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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Critical Access Hospitals

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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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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Map of Arkansas Critical Access Hospitals, Rural Health Clinics, and Federally Qualified Health Centers
Map locating Arkansas Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), Rural Health Clinics (RHCs), and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). Each facility icon provides information on the county, city, phone number, and address.
Date: 01/2023
Type: Map/Mapping System
Sponsoring organization: Arkansas Office of Rural Health & Primary Care
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2023 Nebraska Nursing Workforce Shortage
Provides information on the nursing workforce shortage in Nebraska, broken down by region and county. Includes data on nursing education and on nursing shortages in Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), rural hospitals, urban hospitals, and long-term care facilities.
Date: 2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Nebraska Hospital Association
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The University of Arizona Center for Rural Health Annual Report FY 2022-2023
Highlights the Center for Rural Health's accomplishments, and describes challenges and opportunities for improving the health of rural Arizonans in the upcoming year. Discusses the State Office of Rural Health, Arizona Rural Hospital Flexibility program (AzFLEX), the Arizona Small Rural Hospital Improvement Program (AzSHIP), and other programs.
Date: 2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Arizona Center for Rural Health
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Efforts by Critical Access Hospitals to Increase Health Equity Through Greater Engagement with Social Determinants of Health
Examines the ways Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) engage in upstream social determinant of health (SDOH) efforts to improve community health. Analyzes CAH and non-CAH programs that utilize screening, in-house strategies, and external partnerships to address SDOH. Discusses the impacts of SDOH policy on CAHs in rural communities.
Author(s): Bethany Lemont, Neeraj Puro, Berkeley Franz, Cory E. Cronin
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 39(4), 728-736
Date: 2023
Type: Document
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A Comparison of Critical Access Hospitals and Other Rural Acute Care Hospitals in Pennsylvania
Examines finances of acute care hospitals in rural Pennsylvania between 2000 and 2020 to determine if the Critical Access Hospital (CAH) designation increases financial stability. Compares CAHs to rural Prospective Payment System hospitals to draw conclusions on the success of the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program's impact on CAHs. Includes information on financial measures, hospital characteristics, quality measures, payer mix, and more to suggest opportunities for strengthening CAH viability.
Author(s): Dinesh R. Pai, Chamila K. Dissanayake, Anna M. Anna
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 39(4), 719-727
Date: 2023
Type: Document
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North Carolina SFY 2023 Safety Net Sites
County-level map showing locations of various healthcare facilities, including Rural Health Clinics, Critical Access Hospitals, small rural hospitals, and Federally Qualified Health Centers.
Date: 2023
Type: Map/Mapping System
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services
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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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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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