Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Hospitals
Challenges to Public Health Reporting Experienced by Non-Federal Acute Care Hospitals, 2019
Data brief examining public health reporting among acute care hospitals, including rural hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs). Outlines challenges with the exchange of electronic health information, such as lack of capacity to exchange electronically, interface issues, and differing vocabulary standards. Compares challenges faced by hospitals by size, CAH status, rural/urban, and independent/system affiliated and offers state-level maps of percent of hospitals reporting specific challenges.
Author(s): Chelsea Richwine, Carmelita Marshall, Christian Johnson, Vaishali Patel
Date: 09/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology
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Data brief examining public health reporting among acute care hospitals, including rural hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs). Outlines challenges with the exchange of electronic health information, such as lack of capacity to exchange electronically, interface issues, and differing vocabulary standards. Compares challenges faced by hospitals by size, CAH status, rural/urban, and independent/system affiliated and offers state-level maps of percent of hospitals reporting specific challenges.
Author(s): Chelsea Richwine, Carmelita Marshall, Christian Johnson, Vaishali Patel
Date: 09/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology
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Medicare Covers a Lower Percentage of Outpatient Costs in Hospitals Located in Rural Areas
Policy brief describing differences in Medicare Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) payments between urban and rural hospitals. Features statistics on OPPS payments as a percent of total net patient revenue, as a percent of Medicare outpatient cost by hospital payment classification, and as a percent of Medicare outpatient cost by number of acute beds, with breakdowns by urban and rural location.
Author(s): Pranathi Sana, George H. Pink
Date: 09/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Policy brief describing differences in Medicare Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) payments between urban and rural hospitals. Features statistics on OPPS payments as a percent of total net patient revenue, as a percent of Medicare outpatient cost by hospital payment classification, and as a percent of Medicare outpatient cost by number of acute beds, with breakdowns by urban and rural location.
Author(s): Pranathi Sana, George H. Pink
Date: 09/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Keeping the Doors Open: Vulnerable Rural Hospitals Benefit from Federally Funded Technical Assistance
Features the work of Texas A&M's Center for Optimizing Rural Health (CORH), which provides technical assistance through a federally funded program for vulnerable hospitals. Highlights the experiences of a participating Oklahoma hospital.
Author(s): Kay Miller Temple
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 09/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Features the work of Texas A&M's Center for Optimizing Rural Health (CORH), which provides technical assistance through a federally funded program for vulnerable hospitals. Highlights the experiences of a participating Oklahoma hospital.
Author(s): Kay Miller Temple
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 09/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Higher Electronic Health Record (EHR) Functionality Lowers Urban Hospital Costs but Rural Impacts Are Minimal
Examines the relationship between electronic health record (EHR) functionality and hospital costs. Compares the effect of increasing EHR functionality in urban and rural hospitals and by inpatient and outpatient service categories.
Author(s): Claudia Alejandra Rhoades, Brian E. Whitacre, Alison F. Davis
Date: 09/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Center for Economic Analysis of Rural Health
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Examines the relationship between electronic health record (EHR) functionality and hospital costs. Compares the effect of increasing EHR functionality in urban and rural hospitals and by inpatient and outpatient service categories.
Author(s): Claudia Alejandra Rhoades, Brian E. Whitacre, Alison F. Davis
Date: 09/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Center for Economic Analysis of Rural Health
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COVID-19 Funding Sources Impacting Rural Providers
Reference guide to help rural healthcare providers navigate federal COVID-19 response and recovery funding. Includes tables identifying eligibility by provider type and how funds can be spent. Provides an overview of each funding opportunity and reporting requirements.
Date: 09/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Resource Center
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Reference guide to help rural healthcare providers navigate federal COVID-19 response and recovery funding. Includes tables identifying eligibility by provider type and how funds can be spent. Provides an overview of each funding opportunity and reporting requirements.
Date: 09/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Resource Center
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A Qualitative Assessment of Barriers and Facilitators Associated with Addressing Social Determinants of Health among Members of a Health Collaborative in the Rural Midwest
Examines capacities and barriers in addressing social determinants of health for patients in rural Northeastern Minnesota and Northwestern Wisconsin based on interviews from 37 participants of a healthcare collaborative. Discusses specific needs of rural providers, including access to community-based social services, aligned payment models, and capacity for collaboration, among others.
