Rural hospital resources related to rural health and human services, with information provided by the Rural Assistance Center Copyright 2012 Rural Assistance Center http://www.raconline.org/topics/hospitals/ NPR Health Blog article tells how the Ashland Health Clinic, a tiny hospital in southwest Kansas, is trying a reverse-recruitment model, by offering potential candidates eight weeks off to do missionary work overseas. http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2012/02/02/145860801/how-one-hospital-entices-doctors-to-work-in-rural-america Fri, 03 Feb 2012 11:50:07 CST http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2012/02/02/145860801/how-one-hospital-entices-doctors-to-work-in-rural-america NRHA Rural Health Voices blog reports that the FLEX Monitoring Team just released a Brief on rural relevant quality measures for Critical Access Hospitals (CAH). The purpose of the brief is to provide a set of rural relevant quality measure for policy makers and the rural health provider community. http://blog.ruralhealthweb.org/2012/02/rural-relevant-quality-measures-for-cahs/ Fri, 03 Feb 2012 10:21:10 CST http://blog.ruralhealthweb.org/2012/02/rural-relevant-quality-measures-for-cahs/ AHA News Now article reports that Reps. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Mike Thompson (D-CA) today introduced the Rural Hospital and Provider Equity Act, a bill that would improve Medicare payment for rural hospitals that serve a disproportionate share of low-income patients, and adjust the low-volume adjustment for small prospective payment system hospitals that do not qualify as critical access hospitals. http://www.ahanews.com/ahanews/jsp/display.jsp?domain=AHANEWS&dcrpath=AHANEWS/AHANewsNowArticle/data/ann_020112_rural Thu, 02 Feb 2012 09:47:14 CST http://www.ahanews.com/ahanews/jsp/display.jsp?domain=AHANEWS&dcrpath=AHANEWS/AHANewsNowArticle/data/ann_020112_rural NPR article discusses how one way to reduce drug errors inside hospitals is to have doctors enter the prescriptions on a computer instead of with pen and paper. After the switch, hospitals can see error rates drop by a whopping 60 percent. http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2012/01/31/146152354/a-computer-beats-a-pen-for-getting-prescriptions-right Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:33:13 CST http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2012/01/31/146152354/a-computer-beats-a-pen-for-getting-prescriptions-right Offers lists of sole community hospitals (SCH), critical access hospitals (CAHs), CAH inpatient and outpatient cost to charge ratios (CCRs), plus rural hospitals under 100 beds and rural sole community hospitals under 100 beds. -- Military Health System http://www.tricare.mil/hospitalclassification/ Wed, 01 Feb 2012 09:53:40 CST http://www.tricare.mil/hospitalclassification/ This document from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services corrects technical errors that occurred in the Addendum of the final rule entitled Medicare Program; Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems for Acute Care Hospitals and the Long-Term Care Hospital Prospective Payment System and Fiscal Year 2012 Rates which appeared in the August 18, 2011 Federal Register. https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2012/02/01/2012-2220/medicare-program-hospital-inpatient-prospective-payment-systems-for-acute-care-hospitals-and-the Wed, 01 Feb 2012 09:45:51 CST https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2012/02/01/2012-2220/medicare-program-hospital-inpatient-prospective-payment-systems-for-acute-care-hospitals-and-the Lamar CO March 28, 2012 -- Colorado Rural Health Center http://www.coruralhealth.org/events/ Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:34:32 CST http://www.coruralhealth.org/events/ Yuma CO February 23, 2012 -- Colorado Rural Health Center http://www.coruralhealth.org/events/ Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:29:21 CST http://www.coruralhealth.org/events/ Rifle CO February 22, 2012 -- Colorado Rural Health Center http://www.coruralhealth.org/events/ Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:25:27 CST http://www.coruralhealth.org/events/ Alamosa CO March 27, 2012 -- Colorado Rural Health Center http://www.coruralhealth.org/events/ Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:13:42 CST http://www.coruralhealth.org/events/ -- Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services http://www.cms.gov/OpenDoorForums/23_ODF_PNAHP.asp#TopOfPage Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:44:48 CST http://www.cms.gov/OpenDoorForums/23_ODF_PNAHP.asp#TopOfPage -- Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services http://www.cms.gov/OpenDoorForums/18_ODF_Hospitals.asp#TopOfPage Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:12:02 CST http://www.cms.gov/OpenDoorForums/18_ODF_Hospitals.asp#TopOfPage AHA News Now article reports that the Bipartisan Policy Center Friday issued recommendations for using health information technology to improve health care quality and health while reducing costs. http://www.ahanews.com/ahanews/jsp/display.jsp?dcrpath=AHANEWS/AHANewsNowArticle/data/ann_013012_HIT&domain=AHANEWS Tue, 31 Jan 2012 09:37:48 CST http://www.ahanews.com/ahanews/jsp/display.jsp?dcrpath=AHANEWS/AHANewsNowArticle/data/ann_013012_HIT&domain=AHANEWS Kaiser Health News article discusses patient safety issues and how faulty hospital care is one of the leading causes of death, behind heart disease and cancer. http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Stories/2012/January/30/Hospital-Checklist-mainbar.aspx?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+khn%2Fstories%2Fheadlinesonly+%28Kaiser+Health+News+-+Stories+%28Headlines%29%29 Mon, 30 Jan 2012 10:07:14 CST http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Stories/2012/January/30/Hospital-Checklist-mainbar.aspx?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+khn%2Fstories%2Fheadlinesonly+%28Kaiser+Health+News+-+Stories+%28Headlines%29%29 HealthLeaders Media article tells how an expanded physical therapy program helped save a 22-licensed-bed critical access hospital in Illinois, a facility that nearly shut down because of fiscal and management problems. http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/content/FIN-275306/Outpatient-Move-Saves-Hospital Mon, 30 Jan 2012 09:59:38 CST http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/content/FIN-275306/Outpatient-Move-Saves-Hospital -- Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality https://meet63385651.adobeconnect.com/_a1043462186/hospitaltoolkitregistration/event/event_info.html?utm_source=Rural+Route+January+27%2C+2012&utm_campaign=rural+route&utm_medium=email Mon, 30 Jan 2012 08:32:18 CST https://meet63385651.adobeconnect.com/_a1043462186/hospitaltoolkitregistration/event/event_info.html?utm_source=Rural+Route+January+27%2C+2012&utm_campaign=rural+route&utm_medium=email Helps hospitals understand the Quality Indicators (QIs) from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), and support the use of them to successfully improve quality and patient safety in hospitals. -- Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality http://www.ahrq.gov/qual/qitoolkit/?utm_source=Rural+Route+January+27%2C+2012&utm_campaign=rural+route&utm_medium=email Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:58:09 CST http://www.ahrq.gov/qual/qitoolkit/?utm_source=Rural+Route+January+27%2C+2012&utm_campaign=rural+route&utm_medium=email The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology announces a Discharge Follow-Up Appointment Challenge that challenges software developers to create an easy-to-use web-based tool that will make post-discharge follow-up appointment scheduling a more effective and shared process for care providers, patients and caregivers. https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2012/01/27/2012-1852/announcement-of-requirements-and-registration-for-discharge-follow-up-appointment-challenge Fri, 27 Jan 2012 11:24:41 CST https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2012/01/27/2012-1852/announcement-of-requirements-and-registration-for-discharge-follow-up-appointment-challenge AHA News reports that in honor of its broad-based efforts to improve the lives of the most vulnerable members of its community, Mt. Ascutney Hospital and Health Center (MAHHC) in Windsor, Vt., is the recipient of the 2011 Foster G. McGaw Prize for Excellence in Community Service, one of the most esteemed community service honors in healthcare. http://www.aha.org/presscenter/pressrel/2012/120124-pr-foster.pdf Wed, 25 Jan 2012 09:39:49 CST http://www.aha.org/presscenter/pressrel/2012/120124-pr-foster.pdf HealthLeaders Media article tells how the president and CEO of Ellenville Regional Hospital in Ellenville, NY, went about choosing an electronic health record (EHR) vendor for his small critical access hospital. http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/page-1/COM-275456/Inside-a-Critical-Access-Hospitals-IT-DecisionMaking-Process Thu, 19 Jan 2012 10:10:55 CST http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/page-1/COM-275456/Inside-a-Critical-Access-Hospitals-IT-DecisionMaking-Process This proposed rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services