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Rural Health Information Hub

Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) – Resources

Selected recent or important resources focusing on Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs).

MBQIP Quality Measures National Annual Report - 2022
Summarizes quality measure reporting rates and performance among Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) in 2022. Presents data on the four Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Project (MBQIP) domains: patient safety/inpatient, outpatient, patient engagement, and care transitions.
Author(s): Megan Lahr, Alyssa Furukawa, Madeleine Pick, Robert Barclay
Date: 10/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Provision of Hospice Services by Critical Access Hospitals: Strengths and Challenges
Describes the characteristics of Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) that report providing hospice services by analyzing data from the 2021 American Hospital Association (AHA) annual survey. Presents findings from qualitative interviews with seven CAHs who report providing hospice care, including how CAHs provide hospice services, the advantages CAHs may have when providing end-of-life care, and what CAH-specific barriers exist in providing such care.
Author(s): Robert Barclay, Megan Lahr, Hannah MacDougall, Abigail Wenninger
Date: 10/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Medicare Payment Basics: Critical Access Hospitals Payment System
Presents an overview of Medicare payments for Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs). Compares differences in Medicare payments for CAHs, Sole Community Hospitals, and Medicare-Dependent Hospitals.
Date: 10/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Year Three Evaluation Report: Evaluation of the EMS Supplemental Funding Grants
Provides an overview of the eight Flex Program Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Supplemental funding grant recipients, including a summary of the project goals, partners, and outcome measures. Details each grantee's project accomplishments, lessons learned, and sustainability strategies.
Author(s): John Gale, Karen Pearson
Date: 09/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Quality Time: Sharing PIE – Improving Swing Bed Quality
Podcast episode discussing how two Critical Access Hospital (CAH) quality improvement leaders in Mississippi and Nevada used proactive approaches to improve their swing bed programs. Describes efforts in reducing healthcare-associated infections with pneumonia and improving the documentation and coordination of swing bed patients.
Date: 09/2023
Type: Audio
Sponsoring organization: Stratis Health
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Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Project (MBQIP) Quality Reporting Guide
Offers Flex Coordinators, Critical Access Hospital staff, and others who are working with the Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Project (MBQIP) information to better understand the measure reporting process. Discusses how to register for the reporting site, which measures are to be reported, and how to submit data for each measure. Groups measures by how and where the data is to be reported.
Date: 08/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Stratis Health
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Quality Time: Sharing PIE – Preventing Readmissions
Podcast episode discussing the varied approaches used by quality leaders from three Critical Access Hospitals to reduce readmissions. Covers community partnerships and collaboration with local health and human services providers, including emergency medical services (EMS).
Date: 08/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Stratis Health
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Antibiotic Stewardship Detailed Data Summarization Tool for State Flex Programs
Tool to help state Flex programs summarize and utilize the Core and Detailed Annual Facility Survey antibiotic stewardship data. Provides a core element summary and a question-by-question summary of Critical Access Hospital responses.
Date: 08/2023
Type: Tool
Sponsoring organization: Stratis Health
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MBQIP Measures Fact Sheets
Discusses the federal data collection and reporting process for Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Project (MBQIP) Core Measures and MBQIP Additional Measures to help Critical Access Hospitals (CAH) and state Flex Program personnel involved in quality improvement. The measures address patient safety, patient engagement, care transitions, and outpatient care.
Date: 08/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Stratis Health
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Critical Access Hospital Electronic Clinical Quality Measure (eCQM) Resource List
Resource list for electronic clinical quality measures (eCQMs), reflecting new materials and updates from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for 2022 reporting.
Date: 08/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Stratis Health
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Additional resources are available related to this guide. See the full list of resources by topic for:


Last Updated: 3/19/2024