Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Critical Access Hospitals
2024 National CAH Quality Inventory & Assessment National Report
Presents a high-level summary of key data points from the September-November 2024 National Critical Access Hospital (CAH) Quality Inventory and Assessment. Includes data on CAH system affiliation; median average daily census and emergency department volume; median swing bed admissions and swing bed length of stay; hospital inpatient, behavioral health and specialty care, and outpatient and other service lines; and CAH quality payment model participation.
Date: 05/2025
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Presents a high-level summary of key data points from the September-November 2024 National Critical Access Hospital (CAH) Quality Inventory and Assessment. Includes data on CAH system affiliation; median average daily census and emergency department volume; median swing bed admissions and swing bed length of stay; hospital inpatient, behavioral health and specialty care, and outpatient and other service lines; and CAH quality payment model participation.
Date: 05/2025
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Critical Access Hospital Electronic Clinical Quality Measure (eCQM) Resource List
Resource list for electronic clinical quality measures (eCQMs), reflecting new materials and updates from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for 2025 reporting.
Date: 05/2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural Quality Improvement Technical Assistance (RQITA) Resource Center
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Resource list for electronic clinical quality measures (eCQMs), reflecting new materials and updates from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for 2025 reporting.
Date: 05/2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural Quality Improvement Technical Assistance (RQITA) Resource Center
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Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program Structure for FY 2024 – FY 2028
Outlines the purpose and allowable activities within each of the five Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility (Flex) Program program areas, as well as suggested outcome measures for each program area.
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Resource Center
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Outlines the purpose and allowable activities within each of the five Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility (Flex) Program program areas, as well as suggested outcome measures for each program area.
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Resource Center
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Arkansas Hospitals, 2025
Map of Arkansas identifying the names and locations of acute care hospitals, Critical Access Hospitals, and Rural Emergency Hospitals.
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care (AFMC)
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Map of Arkansas identifying the names and locations of acute care hospitals, Critical Access Hospitals, and Rural Emergency Hospitals.
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care (AFMC)
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10 Things to Know About Rural Hospitals
Presents information and data on rural hospitals and rural hospital finances. Compares insurance coverage of discharges and births, margins, and the impact of Medicaid expansion by hospitals' rural and urban location. Includes information on rural hospital closures and Medicare special payment designations for rural hospitals. Discusses the potential impacts of recent federal spending proposals on rural hospitals.
Author(s): Scott Hulver, Zachary Levinson, Jamie Godwin, Tricia Neuman
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Presents information and data on rural hospitals and rural hospital finances. Compares insurance coverage of discharges and births, margins, and the impact of Medicaid expansion by hospitals' rural and urban location. Includes information on rural hospital closures and Medicare special payment designations for rural hospitals. Discusses the potential impacts of recent federal spending proposals on rural hospitals.
Author(s): Scott Hulver, Zachary Levinson, Jamie Godwin, Tricia Neuman
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Critical Access Hospital Case Study on Recruitment & Retention
Webinar recording on strategies for recruitment and retention at Critical Access Hospitals, featuring Rob Bloom of Wintergreen and Rich Duvall of North Star Health Alliance. Discusses best practices for aligning workforce incentives, benefits, and organizational goals in rural CAHs. See video description for transcript.
Author(s): Rob Bloom, Rich Duvall
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: Oklahoma State University Center for Rural Health
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Webinar recording on strategies for recruitment and retention at Critical Access Hospitals, featuring Rob Bloom of Wintergreen and Rich Duvall of North Star Health Alliance. Discusses best practices for aligning workforce incentives, benefits, and organizational goals in rural CAHs. See video description for transcript.
Author(s): Rob Bloom, Rich Duvall
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: Oklahoma State University Center for Rural Health
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Critical Access Hospitals in Arkansas, 2025
Map showing names and locations of Arkansas Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs).
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: Arkansas Hospital Association
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Map showing names and locations of Arkansas Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs).
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: Arkansas Hospital Association
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MedPAC Report to the Congress: Medicare Payment Policy: Skilled Nursing Facility Services: Chapter 6
Discusses payment adequacy for skilled nursing facility (SNF) services. Features statistics on SNF care provided by rural hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) via swing beds and Medicare margins for urban, rural, and frontier freestanding SNFs in 2023.
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Discusses payment adequacy for skilled nursing facility (SNF) services. Features statistics on SNF care provided by rural hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) via swing beds and Medicare margins for urban, rural, and frontier freestanding SNFs in 2023.
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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March 2025 MedPAC Meeting Transcript
Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) March 2025 meeting. Covers research and proposals related to reforming physician fee schedule updates and improving the accuracy of relative payment rates, reducing beneficiary cost-sharing for outpatient services at Critical Access Hospitals, Medicare insurance agents, Medigap, payment for ground ambulance services, home healthcare use among Medicare Advantage enrollees, and institutional special needs plans. Includes rural references and considerations throughout.
Additional links: Mandated Report: Payment for Ground Ambulance Services, Reducing Beneficiary Cost-Sharing for Outpatient Services at Critical Access Hospitals
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) March 2025 meeting. Covers research and proposals related to reforming physician fee schedule updates and improving the accuracy of relative payment rates, reducing beneficiary cost-sharing for outpatient services at Critical Access Hospitals, Medicare insurance agents, Medigap, payment for ground ambulance services, home healthcare use among Medicare Advantage enrollees, and institutional special needs plans. Includes rural references and considerations throughout.
Additional links: Mandated Report: Payment for Ground Ambulance Services, Reducing Beneficiary Cost-Sharing for Outpatient Services at Critical Access Hospitals
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Rural Hospital Experiences in the Colorado Hospital Transformation Program
Provides an overview of the Colorado Hospital Transformation Program (CO HTP), a 5-year program that ties Medicaid supplemental payments to hospitals' ability to meet performance targets through September 2026. Describes the experiences of three Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and explores how CO HTP impacts rural hospitals. Covers planning and community engagement, quality of care, and healthcare costs.
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Value
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Provides an overview of the Colorado Hospital Transformation Program (CO HTP), a 5-year program that ties Medicaid supplemental payments to hospitals' ability to meet performance targets through September 2026. Describes the experiences of three Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and explores how CO HTP impacts rural hospitals. Covers planning and community engagement, quality of care, and healthcare costs.
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Value
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