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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Hospitals

Critical Access Hospital Requirements: CMS Emergency Preparedness Final Rule
Provides a reference source for Critical Access Hospital (CAH) requirements related to the final rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), "Emergency Preparedness Requirements for Medicare and Medicaid Participating Providers and Suppliers." Includes excerpts from the final rule as well as related CMS interpretive guidelines for CAHs. Addresses the development of an emergency plan, related policies and procedures, communications, training, and more.
Date: 03/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response
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Rural Hospital Patient and Family Engagement - 2021 Toolkit
Toolkit provides guidance for rural hospitals to foster effective communication between patients, staff, and leadership. Discusses communication strategies in a number of domains, such as data collection, community engagement, and workforce development, among others.
Date: 02/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Colorado Hospital Association
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Opioid and Substance Use Strategies for Critical Access Hospitals
Recording of a February 26, 2021, webinar discussing the role of Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) in addressing opioid and substance use disorders (O/SUDs) in local systems of care. Provides a framework to support CAH opioid and substance use initiatives. Highlights examples of O/SUD activities taken by CAHs and offers lessons learned.
Additional links: Presentation Slides
Date: 02/2021
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Partnering to Improve Birth Outcomes in a Rural Community: Kearny County Hospital, Lakin, KS
Highlights the Pioneer Baby program, a partnership between Kearny County Hospital, a Critical Access Hospital in rural Lakin, Kansas, and the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita. Discusses how funding from grants and local employers enhanced the obstetrics program. Describes how the partnership worked to improve pregnancy and birth outcomes and presents lessons learned.
Date: 02/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Medicare Reimbursement in Rural America
Policy brief discussing Medicare reimbursement for services provided at rural hospitals and how it impacts hospital finances. Provides policy recommendations for rural health reimbursement, and identifies and other considerations for addressing rural healthcare sustainability.
Author(s): Eric Schlidt, Cody Wilkinson
Date: 02/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Rural Obstetric Unit Closures and Maternal and Infant Health
Policy paper examining the discontinuation of obstetric services in rural communities. Discusses factors contributing to obstetric unit closures, including hospital financial constraints, Medicaid reimbursement rates, and maternal health workforce concerns. Offers policy recommendations to prevent additional obstetric unit closures in rural areas.
Author(s): Lindsay Corcoran, Catherine Clary, Sarah Brinkman
Date: 02/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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COVID Relief Funding for Medicaid Providers
Analyzes the distribution of COVID-19 provider relief funds to Medicaid and State Children's Health Insurance Plan (CHIP) providers. Discusses barriers Medicaid providers experience in applying for COVID relief funding. Presents data on the share of potentially eligible providers who received funding by enrollment in Medicare and provider type. Includes information on the distribution of funding to hospitals by hospital type, urban or rural status, and deemed DSH status.
Date: 02/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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Critical Access Hospital in Oregon Uses Advisory Council and Trainings to Improve Cultural Competency
Features St. Charles Madras, a Critical Access Hospital in Oregon. Highlights how it improved care for American Indian and Latino patients by creating a Patient Family Advisory Council, implementing cultural competency trainings, and installing new artwork representing its community.
Author(s): Allee Mead
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 02/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Opioid-Related Visits to Rural Emergency Departments
Explores the impact of the opioid crisis on rural emergency departments (EDs) by analyzing 2006 and 2013 Nationwide Emergency Department Sample (NEDS) data. Compares opioid-related ED visits in rural and urban hospitals by type of opioid involved and year. Breaks down data by patient characteristics, comorbid diagnosis at admission, and outcome of ED visit.
Author(s): Erika C. Ziller, Jean A. Talbot, Deborah Thayer, Carly Milkowski
Date: 02/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center
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Crises Collide: The COVID-19 Pandemic and the Stability of the Rural Health Safety Net
Examines the vulnerability of rural hospitals based on financial and operational metrics, and the impact of COVID-19 on these hospitals. Discusses declining access to obstetrics and chemotherapy services at rural hospitals. Includes a chart highlighting financial indicators and information on the availability of intensive care beds at rural hospitals by state.
Date: 02/2021
Type: Website
Sponsoring organization: Chartis Center for Rural Health
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