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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Healthcare facilities

Emergency Department Visits and Proximity to Patients' Residences, 2009-2010
Provides data on how often patients go to the emergency department (ED) closest to their home. Includes comparisons for patients living inside metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) and outside MSAs, with data on whether patients visited the closest ED by patient age, hospital visit volume, and ED wait times.
Author(s): Amy M. Brown, Sandra L. Decker, Frederic W. Selck
Date: 03/2015
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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MedPAC Report to the Congress: Medicare Payment Policy, 2015
Annual review of Medicare payment policies, with recommendations to Congress. Discussions of rural aspects of Medicare payment policies are included throughout the report.
Date: 03/2015
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Medicare Could Have Saved Billions at Critical Access Hospitals If Swing-Bed Services Were Reimbursed Using the Skilled Nursing Facility Prospective Payment System Rates
Reports the Inspector General's findings from a study of swing bed services and reimbursement at Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs). Addresses changes in swing bed usage over time and examines the potential impact to Medicare of reimbursing swing bed services at skilled nursing facility (SNF) prospective payment system (PPS) rates.
Date: 03/2015
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Teaching Health Centers: A Promising Approach for Building Primary Care Workforce for the 21st Century
Provides information about Teaching Health Centers (THC), including the number of physicians choosing primary care following residency, location of practice, number of patients served by THCs, and characteristics of patients. Also discusses the impact that loss of federal funding may have on this graduate medical education training program.
Author(s): Leighton Ku, Fitzhugh Mullan, Cristine Serrano, Zoe Barber, Peter Shin
Date: 03/2015
Sponsoring organization: George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health Department of Health Policy and Management
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Arizona Rural Health Clinic Designation Manual
An instruction manual designed to help rural clinics in Arizona determine if becoming a federally designated Rural Health Clinic (RHC) is appropriate for their organization. Describes the fiscal benefits of becoming a RHC, the licensing and certification requirements, and provides guidance through the application process.
Author(s): Joyce A. Hospodar
Date: 02/2015
Sponsoring organization: Arizona Center for Rural Health
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Screening and Follow-Up Monitoring for Substance Use in Primary Care: An Exploration of Rural-Urban Variations
Investigates the urban-rural differences in screening primary care-based patients for substance use, and monitoring the symptoms of substance abuse for patients who screen positive. Uses data derived from the Washington State Mental Health Integration Program (MHIP), a state-wide integrated care program in community health clinics in the state of Washington.
Author(s): Ya-Fen Chan, Shou-En Lu, Bill Howe, et al.
Citation: Journal of General Internal Medicine, 31(2), 215-222
Date: 02/2015
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The Effect of Surgery on the Profitability of Rural Hospitals
Examines the effect of surgery on the profitability of rural hospitals, through analysis of market data from 2000 to 2008.
Author(s): Saleema A. Karim, George M. Holmes, George H. Pink
Citation: The Journal of Health Care Finance, 41(4)
Date: 02/2015
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Variability in General Surgical Procedures in Rural and Urban U.S. Hospital Inpatient Settings
Analyzes rural and urban variations in frequently performed inpatient surgical procedures that could be handled by general surgeons rather than subspecialists.
Author(s): Mark P. Doescher, J. Elizabeth Jackson, Meredith A. Fordyce, Dana C. Lynge
Date: 02/2015
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Use and Performance Variations in U.S. Rural Emergency Departments: Implications for Improving Care Quality and Reducing Costs
Illustrates the utilization and performance of emergency departments (EDs) across the urban/rural spectrum for non-emergency health conditions. Identifies and discusses the potential risk factors that may impact ED use for non-emergent healthcare.
Author(s): Yvonne Jonk, Marilyn G. Klug, Gary Hart
Date: 02/2015
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Reform Policy Research Center
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Financially Fragile Rural Hospitals: Mergers and Closures
Highlights a national trend of financial stress on rural hospitals that have led to facility and service closures and mergers in recent years. Discusses the causes of the financial stress, including the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, the lack of Medicaid expansion in some states, and operational challenges in transitioning to value-based care.
Author(s): Mark Holmes
Citation: North Carolina Medical Journal, 76(1), 37-40
Date: 01/2015
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