Skip to main content
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Critical Access Hospitals

Changes in the Provision of Health Care Services by Rural Critical Access Hospitals and Prospective Payment System Hospitals in 2009 compared to 2017
Findings brief exploring changes in the availability and provision of different health care services among rural Critical Access Hospitals and Prospective Payment System hospitals from 2009 to 2017, using data from the American Hospital Association Annual Survey Database. Features statistics with breakdowns by types of services offered, type of hospital, and percentage-point change from 2009 to 2017.
Author(s): Randall John, Kathleen Knocke, Sharita Thomas, et al.
Date: 08/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
view details
Types of Rural and Urban Hospitals and Counties Where They Are Located
Offers a snapshot of the types of rural and urban hospitals and the counties where they are located. Presents data on the number and percent of acute care hospitals and average daily census by hospital type, special payment designation, and county size. Includes descriptions of Medicare special payment designations for hospitals.
Date: 07/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
view details
Understanding CMS' Changes to Hospital Overall Star Ratings
Summarizes an analysis of the effects of methodological changes to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) star ratings system. Compares hospital star ratings in 2020 and 2021 and examines differences in ratings by hospital characteristics. Explores the equitability of the ratings by peer groups. Highlights challenges to comparing the ratings of small hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals. Provides recommendations for CMS to improve the equity of the star ratings.
Date: 07/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
view details
Report to Congress: Unified Payment for Medicare-Covered Post-Acute Care
Presents a prototype for a Unified Post-acute Care (PAC) prospective payment system (PPS) that would set payment for PAC services on the basis of the clinical characteristics of the patient rather than the type of provider. Details the structure of the prototype and the data used in the analyses to design and calibrate the PPS. Explores key considerations for unifying PAC payment, such as cost-sharing and value-based payment. Includes data on PAC provider characteristics, including facility size and rural status, as well as rural payment adjustments.
Additional links: Appendices
Author(s): Benjamin Silver, Anne Deutsch, Nicole Coomer, et al.
Date: 07/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, RTI International
view details
Nursing Homes in Rural America: A Chartbook
Explores county-level nursing home availability and evaluates the supply of nursing home beds per 1,000 population aged 65 and older. Identifies nursing home availability for counties with and without hospitals with swing beds, and describes the resident and nursing home characteristics including occupancy levels, payer mix, demographics, and healthcare needs. Features statistics with breakdowns by noncore, micropolitan, and metropolitan counties.
Author(s): Hari Sharma, Lili Xu, Fred Ullrich, Clint MacKinney, Keith J. Mueller
Date: 07/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
view details
Texas State Office of Rural Health: Supporting CAHs and RHCs to Create Tangible Change in Rural Texas Communities
Provides an overview of a conversation between Rural Healthcare Provider and Transition Project (RHPTP) and Texas State Office of Rural Health (SORH) staff about value-based care (VBC) to support rural hospitals and clinics. Highlights the process of Sudan Medical Clinic moving toward VBC and collaborating with the RHPTP, as well as the opportunities for communication between SORHs and rural healthcare facilities around the state.
Date: 07/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Resource Center
view details
Co-located Critical Access & Behavioral Health Hospital: Charles A. Cannon Jr. Memorial Hospital and Appalachian Regional Behavioral Hospital
Profiles Charles A. Cannon, Jr. Memorial Hospital, a Critical Access Hospital (CAH), and Appalachian Regional Healthcare System (ARHS) in western North Carolina. Describes how ARHS secured an exemption from the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to build Appalachian Regional Behavioral Health (ARBH) Hospital nearby without losing CAH status. Discusses the impact of the CMS exemption on financial sustainability and emergency department wait times.
Date: 07/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
view details
The Economic Effects of Rural Hospital Closures
Examines the impact of a rural hospital closure on local economic outcomes. Compares economic changes in nonmetro counties experiencing a hospital closure between 2001 and 2018 to changes in a control group of nonmetro counties. Presents data on the effects of rural hospital closures on annual income, population size, unemployment, and labor force size overall and by closure type and Critical Access Hospital (CAH) and Prospective Payment System (PPS) status.
Author(s): Tyler L. Malone, Arrianna Marie Planey, Laura B. Bozovich, Kristie W. Thompson, George M. Holmes
Citation: Health Services Research, 57(3), 614-623
Date: 06/2022
Type: Document
view details
Critical Access Hospitals in TX: How Do They Compare to Other TX Hospitals?
Webinar offering an overview of Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) in Texas. Compares CAHs in Texas with non-CAHs in Texas using multiple variables including size, staffing levels, county characteristics, rurality, and more. Transcript for video available by clicking three dots under the video.
Date: 06/2022
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: University of Texas at Arlington Center for Rural Health and Nursing
view details
North Carolina Rural Hospital Program: 2022 Profile
Fact sheet with North Carolina rural hospital-related statistics on grants, return on investment and economic impact, technical assistance, and total program funding. Includes a county-level map showing locations of Critical Access Hospitals and small rural hospitals as of 2022.
Date: 06/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services
view details