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Rural Health Information Hub

Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) – Resources

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

Types of Rural and Urban Hospitals and Counties Where They Are Located
Offers a snapshot of the types of rural and urban hospitals and the counties where they are located. Presents data on the number and percent of acute care hospitals and average daily census by hospital type, special payment designation, and county size. Includes descriptions of Medicare special payment designations for hospitals.
Date: 07/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Co-located Critical Access & Behavioral Health Hospital: Charles A. Cannon Jr. Memorial Hospital and Appalachian Regional Behavioral Hospital
Profiles Charles A. Cannon, Jr. Memorial Hospital, a Critical Access Hospital (CAH), and Appalachian Regional Healthcare System (ARHS) in western North Carolina. Describes how ARHS secured an exemption from the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to build Appalachian Regional Behavioral Health (ARBH) Hospital nearby without losing CAH status. Discusses the impact of the CMS exemption on financial sustainability and emergency department wait times.
Date: 07/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Supporting Critical Access Hospital Staff during COVID-19
Presents summaries of initiatives taken in three Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) to support staff during the COVID-19 pandemic with regard to child care, stress and well-being, and work flexibility. Discusses similarities across these programs and offers considerations for CAHs interested in implementing similar initiatives.
Author(s): Madeleine Pick, Megan Lahr, Shehrose Charania, Ira Moscovice
Date: 06/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Small Rural Hospital and Clinic Finance 101
Provides a manual with introductory information on healthcare facility finances and payment for state Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility (Flex) Program personnel, Critical Access Hospital (CAH) staff and board members, small rural prospective payment system (PPS) hospitals, and provider-based rural health clinics (RHC).
Date: 06/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Resource Center
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Year Two Evaluation of the Flex EMS Supplemental Funding Projects: Building an Evidence Base Through Outcome Measurement
Examines the outcome management strategies of four of the Flex Program's Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Supplemental funding grant recipients. Describes the outcome measures selected, the timing of those measures, and data sources used to support their outcome measures. Identifies strengths and challenges to the outcome management strategies and offers recommendations to refine these strategies.
Author(s): John Gale, Karen Pearson, Sara Kahn-Troster
Date: 04/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Impact of Cost Report on CAH Decision Making
Webinar recording discussing cost-based reimbursement and the implications of the Medicare cost report for Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs). Describes opportunities for CAHs to maximize reimbursement using the cost report. Part of a series of webinars directed toward rural hospital CEOs and CFOs. Transcript available in video description.
Date: 04/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Oklahoma Office of Rural Health, Stroudwater Associates
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Sliding Fee Scale Discount Guide for CAHs and RHCs
Provides concepts and guidance to help Critical Access Hospital (CAH) and Rural Health Clinic (RHC) executives and management teams develop a sliding fee scale discount program. Addresses how these programs relate to Internal Revenue Code Section 501(r) compliance and participation in the National Health Service Corps (NHSC). Includes an example of a sliding fee schedule.
Date: 04/2022
Type: Website
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Resource Center
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An Inventory of State Flex Program Population Health Initiatives for Fiscal Years 2019-2023
Provides an overview of Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility (Flex) Program funding for initiatives to improve rural population health under Program Area 3: Population Health Improvement. Offers a state-by-state summary of State Flex Program (SFP) population health initiatives between fiscal years 2019 and 2021. Details output and process measures, outcome measures, and SFP partners for each initiative.
Author(s): Celia Jewell, Sara Kahn-Troster, Zachariah Croll, John Gale
Date: 03/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Evaluating State Flex Program Population Health Activities
Provides an overview of the expectations for the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility (Flex) Program under Program Area 3: Population Health Improvement and summarizes State Flex Program (SFP) initiatives under this program area. Describes promising population health strategies implemented by SFPs and challenges to measuring the impact of these activities. Explores how Flex Program population health efforts can align with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Healthy Rural Hometown Initiative (HRHI).
Author(s): John Gale, Celia Jewell, Sara Kahn-Troster, Zachariah Croll
Date: 03/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Critical Access Hospital Financial and Operational Best Practices
Webinar recording that discusses rural hospital operations, with a focus on Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs). Covers inpatient services, emergency services, quality improvement, managing revenue cycle, and other financial topics. Transcript is available by clicking the three dots above the video description, then selecting Show Transcript.
Date: 01/2022
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organizations: Oklahoma Office of Rural Health, Stroudwater Associates
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Last Updated: 6/28/2024