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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Critical Access Hospitals

Emergency Medical Services Outcome Measurement Strategies for State Flex Programs
Presents a framework regarding emergency medical services (EMS) outcome measurement for State Flex Programs (SFPs). Outlines a series of sequential steps, including identifying the needs to be addressed, educational programming, developing shared learning collaboratives/cohorts to support performance improvement, and implementing interventions. Offers practical examples of EMS performance improvement activities with short, intermediate, and long-term outcomes.
Author(s): John Gale, Karen Pearson, Celia Jewell, Sara Kahn-Troster, Kenneth Rosati
Date: 07/2023
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Availability of Cancer Care Services and the Organization of Care Delivery at Critical Access Hospitals
Examines the availability and organization of cancer care services at Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs). Summarizes results of a survey of nursing and patient care leaders at 135 CAHs. Describes cancer treatment, diagnostic, and screening services provided at CAHs and the staff used to deliver patient care. Identifies four levels of CAH cancer care services.
Author(s): Ira Moscovice, Helen Parsons, Nathan Bean, et al.
Citation: Cancer Medicine, 2023
Date: 07/2023
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Population Health Outcome Measurement Strategies for State Flex Programs
Presents a framework for population health outcome measurement strategies for State Flex Programs (SFPs). Outlines a series of sequential steps, including identifying the needs to be addressed, educational programming, developing shared learning collaboratives/cohorts to support performance improvement, and implementing interventions. Offers practical examples of population health improvement performance improvement activities with short, intermediate, and long-term outcomes to document program impact over time.
Author(s): John Gale, Celia Jewell, Sara Kahn-Troster
Date: 07/2023
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Quality Time: Sharing PIE - Fall Prevention Strategies
Podcast episode discussing how two quality improvement leaders implemented fall prevention strategies at their Critical Access Hospitals. Describes different strategies to identify and reduce fall risks.
Date: 07/2023
Sponsoring organization: Stratis Health
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Delta Region Community Health Systems Development (DRCHSD) Program: Revenue Cycle Management Best Practices Guide
Offers rural hospital executives and management teams best practice concepts in revenue cycle management by assisting them in identifying performance improvement within their hospitals and departments. Provides State Offices of Rural Health (SORH) directors and Flex Program coordinators a better understanding of the revenue cycle best practices to help them design educational training programs to support rural hospital administrators with performance improvement.
Additional links: Check List
Date: 07/2023
Sponsoring organizations: BKD CPAs & Advisors, National Rural Health Resource Center
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Telehealth Adoption in Kentucky Prior to the COVID-19 Pandemic
Reports statistics and data on the adoption of telehealth, including remote patient monitoring, in Kentucky before the COVID-19 pandemic. Compares rural and urban areas with U.S. averages, and highlights adoption rates in Critical Access and short-term acute care hospitals. Discusses the implications of pre-pandemic telehealth adoption for COVID-19 response in Kentucky.
Author(s): Claudia A. Rhoades
Date: 06/2023
Sponsoring organization: Blueprint Kentucky
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Arkansas Rural Hospital Assessment: Final Report
An assessment of 18 rural Arkansas hospitals with regard to their financial stability, workforce challenges, facilities, distance from other facilities, sustainability, and more. Compares Critical Access Hospitals (CAH) and non-CAHs in the state. Discusses decision-making around the Rural Emergency Hospital designation.
Additional links: Overview
Author(s): Alvarez & Marsal Public Sector Services LLC
Date: 06/2023
Sponsoring organization: Arkansas Department of Finance & Administration
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The Impact of COVID-19 on CAH Financial Indicators
Describes the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Critical Access Hospital (CAH) financial indicators. Compares summary statistics on CAH financial indicators across eight categories in the six years prior to the pandemic (April 2015 - March 2020) to the same metrics during the pandemic (April 2020 - March 2022).
Author(s): Laura McFadyen, George Pink, Susie Gurzenda, Kristie W. Thompson, Kristin L. Reiter
Date: 06/2023
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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The Impact of COVID-19 Funding on Profitability of Critical Access Hospitals
Examines the impacts of COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) funding on Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs). Compares CAH operating margins in the six years prior to the pandemic (April 2015 - March 2020) to operating margins during the pandemic (April 2020 - March 2022). Offers estimates to what CAH profitability would have been if CAHs did not receive PHE funding.
Author(s): Laura McFadyen, George Pink, Susie Gurzenda, Kristie W. Thompson, Kristin L. Reiter
Date: 06/2023
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Critical Access Hospitals: Views on How Medicare Payment and Other Factors Affect Behavioral Health Services
Provides an overview of Medicare payment policies for care provided by Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs). Explores how CAHs provide behavioral health services in their communities. Summarizes findings from interviews with officials from 10 CAHs, stakeholder organizations, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) regarding how Medicare payment policies and other factors affect CAHs' ability to provide behavioral health services.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 06/2023
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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