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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Policy

Use of Emergency Departments for Conditions Related to Poor Oral Health Care
Reports findings from a study of seven states that looked at use of emergency departments to address oral health needs. Provides data for rural and urban areas and discusses the potential impacts of differences in state Medicaid policies.
Author(s): Emily F. Shortridge, Jonathan R. Moore
Date: 08/2010
Sponsoring organization: NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
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Designating Health Professional Shortage Areas and Medically Underserved Populations/Medically Underserved Areas: A Primer on Basic Issues to Resolve
Includes discussion for interested parties considering issues related to the designation of Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs), Medically Underserved Populations (MUPs), and Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs). Describes key issues on how the designations establish eligibility for programs important to rural healthcare delivery.
Author(s): Andrew F. Coburn, Jennifer P. Lundblad, A. Clinton MacKinney, Timothy D. McBride, Keith J. Mueller
Date: 08/2010
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
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Developing the Rural Primary Care Workforce in Hawai'i - A 10-Point Plan
Describes initiatives focused on addressing physician shortages in Hawaii. Covers a ten point plan to lay the framework for improving the rural physician training pipeline. Highlights the impact of a rural family medicine residency program.
Author(s): Allen L. Hixon, Lee E. Buenconsejo-Lum
Citation: Hawaii Medical Journal, 69(6), 53-55
Date: 06/2010
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MedPAC Report to Congress: Aligning Incentives in Medicare, June 2010
Focuses on how incentives in the Medicare program can be leveraged to promote healthcare quality and efficient use of resources, both of which are key elements of a high-value healthcare delivery system. Includes chapters focused on graduate medical education financing and inpatient psychiatric care.
Additional links: Executive Summary
Date: 06/2010
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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The 2010 Report to the Secretary: Rural Health and Human Services Issues
Report to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on issues related to rural America. Topics include home and community based care for rural seniors, rural primary care workforce, and rural health care provider integration.
Date: 05/2010
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
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Encouraging Rural Health Clinics to Provide Mental Health Services: What are the Options?
Examines changes in the delivery of mental health services by Rural Health Clinics (RHCs), their operational characteristics, barriers to the development of services, and policy options to encourage more RHCs to deliver mental health services.
Author(s): John Gale, David Hartley, Barbara Shaw, Stephanie Loux
Date: 05/2010
Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center
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States' Use of Cost-Based Reimbursement for Medicaid Services at Critical Access Hospitals
Explains cost-based reimbursement for Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs). Documents which of the 45 states with CAHs utilize a cost-based reimbursement methodology for Medicaid.
Author(s): Andrea Radford, Mike Hamon, Caitlin Nelligan
Date: 04/2010
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Alternatives to the Outpatient Prospective Payment System: Assessing the Impact on Rural Hospitals
Explores alternatives to Medicare's Outpatient Prospective Payment System and how these options would affect rural hospitals.
Author(s): Janet Pagan-Sutton, Claudia Schur, Katie Merrell
Date: 04/2010
Sponsoring organization: NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
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Why Definitions Matter: Rural Definitions and State Poverty Rankings
Illustrates the importance of understanding the various definitions of rural and examines the differences in state poverty rates when the two definitions of rural are employed.
Author(s): Kathleen Miller
Date: 03/2010
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute
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Models for Quality Improvement in Critical Access Hospitals: The Role of State Flex Programs
Examines the scope of multi-Critical Access Hospital (CAH) quality improvement and performance measurement reporting initiatives supported by the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program (Flex Program) in 9 states. Addresses how the Flex Program has been instrumental in funding and providing leadership for the development of Critical Access Hospital (CAH) quality improvement initiatives.
Additional links: Policy Brief: The Role of State Flex Programs in Supporting Quality Improvement in Critical Access Hospitals
Author(s): Andrew Coburn, John Gale, Melanie Race, Mark Richards, Anush Hansen
Date: 03/2010
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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