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Resources by Topic: Critical Access Hospitals

Quality Time: Sharing PIE - Patient and Family Engagement
Podcast episode discussing ways two Critical Access Hospital (CAH) engage patients and families in the healthcare process, how the CAHs gather feedback about the patient and family experiences, and how the CAHs use this information to inform their quality improvement efforts. Also describes how the COVID-19 pandemic affected patient experience and engagement activities.
Date: 12/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Stratis Health
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A Predictive Model of Hospital Choice for Rural Residents Seeking Surgery
Webinar discussing research on factors impacting rural patient choice for inpatient surgery. Discusses healthcare quality and patient outcomes in Critical Access Hospitals, the impact of patient bypass on rural facilities, and characteristics of hospitals, patients, and surgeries associated with bypass. Transcript available in the video description.
Date: 11/2021
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Critical Access Hospitals' Initial Response to COVID-19 by System Affiliation
Summarizes results of a survey of Critical Access Hospital (CAH) executives in eight states regarding the initial response to COVID-19 through August 2020. Presents data by system-affiliated and independent CAH status. Discusses COVID-19 case volume, personal protective equipment (PPE) supply, and the perceived impact of system affiliation status on facilities' overall response to COVID-19.
Author(s): Ira Moscovice, Madeleine Pick, Megan Lahr
Date: 11/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Association of Rural and Critical Access Hospital Status With Patient Outcomes After Emergency Department Visits Among Medicare Beneficiaries
Compares 30-day outcomes for 473,152 Medicare patients after emergency department (ED) visits in rural or urban settings and in Critical Access Hospitals. Features statistics on mortality, ED revisits, hospitalization and transfer patterns by commonly encountered ED conditions, and characteristics of patients and of hospitals studied, with breakdowns by urban or rural location.
Author(s): Margaret Greenwood-Ericksen, Neil Kamdar, Paul Lin, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 4(11)
Date: 11/2021
Type: Document
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Examining Rural Hospital Bypass for Outpatient Services
Explores the drivers of rural hospital bypass for outpatient services and the relationship between hospital outpatient services and inpatient utilization. Examines demographic and market characteristics associated with bypass for outpatient services before and after inpatient admissions. Also analyzes how utilization for common outpatient services differs between Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and rural prospective payment system (PPS) hospitals.
Date: 11/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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MBQIP Quality Measures National Annual Report - 2020
Summarizes quality measure reporting rates and performance among Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) in 2020. Presents data on the four Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Project (MBQIP) domains: patient safety/inpatient, outpatient, patient engagement, and care transitions.
Author(s): Megan Lahr, Nathan Bean, Ira Moscovice
Date: 11/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Critical Access Hospitals' Initial Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic: Use of Federal Funding and Regulatory Flexibilities
Explores how Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) used federal relief funding and regulatory waivers to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic through August 2020. Summarizes results of a survey of CAH executives in eight states. Discusses the sources of federal funding CAHs received and the types of regulatory waivers and flexibilities these CAHs used.
Author(s): Ira Moscovice, Madeleine Pick, Megan Lahr, Nathan Bean, Keelia Silvis
Date: 11/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Antibiotic Stewardship Profile Series: Forks Community Hospital
Profiles the antibiotic stewardship efforts of Forks Community Hospital, a Critical Access Hospital (CAH) in Forks, Washington. Describes the development of the antimicrobial stewardship program, leadership, drug expertise, tracking and reporting, and provider education.
Date: 11/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Stratis Health
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It Takes a Village: Rural Recruitment and Retention
Provides an overview of the challenges of recruiting and retaining healthcare professionals in rural areas. Features healthcare facilities in North Dakota and Kansas, describing how they work with their communities to attract healthcare providers.
Author(s): Allee Mead
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 11/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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How Critical Access Hospitals Are Addressing the Social Needs of Rural Populations
Describes Critical Access Hospital (CAH) initiatives that address the social needs of their communities. Summarizes interviews with 14 CAHs and identifies key facilitators and barriers to program success, as well as advice for other CAHs interested in implementing similar programs.
Author(s): Megan Lahr, Tongtan Chantarat, Mariah Quick, Madeleine Pick, Ira Moscovice
Date: 11/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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