Critical Access Hospital (CAH) 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/cah.php Policy brief describes quality measures relevant to Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and identifies policy implications. -- Flex Monitoring Team http://flexmonitoring.org/documents/PolicyBrief25_Relevant-Quality-Measures-CAHs.pdf Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:50:05 CST http://flexmonitoring.org/documents/PolicyBrief25_Relevant-Quality-Measures-CAHs.pdf -- National Rural Health Resource Center http://www.ruralcenter.org/tasc/events/flex-program-workshop-1 Fri, 03 Feb 2012 10:41:19 CST http://www.ruralcenter.org/tasc/events/flex-program-workshop-1 Bethesda MD July 10, 2012 -- National Rural Health Resource Center http://www.ruralcenter.org/tasc/events/2012-national-conference-state-flex-programs-0 Fri, 03 Feb 2012 10:37:22 CST http://www.ruralcenter.org/tasc/events/2012-national-conference-state-flex-programs-0 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 10:20:59 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 09:47:20 CST http://www.ahanews.com/ahanews/jsp/display.jsp?domain=AHANEWS&dcrpath=AHANEWS/AHANewsNowArticle/data/ann_020112_rural As 450 of Americas most passionate advocates are fighting for rural health on Capitol Hill, the NRHA Rural Health Voices blog thought they would recap some of the memorable (and often unscripted) quotes from the National Rural Health Associations 23rd annual Rural Health Policy Institute so far. http://blog.ruralhealthweb.org/2012/01/talk-of-the-town-at-policy-institute/ Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:34:48 CST http://blog.ruralhealthweb.org/2012/01/talk-of-the-town-at-policy-institute/ -- Colorado Rural Health Center http://www.coruralhealth.org/programs/cah/events.htm Wed, 01 Feb 2012 11:10:11 CST http://www.coruralhealth.org/programs/cah/events.htm -- Colorado Rural Health Center http://www.coruralhealth.org/programs/cah/events.htm Wed, 01 Feb 2012 11:06:33 CST http://www.coruralhealth.org/programs/cah/events.htm 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 09:53:44 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 09:45:43 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 16:34:19 CST http://www.coruralhealth.org/events/ Yuma CO February 23, 2012 -- Colorado Rural Health Center http://www.coruralhealth.org/events/ Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:29:13 CST http://www.coruralhealth.org/events/ Rifle CO February 22, 2012 -- Colorado Rural Health Center http://www.coruralhealth.org/events/ Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:25:13 CST http://www.coruralhealth.org/events/ Alamosa CO March 27, 2012 -- Colorado Rural Health Center http://www.coruralhealth.org/events/ Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:13:35 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 15:44:35 CST http://www.cms.gov/OpenDoorForums/23_ODF_PNAHP.asp#TopOfPage NRHA Rural Health Voices blog gives excerpts of a talk given by Mary Wakefield, PhD, Health Resources and Services Administration administrator, at the Rural Health Policy Institute being held this week in Washington, D.C.Wakefield outlined workforce, education, health information technology, telehealth and other HRSA projects and grant programs benefiting or with the potential to help improve rural health quality and access. http://blog.ruralhealthweb.org/2012/01/wakefield-proud-to-partner-with-nrha/ Tue, 31 Jan 2012 10:25:18 CST http://blog.ruralhealthweb.org/2012/01/wakefield-proud-to-partner-with-nrha/ Grant to support the rural safety net by providing technical assistance to State level Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility (Flex) grantees, Small Rural Hospital Improvement Program (SHIP) grantees, and rural hospitals in the Delta Region. -- Office of Rural Health Policy http://www.raconline.org/funding/details.php?funding_id=2768 Mon, 30 Jan 2012 11:47:42 CST http://www.raconline.org/funding/details.php?funding_id=2768 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 09:59:43 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 08:32:21 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 Mon, 30 Jan 2012 08:24:41 CST http://www.ahrq.gov/qual/qitoolkit/?utm_source=Rural+Route+January+27%2C+2012&utm_campaign=rural+route&utm_medium=email Boise ID April 4, 2012 -- Idaho State Office of Rural Health and Primary Care http://healthandwelfare.idaho.gov/default.aspx?TabId=104 Fri, 20 Jan 2012 14:39:18 CST http://healthandwelfare.idaho.gov/default.aspx?TabId=104 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 10:10:48 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 09:11:17 CST http://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2012/01/18/2012-734/medicaid-program-disproportionate-share-hospital-payments-uninsured-definition Topeka Capital-Journal, (KS) article discusses how nurses in rural hospitals must have a variety of skills. http://cjonline.com/news/2012-01-14/rural-area-nurses-provide-critical-care Tue, 17 Jan 2012 10:22:53 CST http://cjonline.com/news/2012-01-14/rural-area-nurses-provide-critical-care 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 09:43:56 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 10:48:04 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 10:12:19 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 10:27:48 CST http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/content/COM-275209/Rural-Hospitals-Band-Together-for-InsuranceBuying-Power## Policy brief identifying and assessing evidence-based patient safety and quality improvement interventions appropriate for use by state Flex Programs and CAHs. -- Flex Monitoring Team http://flexmonitoring.org/documents/PolicyBrief24_Falls-Prevention.pdf Wed, 11 Jan 2012 17:04:39 CST http://flexmonitoring.org/documents/PolicyBrief24_Falls-Prevention.pdf 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 11:24:47 CST http://www.onlinesentinel.com/news/hospital-overcomeshurdles-to-winnational-acclaim_2012-01-06.html