addresses the hospital-specific limitation on Medicaid disproportionate share hospital (DSH) payments under the Social Security Act. http://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2012/01/18/2012-734/medicaid-program-disproportionate-share-hospital-payments-uninsured-definition Wed, 18 Jan 2012 09:11:07 CST http://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2012/01/18/2012-734/medicaid-program-disproportionate-share-hospital-payments-uninsured-definition GPB News, (GA) article reports that hospitals in Georgia are suffering under the weight of the sluggish economy, and the financial strain is especially heavy for smaller, rural medical centers. http://www.gpb.org/news/2012/01/16/economy-hurting-rural-hospitals Tue, 17 Jan 2012 10:16:31 CST http://www.gpb.org/news/2012/01/16/economy-hurting-rural-hospitals AHA News Now article reports that Staci Covey, president of Guthries Troy Community Hospital in Troy, Pa., will lead the American Hospital Associations (AHA) Section for Small or Rural Hospitals in 2012, a 22-person governing council that represents small or rural hospitals in the AHAs policy process and member services initiatives. http://www.aha.org/presscenter/pressrel/2012/120113-pr-smallruralchair.pdf Tue, 17 Jan 2012 09:43:51 CST http://www.aha.org/presscenter/pressrel/2012/120113-pr-smallruralchair.pdf AHA News Now article reports that the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission has recommended Congress provide an update of 1.0% for fiscal year 2013 inpatient and outpatient hospital payments. It also recommended equalizing Medicare payment rates for non-emergency evaluation and management services between hospital outpatient departments and physician office settings by reducing hospital outpatient department payments for E/M clinic visits by more than 70%. http://www.ahanews.com/ahanews/jsp/display.jsp?dcrpath=AHANEWS/AHANewsNowArticle/data/ann_011212_MedPAC&domain=AHANEWS Fri, 13 Jan 2012 10:48:12 CST http://www.ahanews.com/ahanews/jsp/display.jsp?dcrpath=AHANEWS/AHANewsNowArticle/data/ann_011212_MedPAC&domain=AHANEWS Tri-State Neighbor, (SD) tells how the eEmergency system of Avera Health in Sioux Falls is entering its third year, and has no plans to slow down as it expands and continues to help smaller rural facilities - and a few larger ones - in six states provide more efficient and timely patient care in emergency rooms. http://www.tristateneighbor.com/news/regional/article_fcdbc7ce-3d61-11e1-aaeb-0019bb2963f4.html Fri, 13 Jan 2012 10:12:27 CST http://www.tristateneighbor.com/news/regional/article_fcdbc7ce-3d61-11e1-aaeb-0019bb2963f4.html HealthLeaders Media article tells how a group of rural hospitals in Texas are working together to purchase insurance at lower prices. http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/content/COM-275209/Rural-Hospitals-Band-Together-for-InsuranceBuying-Power## Thu, 12 Jan 2012 10:27:58 CST http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/content/COM-275209/Rural-Hospitals-Band-Together-for-InsuranceBuying-Power## American Medical News article reports that a new Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services regulation sets a framework for electronic fund transfers that should cut down on administrative time and money spent on processing paper checks, officials said. http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2012/01/09/gvsd0112.htm Thu, 12 Jan 2012 10:13:00 CST http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2012/01/09/gvsd0112.htm Morning Sentinel, (ME) article tells how not only is Redington-Fairview General Hospital one of the 100 best performing hospitals in the country, but it earned the designation despite the challenges of being in a rural, relatively isolated area, according to a recent study. http://www.onlinesentinel.com/news/hospital-overcomeshurdles-to-winnational-acclaim_2012-01-06.html Wed, 11 Jan 2012 11:24:58 CST http://www.onlinesentinel.com/news/hospital-overcomeshurdles-to-winnational-acclaim_2012-01-06.html HealthLeaders Media article reports that healthcare created 22,600 jobs in December, finishing a strong year for job growth that saw 314,700 payroll additions in 2011. http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/content/HR-275073/Healthcare-Created-314K-Jobs-in-2011## Mon, 09 Jan 2012 09:52:20 CST http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/content/HR-275073/Healthcare-Created-314K-Jobs-in-2011## Washington DC May 6, 2012 -- American Hospital Association http://www.aha.org/advocacy-issues/annual-meeting/12-index.shtml Fri, 30 Dec 2011 09:37:11 CST http://www.aha.org/advocacy-issues/annual-meeting/12-index.shtml