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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Hospitals

COVID-19 Response in System-Owned and Independent CAHs
Recording of a November 2022 webinar presenting findings from Critical Access Hospital (CAH) executives regarding experiences and challenges responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. Compares the experiences of system-affiliated and independent CAHs.
Additional links: Presentation Slides
Author(s): Madeleine Pick
Date: 11/2022
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Best Practices in Patient Experience at CAHs: Incorporating Lessons from COVID-19
Summarizes findings from an August 2022 meeting of high-performing Critical Access Hospitals regarding best practices for maintaining and improving healthcare quality amid challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and changing healthcare landscape. Provides an overview of the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey. Presents best practices for improving performance by HCAHPS domain. Updates the 2017 publication, A Study of HCAHPS Best Practices in High Performing Critical Access Hospitals.
Additional links: Summary
Date: 11/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Stratis Health
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The Financial Impact of COVID-19 on Texas Hospitals
Reports on financial and operational challenges facing Texas hospitals following the COVID-19 pandemic, including rural and urban data on risk of closure. Provides charts comparing annual data on expenses and revenue changes between 2020 and 2022.
Date: 11/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Kaufman Hall
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Clarity for Rural Emergency Hospitals and Changes for Critical Access Hospitals: CMS Finalizes Conditions of Participation and Payment and Enrollment Policies But Pauses Stark Law Flexibilities
Provides an overview of the Rural Emergency Hospitals (REHs) provisions of the Calendar Year 2023 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) Payment System Final Rule. Discusses REH reimbursement, Conditions of Participation (CoPs), enrollment provisions, and Stark Law regulatory modifications to accommodate REHs. Highlights changes to the definition of "primary roads" related to Critical Access Hospital (CAH) CoPs.
Author(s): Emily Jane Cook, Caroline Reignley, Amber Arnold, Sandra M. DiVarco
Date: 11/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: McDermott Will & Emery
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National Rural Health Day 2022: Dr. Roxie Wells Talks Hospital Resilience in the Face of Change
Conversation with Dr. Roxie Wells, president of Cape Fear Valley Hoke Hospital, on rural hospital resiliency. Describes the most pressing needs of the Hoke County, North Carolina, community; Cape Fear Valley Hoke Hospital's primary areas of action to address those needs; and the most significant threats the hospital faces to improve community health. Discusses how AHA has helped the hospital successfully confront these challenges.
Date: 11/2022
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Future of Population Health Efforts for Rural Health Systems
Slides presented at the Becker's Hospital Review 10th Annual CEO + CFO Roundtable Conference in November 2022. Discusses approaches to understanding and addressing social determinants of health, including community health needs assessments (CHNAs) and Accountable Health Communities (AHCs), and offers links to tools and resources. Highlights needs addressed and implementation challenges faced by two rural AHCs.
Author(s): Keith J. Mueller
Date: 11/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute
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2022 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
Provides a comprehensive summary and data analysis of healthcare quality and access in the U.S. Addresses access to healthcare, patient safety, person-centered care, care coordination, effective treatment, healthy living, and care affordability. Includes a discussion of rural hospital closures and the impact on the distance required to access selected healthcare services.
Date: 11/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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Medicare Program: Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment and Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment Systems and Quality Reporting Programs; Organ Acquisition; Rural Emergency Hospitals: Payment Policies, Conditions of Participation, Provider Enrollment, Physician Self-Referral; New Service Category for Hospital Outpatient Department Prior Authorization Process; Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating; COVID-19
Establishes the Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) provider type. Outlines REH payment policy, Conditions of Participation (CoPs), quality measures, and enrollment policy. Outlines changes to the Critical Access Hospitals (CAH) CoPs regarding location and distance requirements, patient's rights requirements, and flexibilities for CAHs that are part of a larger health system. Among other things, this rule also revises the Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and Medicare Ambulatory Surgical Center (ACS) payment system for calendar year 2023 and finalizes provisions included in the COVID-19 interim final rules.
Additional links: Fact Sheet
Date: 11/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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CY 2023 Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System and Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment System Final Rule (CMS 1772-FC) Rural Emergency Hospitals — New Medicare Provider Type
Provides an overview of Rural Emergency Hospitals, a Medicare provider type established by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021. Details key policies outlined in the Calendar Year 2023 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) Payment System Final Rule, including payment policies, conditions of participation, REH provider enrollment, and exceptions to the physician self-referral law.
Date: 11/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Financial Characteristics of Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) Participating in Accountable Care Organizations (ACO)
Examines Critical Access Hospital (CAH) participation in Medicare and non-Medicare Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) in 2019. Compares the organizational and financial characteristics of CAHs across facilities that participate in ACOs and those that do not participate in an ACO. Includes data on profitability, liquidity, outpatient revenue, and Medicare payer mix.
Author(s): Angelina Budko, George Pink, Susie Gurzenda, Ann Howard, Kristin L. Reiter
Date: 11/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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