Author(s): Kim Nichols Dauner, Lacey Loomer
Citation: BMC Health Services Research, 21
Date: 08/2021
Type: Document
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Examines capacities and barriers in addressing social determinants of health for patients in rural Northeastern Minnesota and Northwestern Wisconsin based on interviews from 37 participants of a healthcare collaborative. Discusses specific needs of rural providers, including access to community-based social services, aligned payment models, and capacity for collaboration, among others.
Author(s): Kim Nichols Dauner, Lacey Loomer
Citation: BMC Health Services Research, 21
Date: 08/2021
Type: Document
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Delta Region Community Health Systems Development (DRCHSD) Program: Revenue Cycle Management Best Practices Guide
Offers rural hospital executives and management teams best practice concepts in revenue cycle management by assisting them in identifying performance improvement within their hospitals and departments. Provides State Offices of Rural Health (SORH) directors and Flex Program coordinators a better understanding of the revenue cycle best practices to help them design educational training programs to support rural hospital administrators with performance improvement.
Additional links: Check List
Date: 08/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: BKD CPAs & Advisors, National Rural Health Resource Center
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Offers rural hospital executives and management teams best practice concepts in revenue cycle management by assisting them in identifying performance improvement within their hospitals and departments. Provides State Offices of Rural Health (SORH) directors and Flex Program coordinators a better understanding of the revenue cycle best practices to help them design educational training programs to support rural hospital administrators with performance improvement.
Additional links: Check List
Date: 08/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: BKD CPAs & Advisors, National Rural Health Resource Center
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The Pennsylvania Rural Health Model (PARHM): First Annual Report
Evaluates the first year of the Pennsylvania Rural Health Model (PARHM), an initiative designed to test if global budgets can help rural hospitals improve their financial viability, provide flexibility to meet locally defined community health needs, and reduce overall health care spending. Provides an overview of the model and describes the implementation experience of the first cohort of participating hospitals. Presents preliminary, descriptive data on the financial performance and utilization outcomes of Cohort 1 participants.
Additional links: Appendix, Findings at a Glance
Date: 08/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, NORC at the University of Chicago
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Evaluates the first year of the Pennsylvania Rural Health Model (PARHM), an initiative designed to test if global budgets can help rural hospitals improve their financial viability, provide flexibility to meet locally defined community health needs, and reduce overall health care spending. Provides an overview of the model and describes the implementation experience of the first cohort of participating hospitals. Presents preliminary, descriptive data on the financial performance and utilization outcomes of Cohort 1 participants.
Additional links: Appendix, Findings at a Glance
Date: 08/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, NORC at the University of Chicago
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Paying for Telemedicine in Smaller Rural Hospitals: Extending the Technology to Those Who Benefit Most
Viewpoint article discussing the positive financial impacts of telemedicine in emergency departments (EDs) and barriers to using telemedicine in small rural hospitals related to patient volume, high upfront costs, and reimbursement issues. Outlines policy interventions to support rural telemedicine.
Author(s): Kori S. Zachrison, Jessica V. Richard, Ateev Mehrotra
Citation: JAMA Health Forum, 2(8), e211570
Date: 08/2021
Type: Document
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Viewpoint article discussing the positive financial impacts of telemedicine in emergency departments (EDs) and barriers to using telemedicine in small rural hospitals related to patient volume, high upfront costs, and reimbursement issues. Outlines policy interventions to support rural telemedicine.
Author(s): Kori S. Zachrison, Jessica V. Richard, Ateev Mehrotra
Citation: JAMA Health Forum, 2(8), e211570
Date: 08/2021
Type: Document
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Overview of Operating Room Procedures During Inpatient Stays in U.S. Hospitals, 2018
Report offering statistics on operating room (OR) procedures during 2018 using National Inpatient Sample (NIS) data. Compares OR procedure rates to overall hospital stays, examines patient characteristics including rural and metro location, and ranks the top 20 OR procedures with breakdowns by gender, age, and costliness.
Author(s): Kimberly W. McDermott, Lan Liang
Date: 08/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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Report offering statistics on operating room (OR) procedures during 2018 using National Inpatient Sample (NIS) data. Compares OR procedure rates to overall hospital stays, examines patient characteristics including rural and metro location, and ranks the top 20 OR procedures with breakdowns by gender, age, and costliness.
Author(s): Kimberly W. McDermott, Lan Liang
Date: 08/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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