Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Hospitals

Critical Access Hospital Quality Improvement Activities and Reporting on Quality Measures: Results of the 2007 National CAH Survey
Reports on Critical Access Hospitals' involvement with a wide range of quality improvement initiatives, particularly patient and medication safety.
Author(s): Michelle Casey
Date: 03/2008
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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MedPAC Report to the Congress: Medicare Payment Policy, 2008
Annual review of Medicare payment policies, with recommendations to Congress. Discussions of rural aspects of Medicare payment policies are included throughout the report.
Date: 03/2008
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Implementing a New USDA Rural Development Program Targeting Small Rural Hospitals and Their Communities: Recommendations of the RUPRI Health Panel
Lists recommendations for implementing a new USDA Rural Development program, as included in the Senate Farm Bill proposal, should it be enacted into law. Discusses program goals to strengthen rural healthcare delivery systems, to provide necessary healthcare services to rural residents in a cost-effective manner.
Author(s): Andrew F. Coburn, A. Clinton MacKinney, Timothy D. McBride, et al.
Date: 03/2008
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
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Regional Variation in Rural Hospital Charges Due to Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions
Estimates and documents charges associated with hospitalizations due to ambulatory care sensitive conditions in rural hospitals by region.
Author(s): Li-Wu Chen, Wanqing Zhang, Junfeng Sun, Keith J. Mueller
Date: 12/2007
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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National Rural Hospital Charges Due to Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions
Examines charges associated with hospitalizations due to ambulatory care sensitive conditions in rural hospitals, with data by hospital bed size.
Author(s): Li-Wu Chen, Wanqing Zhang, Junfeng Sun, Keith J. Mueller
Date: 12/2007
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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Medicare Program: Changes to the Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System, Ambulatory Surgical Center System, Graduate Medical Education and Critical Access Hospital; Interim and Final Rule with Comment Period
Addresses changes to the Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and CY 2008 Payment Rates, the Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment System and CY 2008 Payment Rates, the Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) and FY 2008 Payment Rates. Describes changes relating to the necessary provider designations of Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and to the conditions of participation requirements. Also addresses changes to graduate medical education (GME) payments made to teaching hospitals that have Medicare affiliation agreements for certain emergency situations.
Citation: Federal Register, 72(227), 66579-67226
Date: 11/2007
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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State Initiatives Funded by the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Grant Program
Explores activities funded by the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program (Flex Program) in the previous two years to strengthen the rural health care infrastructure. Discusses which activities were considered most successful by State Flex Coordinators.
Additional links: Policy Brief, December 2007
Author(s): John Gale, Jennifer Lenardson, Walt Gregg, et al.
Date: 10/2007
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs): Distance from Other Providers and Relocation of CAHs with a Necessary Provider Designation
September 7, 2007, letter from CMS to State Survey Agency Directors. Explains the criteria to determine whether a Critical Access Hospital (CAH) applicant satisfies the regulatory requirement. Explains the criteria to determine whether a CAH with a necessary provider designation remains essentially the same provider, serving the same service area after relocation. Supersedes the November 14, 2005, guidance on this topic.
Date: 09/2007
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Rural Hospitals' Experience with the 340B Drug Pricing Program
Policy brief describing the results of surveys of rural hospitals participating in the 340B drug pricing program and of rural eligible but non-participating hospitals. Includes information on factors affecting participation in the program and the benefits and challenges of participation.
Author(s): Claudia Schur, Karen Cheung, Andrea Radford, Rebecca Slifkin
Date: 09/2007
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis, North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Rural Inpatient Psychiatric Units Improve Access to Community-Based Mental Health Services, but Medicare Payment Policy a Barrier
Examines inpatient psychiatric units (IPUs) in rural hospitals as well as the community-based mental health services available to patients.
Author(s): Stephenie Loux, David Hartley, David Lambert
Date: 08/2007
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center
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