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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Critical Access Hospitals

Rural Health Safety Net Under Renewed Pressure as Pandemic Fades
Examines financial and operational metrics for rural hospitals, comparing hospitals in states that did and did not expand Medicaid, as well as the discontinuation of obstetrics and chemotherapy services. Discusses how the Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) designation can provide a path forward for some rural facilities and explores seven characteristics that may have the greatest impact on a facility's consideration to convert to an REH.
Date: 02/2023
Sponsoring organization: Chartis Center for Rural Health
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Feeding the Residents of Hardeman County Tennessee
Profiles Healthy Hardeman Outreach for Healthy Weight (H2O), a partnership between the Healthcare Bolivar General Hospital (BGH), the Hardeman County Health Department, and Hardeman County Community Health Center to improve access to healthy foods and reduce obesity in the Tennessee county.
Date: 02/2023
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Critical Access Hospital Telehealth Guide
Provides practical guidance on implementing and sustaining telehealth in Critical Access Hospitals, to optimize healthcare delivery, expand access, and enhance care coordination. Focuses on Medicare outpatient telehealth services, but also includes information on Medicaid coverage and remote services that may not strictly be considered telehealth.
Date: 01/2023
Sponsoring organizations: National Rural Health Resource Center, Northwest Regional Telehealth Resource Center
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Care Coordination and Community Partnerships for Cancer Care in Critical Access Hospitals
Presents findings from a survey of 135 Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) regarding care coordination practices for patients with cancer. Describes the types of care coordination services provided by CAHs and the staff that provide these services. Discusses partnerships between CAHs and community organizations regarding cancer initiatives.
Author(s): Megan Lahr, Xiomara Santana, Nathan Bean, Helen Parsons, Ira Moscovice
Date: 01/2023
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Changes in Service Offerings Post-System Affiliation in Rural Hospitals
Explores the effects of joining or leaving a regional or national healthcare system on 62 service offerings at rural prospective payment system (PPS) hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) between 2008 through 2020. Compares services offered at hospitals that joined a system, left a system, were always in a system during the study period, and were never is a system during the study period.
Date: 01/2023
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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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. Requires name, email address, and organization information to download.
Date: 01/2023
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
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
Sponsoring organization: Arkansas Rural Health Section
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Oklahoma Hospital Association Annual Report 2023
Highlights the Oklahoma Hospital Association's (OHA) 2023 leadership and advocacy efforts, including virtual and in-person educational events, health improvement initiatives, and partnerships with Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs).
Date: 2023
Sponsoring organization: Oklahoma Hospital Association
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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
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