Pink
Date: 05/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Describes how differences in measurement of operating margin for hospitals can affect the reported values. Compares the operating margins of urban and rural prospective payment system hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) across three definitions of operating margin using Medicare Cost Report data from April 2021 through March 2022. Describes situations in which each operating margin would be the most appropriate to calculate. Updates a 2008 study from the Flex Monitoring Team.
Author(s): Jessie Ma, Susie Gurzenda, Kristin Reiter, George Pink
Date: 05/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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US Hospital Service Availability and New 340B Program Participation
Examines whether participation in the 340B Drug Pricing Program was associated with investment in hospital-based services among newly participating hospitals between 2012 and 2018. Compares the provision of profitable and unprofitable services between 1,074 hospitals newly participating in the 340B program and 1,078 hospitals that never participated in the program by hospital characteristics, including hospital ownership, rural versus urban location, community social vulnerability index, and Critical Access Hospital (CAH) status.
Author(s): Kelsey M. Owsley, Romana Hasnain-Wynia, Ronica N. Rooks, et al.
Citation: JAMA Health Forum, 5(5), e240833
Date: 05/2024
Type: Document
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Examines whether participation in the 340B Drug Pricing Program was associated with investment in hospital-based services among newly participating hospitals between 2012 and 2018. Compares the provision of profitable and unprofitable services between 1,074 hospitals newly participating in the 340B program and 1,078 hospitals that never participated in the program by hospital characteristics, including hospital ownership, rural versus urban location, community social vulnerability index, and Critical Access Hospital (CAH) status.
Author(s): Kelsey M. Owsley, Romana Hasnain-Wynia, Ronica N. Rooks, et al.
Citation: JAMA Health Forum, 5(5), e240833
Date: 05/2024
Type: Document
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Using the Updated Financial Distress Index to Describe Relative Risk of Hospital Financial Distress
Describes the relative risk of rural hospitals and selected urban hospitals experiencing financial distress in 2023. Provides an overview of an updated Financial Distress Index (FDI), which incorporates variables reflecting changes to operational environments since the publication of the 2017 FDI to predict and analyze financial distress and risk of rural hospital closure. Presents data on the characteristics of hospitals by relative risk of financial distress in 2023 and the number of hospitals in each state across in category of relative risk of financial distress.
Author(s): Tyler Malone, George Pink, Kristie Thompson, Mark Holmes
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Describes the relative risk of rural hospitals and selected urban hospitals experiencing financial distress in 2023. Provides an overview of an updated Financial Distress Index (FDI), which incorporates variables reflecting changes to operational environments since the publication of the 2017 FDI to predict and analyze financial distress and risk of rural hospital closure. Presents data on the characteristics of hospitals by relative risk of financial distress in 2023 and the number of hospitals in each state across in category of relative risk of financial distress.
Author(s): Tyler Malone, George Pink, Kristie Thompson, Mark Holmes
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Rural Hospitals' Perspectives On Health System Affiliation
Brief exploring hospital affiliation with consideration for rural contexts. Discusses impacts on costs of services, quality of care, and system finances. Offers recommended steps when choosing to affiliate and metrics for evaluating success.
Author(s): Joel M. James, Keith J. Mueller, Dan M. Shane
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
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Brief exploring hospital affiliation with consideration for rural contexts. Discusses impacts on costs of services, quality of care, and system finances. Offers recommended steps when choosing to affiliate and metrics for evaluating success.
Author(s): Joel M. James, Keith J. Mueller, Dan M. Shane
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
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Rural Maternal Health Series: Implementing Patient Safety Bundles in Rural Hospitals
Webinar recording, third in a series, discusses the Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health (AIM) bundles, a standardized set of processes for improving maternal healthcare quality and safety in rural hospitals. Features presentations from representatives of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health (AIM), the Iowa Maternal Quality Care Collaborative, and Gundersen Palmer Hospital in West Union, Iowa.
Additional links: Audio Recording, Webinar Slides
Date: 04/2024
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Webinar recording, third in a series, discusses the Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health (AIM) bundles, a standardized set of processes for improving maternal healthcare quality and safety in rural hospitals. Features presentations from representatives of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health (AIM), the Iowa Maternal Quality Care Collaborative, and Gundersen Palmer Hospital in West Union, Iowa.
Additional links: Audio Recording, Webinar Slides
Date: 04/2024
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Assessing the Impact of COVID-19 on Rural Hospitals
Explores the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on rural hospital financial performance. Presents data on profitability and patient care margin trends from 2017 to 2022. Describes characteristics of rural hospitals in three categories of patient care margins: those that always had negative margins, always had positive margins, and those with mixed margins. Discusses the impact of COVID-19 relief funding on total hospital margins.
Author(s): Saleema A. Karim, Nathan W. Carroll, Paula H. Song, Adam Atherly
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: American Hospital Association, Department of Health Administration at the Virginia Commonwealth University College of Health Professions
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Explores the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on rural hospital financial performance. Presents data on profitability and patient care margin trends from 2017 to 2022. Describes characteristics of rural hospitals in three categories of patient care margins: those that always had negative margins, always had positive margins, and those with mixed margins. Discusses the impact of COVID-19 relief funding on total hospital margins.
Author(s): Saleema A. Karim, Nathan W. Carroll, Paula H. Song, Adam Atherly
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: American Hospital Association, Department of Health Administration at the Virginia Commonwealth University College of Health Professions
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Medicare Payment for Rural or Geographically Isolated Hospitals
Displays data on Medicare payment adjustments for Sole Community Hospitals, Medicare-Dependent Hospitals, Low-Volume Hospitals, and Critical Access Hospitals. Includes information on the number of qualifying hospitals by state and eligibility criteria.
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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Displays data on Medicare payment adjustments for Sole Community Hospitals, Medicare-Dependent Hospitals, Low-Volume Hospitals, and Critical Access Hospitals. Includes information on the number of qualifying hospitals by state and eligibility criteria.
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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Last Updated: 5/17/2024