Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Hospitals
Current Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Project (MBQIP) Measures
Chart outlining the required and optional MBQIP measures. Measures are broken down into two categories, core and additional, and then into five domains: global measures, patient safety, patient engagement, care coordination, and emergency department. MBQIP is a Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility (Flex) quality improvement grant program for Critical Access Hospitals.
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural Quality Improvement Technical Assistance (RQITA) Resource Center
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Chart outlining the required and optional MBQIP measures. Measures are broken down into two categories, core and additional, and then into five domains: global measures, patient safety, patient engagement, care coordination, and emergency department. MBQIP is a Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility (Flex) quality improvement grant program for Critical Access Hospitals.
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural Quality Improvement Technical Assistance (RQITA) Resource Center
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Federal Assistance and Rural Hospital Closings: The Impact of the USDA Community Facilities Program
Examines how the USDA Rural Development Community Facilities (CF) Program's effects on rural hospital closures. Includes data on rural hospital closures and CF investments by region, and analyzes facility survival probability of hospitals which did or did not receive CF funding.
Additional links: Summary
Author(s): Anil Rupasingha, Julia Cho
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Examines how the USDA Rural Development Community Facilities (CF) Program's effects on rural hospital closures. Includes data on rural hospital closures and CF investments by region, and analyzes facility survival probability of hospitals which did or did not receive CF funding.
Additional links: Summary
Author(s): Anil Rupasingha, Julia Cho
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Colorado Healthcare Affordability and Sustainability Enterprise Annual Report
A report to the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing regarding the assessment, cost, and administration of healthcare affordability and sustainability fee for Colorado hospitals between October 2023 and September 2024. Discusses rural throughout.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: Colorado Healthcare Affordability and Sustainability Enterprise
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A report to the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing regarding the assessment, cost, and administration of healthcare affordability and sustainability fee for Colorado hospitals between October 2023 and September 2024. Discusses rural throughout.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: Colorado Healthcare Affordability and Sustainability Enterprise
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January 2025 MedPAC Meeting Transcript
Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) January 2025 meeting. Covers payment adequacy and updates for physician and other health professional services, hospital inpatient and outpatient services, skilled nursing facility services, home health agency services, inpatient rehabilitation facility services, outpatient dialysis services, and hospice services. Discusses status reports on Medicare Part D, ambulatory surgical centers, and the Medicare Advantage program, as well as policy options for modifying the cost-sharing liability for beneficiaries who receive care at Critical Access Hospitals. Includes rural references and considerations throughout.
Additional links: Reducing Beneficiary Cost-sharing for Outpatient Services at Critical Access Hospitals
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) January 2025 meeting. Covers payment adequacy and updates for physician and other health professional services, hospital inpatient and outpatient services, skilled nursing facility services, home health agency services, inpatient rehabilitation facility services, outpatient dialysis services, and hospice services. Discusses status reports on Medicare Part D, ambulatory surgical centers, and the Medicare Advantage program, as well as policy options for modifying the cost-sharing liability for beneficiaries who receive care at Critical Access Hospitals. Includes rural references and considerations throughout.
Additional links: Reducing Beneficiary Cost-sharing for Outpatient Services at Critical Access Hospitals
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Understanding the Impact and Costs Associated with Medical Device Shortages During the COVID-19 Pandemic on Providers, Health Systems, Patients, and Manufacturers
Analyzes the U.S. medical device shortage during the COVID-19 pandemic and provides a related literature review, key stakeholder interviews, and data synthesis. Includes information on type of medical device shortages, strategies to manage shortages, and more, with a focus on shortages in nursing homes and rural hospitals.
Author(s): Linda Thai, Trinidad Beleche, Oluwarantimi Adetunji
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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Analyzes the U.S. medical device shortage during the COVID-19 pandemic and provides a related literature review, key stakeholder interviews, and data synthesis. Includes information on type of medical device shortages, strategies to manage shortages, and more, with a focus on shortages in nursing homes and rural hospitals.
Author(s): Linda Thai, Trinidad Beleche, Oluwarantimi Adetunji
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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Lessons from the Pandemic: Relationship Between Patient Visits and Patient Length of Stay in California's Health System
Examines impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on patient utilization of California hospitals. Analyzes 2019-2021 COVID-19 cases, mortality, patient length of stay (LOS), and more in 56 California counties, with rural versus urban comparisons.
Author(s): David D. Cho, Yu Wang
Citation: Health Research Policy and Systems, 23, 11
Date: 01/2025
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Examines impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on patient utilization of California hospitals. Analyzes 2019-2021 COVID-19 cases, mortality, patient length of stay (LOS), and more in 56 California counties, with rural versus urban comparisons.
Author(s): David D. Cho, Yu Wang
Citation: Health Research Policy and Systems, 23, 11
Date: 01/2025
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Combating Antimicrobial Resistance During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Perceived Risks and Protective Practices
Explores the range of factors that impacted efforts to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Presents findings from an analysis of published scholarly sources and lessons learned from urban and rural healthcare professionals involved in antimicrobial stewardship. Includes rural references and considerations throughout.
Author(s): Casey Sullivan, Cody R. Fisher, Laurin Grabowsky, et al.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Eastern Research Group, Inc., HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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Explores the range of factors that impacted efforts to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Presents findings from an analysis of published scholarly sources and lessons learned from urban and rural healthcare professionals involved in antimicrobial stewardship. Includes rural references and considerations throughout.
Author(s): Casey Sullivan, Cody R. Fisher, Laurin Grabowsky, et al.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Eastern Research Group, Inc., HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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Rural Nonprofit Hospital Community Benefit and Financial Assistance Spending: A Call for Greater Reporting Transparency
Examines the variation in community benefit and financial assistance spending among rural nonprofit hospitals that filed group returns in Wisconsin and Minnesota. Analyzes 2021 nonprofit hospital tax data to explore whether group filers' community benefit spending differed from individual nonprofit hospital filers. Discusses potential implications of policy recommendations that would require nonprofit hospitals to file individual tax returns.
Author(s): Hannah MacDougall, Melissa Latcham, Erica Eliason
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41, e12914
Date: 01/2025
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Examines the variation in community benefit and financial assistance spending among rural nonprofit hospitals that filed group returns in Wisconsin and Minnesota. Analyzes 2021 nonprofit hospital tax data to explore whether group filers' community benefit spending differed from individual nonprofit hospital filers. Discusses potential implications of policy recommendations that would require nonprofit hospitals to file individual tax returns.
Author(s): Hannah MacDougall, Melissa Latcham, Erica Eliason
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41, e12914
Date: 01/2025
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Medical Debt and Its Impact on Rural Patients and Providers, with Carrie Henning-Smith
An episode of the Exploring Rural Health podcast featuring Carrie Henning-Smith, Co-Director of the University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center. Focuses on the prevalence of and difficulties caused by medical debt for both rural patients and providers.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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An episode of the Exploring Rural Health podcast featuring Carrie Henning-Smith, Co-Director of the University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center. Focuses on the prevalence of and difficulties caused by medical debt for both rural patients and providers.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS): 2025 Reporting MIPS Quality Measures through Medicare Part B Claims Quick Start Guide for Small Practices
Provides details on how small practices can report quality measures through Medicare Part B claims measures. Highlights changes to these measures in 2025, score redistribution policies for small practices, and information for clinicians at Critical Access Hospitals.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Provides details on how small practices can report quality measures through Medicare Part B claims measures. Highlights changes to these measures in 2025, score redistribution policies for small practices, and information for clinicians at Critical Access Hospitals.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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