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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Hospitals

Following Labor and Delivery Unit Closures in Rural New Hampshire, Driving Time to the Nearest Unit Doubled
Examines the impact of the closure of 9 labor and delivery units in rural New Hampshire on the driving time to open units between 2000 and 2018. Explores the association between proximity to an open labor and delivery unit and women's health and socioeconomic characteristics.
Author(s): Stacey McMorrow, Sarah Benatar, Timothy J. Fisher
Date: 10/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Urban Institute
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2021 CMS Hospital Quality Star Ratings of Rural Hospitals
Results of a study comparing the 2021 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Hospital Quality Star Rating results for rural and urban hospitals, comparing the 2021 and 2016 results for rural hospitals, and identifying implications for the usefulness of these ratings for rural hospitals. Features statistics including percentages of hospitals by Star Ratings with breakdowns by urban or rural location, and numbers of unrated rural hospitals by Medicare payment classification, net patient revenue, and census region.
Author(s): Laura Bozovich, Randall John, Kristie Thompson, George H. Pink
Date: 10/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Association Between Hospital Performance Metrics and Market Share
Research letter describing the association between publicly reported performance scores for 4,930 hospitals and hospital market share. Features descriptive statistics with breakdowns including acute care hospital or Critical Access Hospital, and percentage of hospital referral region population in rural areas.
Author(s): August Oddleifson, Xiao Xu, Patrick Liu, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 4(10)
Date: 10/2021
Type: Document
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Measure Applications Partnership 2021-2022 Considerations for Measure Set Removal in Federal Programs: Final Report
Describes the Measure Set Review (MSR) process and the consideration of quality measures for potential removal from Medicare quality programs. Summarizes the National Quality Foundation (NQF) Coordinating Committee discussion and public input on selected hospital quality measures, including the impact of these measures on rural providers. Offers future considerations for the MSR process.
Date: 10/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Quality Forum
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The Association Between System Affiliation and Financial Performance in Critical Access Hospitals
Examines the association between Critical Access Hospital (CAH) health system affiliation and financial performance as measured by the Critical Access Hospital Measurement and Performance Assessment System (CAHMPAS). Discusses trends in health system affiliation as an alternative to closures as well as potential downsides of affiliation.
Author(s): Laura Bozovich, Kathleen Knocke, George Pink, Ann Howard, Kristin L. Reiter
Date: 10/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Partnerships, Mergers, and Acquisitions Can Provide Benefits to Certain Hospitals and Communities
Discusses challenges hospitals may face to increasing the scale of operations. Describes how partnerships, mergers, and acquisitions can help prevent hospital closure and preserve access, enhance patient care, and reduce costs. Includes examples of how four acquired hospitals in rural communities benefited from capital investments and improvements.
Date: 10/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Birth Volume and Geographic Distribution of US Hospitals with Obstetric Services from 2010 to 2018
Examines the characteristics of hospitals with obstetric services by volume of births between 2010-2018. Describes the geographic distribution, proximity to other obstetric hospitals, and metropolitan status. Presents data on birth volume by hospital characteristics, including Critical Access Hospital and Rural Referral Center designation.
Author(s): Sara C. Handley, Molly Passarella, Heidi M. Herrick
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 4(10)
Date: 10/2021
Type: Document
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Financial Guide for the Rural Health Care Leaders During COVID and Post-COVID
Highlights strategies for addressing the financial challenges RHCs and CAHs may face during and after a public health emergency such as COVID-19. Discusses how rural providers can improve financial performance in the face of lower inpatient and outpatient volumes, fewer elective surgeries, and the added cost of PPE, ventilators, and staff, among others. Details indicators of financial stress and recommends corresponding strategies.
Date: 10/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Resource Center
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Delta Memorial Hospital and DePaul Community Health Centers Spotlight Video
Explores how Delta Memorial Hospital and DePaul Community Health Centers worked together through the Delta Region Community Health Systems Development Program to strengthen their community care coordination.
Date: 09/2021
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Resource Center
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South Sunflower County Hospital Spotlight Video
Discusses how the Delta Region Community Health Systems Development Program helped the South Sunflower County Hospital in Mississippi work with its community to grow and enhance service lines and reach financial stability.
Date: 09/2021
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Resource Center
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