Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Healthcare quality
Advancing Value-Based Payment Policies Relevant to Rural Areas – Continued Challenges and New Opportunities
Discusses lessons from the recent public health emergency, rising healthcare costs, improved quality measurement, and innovative technologies on the transition from volume-based payment to value-based payment. Outlines potential policy opportunities for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Innovation Center model design and CMS program inclusion to expand rural-appropriate opportunities to participate in the transition to value-based care. Builds on the 2020 publication How to Design Value‐based Care Models for Rural Participant Success: A Summit Findings Report.
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Value
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Discusses lessons from the recent public health emergency, rising healthcare costs, improved quality measurement, and innovative technologies on the transition from volume-based payment to value-based payment. Outlines potential policy opportunities for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Innovation Center model design and CMS program inclusion to expand rural-appropriate opportunities to participate in the transition to value-based care. Builds on the 2020 publication How to Design Value‐based Care Models for Rural Participant Success: A Summit Findings Report.
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Value
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Tennessee Maternal Health Strategic Plan, 2025-2030
Addresses Tennessee's maternal health outcomes. Outlines goals, strategies, and objectives that seek to build on existing partnerships and strengths while addressing challenges and gaps, to improve maternal health statewide. Mentions rural throughout.
Author(s): Hannah Dudney
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Tennessee Department of Health
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Addresses Tennessee's maternal health outcomes. Outlines goals, strategies, and objectives that seek to build on existing partnerships and strengths while addressing challenges and gaps, to improve maternal health statewide. Mentions rural throughout.
Author(s): Hannah Dudney
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Tennessee Department of Health
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Ethics for Behavioral Health Professionals in Rural Areas
Webinar recording discussing ethics as it relates to the delivery of behavioral healthcare services in rural areas. Provides guidance for behavioral health professionals on shaping care through ethical decision-making models and highlights topics relevant to rural communities.
Additional links: Webinar Slides
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Addiction Technology Transfer Center Network
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Webinar recording discussing ethics as it relates to the delivery of behavioral healthcare services in rural areas. Provides guidance for behavioral health professionals on shaping care through ethical decision-making models and highlights topics relevant to rural communities.
Additional links: Webinar Slides
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Addiction Technology Transfer Center Network
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Report to Congress on Medicaid and CHIP, March 2025
Reports on three aspects of Medicaid of interest to Congress: 1) improving the usability and transparency of the managed care external quality review process, 2) improvements on timely access to home- and community-based services (HCBS), and 3) ways to streamline Medicaid Section 1915 authorities for home-and community-based services and reduce the administrative burden.
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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Reports on three aspects of Medicaid of interest to Congress: 1) improving the usability and transparency of the managed care external quality review process, 2) improvements on timely access to home- and community-based services (HCBS), and 3) ways to streamline Medicaid Section 1915 authorities for home-and community-based services and reduce the administrative burden.
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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MedPAC Report to the Congress: Medicare Payment Policy: Home Health Care Services: Chapter 7
Discusses payment adequacy for home healthcare services. Features statistics on Medicare margins for home health agencies between 2019-2023 with breakdowns by urban and rural areas, a comparison of patient-experience quality measures by urban and rural status, and the number of home health periods provided to rural beneficiaries.
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Discusses payment adequacy for home healthcare services. Features statistics on Medicare margins for home health agencies between 2019-2023 with breakdowns by urban and rural areas, a comparison of patient-experience quality measures by urban and rural status, and the number of home health periods provided to rural beneficiaries.
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Rural Hospital Experiences in the Colorado Hospital Transformation Program
Provides an overview of the Colorado Hospital Transformation Program (CO HTP), a 5-year program that ties Medicaid supplemental payments to hospitals' ability to meet performance targets through September 2026. Describes the experiences of three Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and explores how CO HTP impacts rural hospitals. Covers planning and community engagement, quality of care, and healthcare costs.
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Value
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Provides an overview of the Colorado Hospital Transformation Program (CO HTP), a 5-year program that ties Medicaid supplemental payments to hospitals' ability to meet performance targets through September 2026. Describes the experiences of three Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and explores how CO HTP impacts rural hospitals. Covers planning and community engagement, quality of care, and healthcare costs.
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Value
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2024-2025 Pre-Rulemaking Measure Review (PRMR): Recommendations Report
Reviews the 41 pre-rulemaking quality measures the Battelle's Partnership for Quality Measurement (PQM) considered during the 2024-2025 Pre-Rulemaking Measure Review (PRMR) cycle. Discusses measures for clinician, hospital, and post-acute care/long-term care programs. Includes rural references and considerations throughout.
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: Partnership for Quality Measurement
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Reviews the 41 pre-rulemaking quality measures the Battelle's Partnership for Quality Measurement (PQM) considered during the 2024-2025 Pre-Rulemaking Measure Review (PRMR) cycle. Discusses measures for clinician, hospital, and post-acute care/long-term care programs. Includes rural references and considerations throughout.
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: Partnership for Quality Measurement
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VHA Office of Rural Health (ORH) Long-Range Operational Plan, FY 2025-2029
Presents the Veterans Health Administration, Office of Rural Health's (ORH) operational plan for 2025-2029. Discusses ORH's 4 main goals going forward: support delivery of accessible integrated care, optimize workforce capacity, enrich research and quality improvement, and to maximize employee performance. Highlights how the ORH goals fit with the VA's strategic and stewardship goals, as well as the broader VHA goals.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: Veterans Health Administration's Office of Rural Health
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Presents the Veterans Health Administration, Office of Rural Health's (ORH) operational plan for 2025-2029. Discusses ORH's 4 main goals going forward: support delivery of accessible integrated care, optimize workforce capacity, enrich research and quality improvement, and to maximize employee performance. Highlights how the ORH goals fit with the VA's strategic and stewardship goals, as well as the broader VHA goals.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: Veterans Health Administration's Office of Rural Health
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Impact of a Diabetic Retinal Exam Screening Program on Quality Measure Gaps at a Family Medicine Practice
Examines access to diabetic retinal exams and the impact of their availability on quality measures at a rural family medicine center in southwestern Pennsylvania. Includes data on diabetic retinal screenings and associated factors related to exam access.
Author(s): Michael Hair, Alexandra Tardugno, Alyssa Greenaway, Chelse Wisenor, Autumn Stewart-Lynch
Citation: Journal of the American Pharmacists Association, 65(1)
Date: 01/2025
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Examines access to diabetic retinal exams and the impact of their availability on quality measures at a rural family medicine center in southwestern Pennsylvania. Includes data on diabetic retinal screenings and associated factors related to exam access.
Author(s): Michael Hair, Alexandra Tardugno, Alyssa Greenaway, Chelse Wisenor, Autumn Stewart-Lynch
Citation: Journal of the American Pharmacists Association, 65(1)
Date: 01/2025
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Antibiotic Stewardship Detailed Data Summarization Tool for State Flex Programs: 2023 Annual Facility Survey
Tool to help state Flex programs summarize and utilize the Core and Detailed Annual Facility Survey antibiotic stewardship data. Provides a core element summary and a question-by-question summary of Critical Access Hospital responses.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Tool to help state Flex programs summarize and utilize the Core and Detailed Annual Facility Survey antibiotic stewardship data. Provides a core element summary and a question-by-question summary of Critical Access Hospital responses.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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