Critical Access Hospitals and Rural Hospital Flexibility Program
Current Projects
Assistance to Develop a Rural Health Plan for Wyoming
Research center:
Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
Funder:
Wyoming Office of Rural Health
Topic:
Critical Access Hospitals and Rural Hospital Flexibility Program
RUPRI Center researchers will provide analytical and process support to the Wyoming Office of Rural Health to develop a state health plan for the Wyoming Rural Hospital Flexibility Grant Program.
Critical Access Hospital Conversion Tracking
Research center:
North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topic:
Critical Access Hospitals and Rural Hospital Flexibility Program
Information regarding new CAH conversions will be gathered from Flex coordinators and CMS, and added to the CAH management information dataset that is housed at UNC. Flex coordinators will also be queried regarding topics of interest to the coordinators, the monitoring team, and the federal Office of Rural Health Policy.
Critical Access Hospital Readiness for CMS Value-Based Purchasing
Research centers:
North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center,
Upper Midwest Rural Health Research Center
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Critical Access Hospitals and Rural Hospital Flexibility Program,
Health care financing,
Quality
The purpose of this project will be to assess Critical Access Hospital readiness for participation in a Value-based Purchasing program similar to that proposed by CMS for Prospective Payment System hospitals.
Developing a Financial Performance Measurement System for Critical Access Hospitals
Research center:
North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Critical Access Hospitals and Rural Hospital Flexibility Program,
Health care financing
This project uses research and expert opinion to select dimensions and indicators of financial performance, develop appropriate bases or methods of peer comparison, investigate the relationship between quality of care and financial performance, and identify characteristics of high performing CAHs.
Impact of CAH Conversion on Hospital Costs and Mix of Services
Research center:
Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Critical Access Hospitals and Rural Hospital Flexibility Program,
Health care financing,
Health services
This study is examining Medicare Cost Report and claims data for hospitals before and after CAH conversion in order to better understand changes in hospital costs associated with CAH conversion, factors associated with any cost growth, and changes in the mix of services provided by the facility.
Measuring Quality Performance in CAHs
Research center:
Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Critical Access Hospitals and Rural Hospital Flexibility Program,
Quality
The purpose of the project is to update our previous analyses of CAH participation in Hospital Compare, analyze trends over time, and explore additional sources of quality data for CAHs.
Measuring the Community Benefits and Impact of Critical Access Hospitals
Research center:
Maine Rural Health Research Center
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topic:
Critical Access Hospitals and Rural Hospital Flexibility Program
This project will develop, test, and implement a set of community benefits and impact indicators for Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs). These indicators will assist CAHs, policymakers, and rural stakeholders to understand the impact of CAHs on their communities and local health care delivery systems.
Quality Improvement Organizations' Contributions to Rural Hospital Performance
Research center:
Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Critical Access Hospitals and Rural Hospital Flexibility Program,
Health information technology,
Hospitals and clinics,
Quality
This qualitative study is designed to gather information on best-practices in Quality Improvement Organization (QIO)-rural hospital partnerships. Specifically, this study will identify successful and replicable examples in which QIOs have worked with rural and critical access hospitals to improve processes of care, implement health information technology and promote organizational safety culture.
Rural Hospital Flexibility Performance Monitoring Project
Research centers:
Maine Rural Health Research Center,
Minnesota Rural Health Research Center ,
North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topic:
Critical Access Hospitals and Rural Hospital Flexibility Program
Under contract with the federal Office of Rural Health Policy, the Rural Health Research Centers at the Universities of Minnesota, North Carolina, and Southern Maine are cooperatively conducting a performance monitoring project for the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program (Flex Program). The monitoring project will assess the impact of the Flex Program on rural hospitals and communities and the role of states in achieving overall program objectives, including improving access to and the quality of health care services; improving the financial performance of Critical Access Hospitals; and engaging rural communities in health care system development.
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