Rural Spotlight

Webinar: How System Finance Leaders are Turning Manual Processes into Bottom-Line Wins, March 26

March 25, 2025

Webinar: How System Finance Leaders are Turning Manual Processes into Bottom-Line Wins, March 26

The pressure on finance leaders to cut costs, reduce errors and optimize cash flow is unrelenting, yet manual accounting processes still stand in the way.

Inefficiencies created by outdated processes don’t just waste time – they drain resources, risk compliance and strain supplier relationships. Time wasted on manual tasks equals missed opportunities to improve the bottom line.

Join industry leaders to learn how automation is transforming accounts payable and accounts receivable processes for health systems. Panelists will share actionable strategies to evaluate workflows from procurement to payment, implement technology and save costs while enhancing efficiency and growth.

Key insights will include:

  • Payment processes ripe for improvement and how automation can streamline operations,
  • How to leverage reports and dashboards effectively for data-driven decision-making and reducing costs and errors,
  • Organization- and supplier-level benefits of automating invoicing and payments, and
  • Actionable next steps for implementing automation with minimal disruption and maximum ROI.

Cost: Free

When: Wednesday, March 26, 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Click Here to Register

Webinar: The Future of Care Management: Leveraging AI and Automation, March 27

March 25, 2025

Webinar: The Future of Care Management: Leveraging AI and Automation, March 27

Traditional care management strategies are struggling to keep pace with rising administrative burdens, workforce shortages and increasingly complex member needs. Outdated processes – like relying on phone calls – fail to scale engagement and leave care teams overwhelmed.

Health plans are turning to AI-driven technologies, such as co-pilots, to modernize care management. These tools enhance traditional care management by automating outreach, improving data-driven decision-making and expanding digital engagement across all risk levels.

Join industry leaders as they share real-world insights on how AI and automation are transforming care management. Learn how your organization can:

  • Expand digital reach and engage more members effectively,
  • Overcome key challenges, from data quality to adoption hurdles,
  • Streamline workflows and reduce operational burdens, and
  • Improve member outcomes and measure the ROI of digital strategies.

Cost: Free

When: Thursday, March 27, 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Click Here to Register

National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program Application Now Open

March 24, 2025

National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program Application Now Open

Eligible health professionals may now apply to the National Health Service Corps’ three loan repayment programs, through May 1, 2025.

NHSC Loan Repayment Program

NHSC SUD Workforce Loan Repayment Program

NHSC Rural Community Loan Repayment Program

This year’s program funding for eligible clinicians, including an increase of 50 percent in the two-year NHSC Loan Repayment Program award amount to $75,000 for full-time primary care participants.

Click Here to compare programs and learn more about eligible disciplines.

Apply Today to Join the April 2025 CEO Cohort, Kick off April 22

March 24, 2025

Apply Today to Join the April 2025 CEO Cohort, Kick off April 22

Today’s rural hospitals and clinics have tremendous challenges and uncertainty and are closing at an unprecedented rate. One out of three rural hospitals have been identified as “at risk”. Nearly half of rural hospital CEOs are first time CEOs. Hospital CEO turnover continues to lead all industries, and when CEO turnover occurs, the pool of qualified candidates is limited.

NRHA’s Rural Hospital CEO Certification Program was developed by successful rural hospital CEOs for rural hospital CEOs with the intent of assisting current rural hospital CEOs strengthen their leadership skills to help lead their hospital to success. An individual with this certification will immediately be recognized as someone qualified to lead a rural hospital with excellence.

Course Curriculum

  • Leadership
    • INTRA-Personal Leadership
    • INTER-Personal Leadership
    • Organizational Leadership
    • Community Leadership
  • Operations
    • Regulatory Compliance
    • Data Analytics & Predictive Analysis
    • Lean Management
    • IT/Cybersecurity
    • Insurance
    • Working with your Board & Strategic Planning
  • Finance
    • Fee for Service
    • Population Health
    • Dashboard Items
    • Supply Chain
  • Clinical
    • Physician/Patient Outcomes
    • Physician/Providers
    • Physician Engagement
    • Quality

Curriculum will be delivered virtually over a 9-month period in concert with NRHA meetings. Successful completion of the program requires participation in 80% of the live training modules that make up the Building Blocks and receiving a passing grade of 90% or better of all written and oral tests.

Upon successful completion of the program recipients will receive a certificate of completion.

Click Here to Learn More

Register Early and Save: 2025 Rural Healthcare Innovation Summit, June 9-10

March 24, 2025

Register Early and Save: 2025 Rural Healthcare Innovation Summit, June 9-10

The Rural Healthcare Innovation Summit, hosted by Business Research Intelligence Network, brings together rural hospital executives, health system leaders and key stakeholders to explore sustainable solutions for rural healthcare delivery. This forum provides practical strategies for leveraging technology, partnerships and payment innovation to ensure rural healthcare sustainability and growth.

Throughout the two-day summit, participants will examine critical topics including digital health implementation, workforce solutions, value-based care models and strategic partnerships. The program features insights from successful rural healthcare leaders, interactive discussions and focused networking designed to address rural healthcare’s most pressing business challenges.

Attendees will gain actionable strategies for financial sustainability, operational excellence and innovative care delivery models tailored to rural settings. The Rural Healthcare Innovation Summit is essential for rural hospital executives, board members and healthcare leaders seeking to transform their organizations while preserving access to care in their communities.

Key Highlights:

  • Rural Healthcare Transformation: New Models for Sustainability,
  • Digital Innovation and Virtual Care Access,
  • Financial Sustainability Through Alternative Payment Models
  • Strategic Partnerships: Expanding Services While Maintaining Independence
  • Rural Healthcare Analytics: Converting Data into Strategic Insights
  • Workforce Solutions: Innovative Approaches to Talent Acquisition and Retention
  • Network Development and Management in Rural Markets
  • Emergency Services and Critical Access Models
  • Rural Hospital Board Governance: Leading Through Transformation
  • Capital Planning and Investment Strategies for Rural Providers
  • Service Line Optimization: Making Strategic Choices
  • The Future of Rural Healthcare

When: June 9-10, 2025

Where: The Cosmopolitan, Las Vegas, NV

Click Here to Request Brochure

Click Here to Visit Conference Website

Webinar: How to Navigate the Gray Area of Medical Coding with Ease, April 9

March 24, 2025

Webinar: How to Navigate the Gray Area of Medical Coding with Ease, April 9

Don’t fear the gray areas of medical coding. This webinar will uncover common challenges in accuracy, staying updated with coding changes and managing complex cases.

You will also learn how the right experts can help you navigate the gray areas of medical coding with confidence.

Key Takeaways:

  • How having dedicated resources to assist with quality assurance and KPIs drives continuous improvement and optimized performance,
  • What you can achieve with a team available to answer your questions 24/7, and
  • Understanding the value and impact of a team of outsourced experts.

Cost: Free

When: Wednesday, April 9, 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.

Click Here to Register

 

Article: 25 Payer Execs Weigh in on Healthcare’s Needed Conversations

March 24, 2025

Article: 25 Payer Execs Weigh in on Healthcare’s Needed Conversations

The healthcare industry needs to have more conversations about patient experience, AI and preventive care, according to payer executives.

Becker’s connected with 25 leaders to learn more about what they say is underdiscussed in healthcare.

Question: What is not being talked about enough in healthcare?

  • David Agler, MD. Chief Medical Officer at First Choice Health:

We must shift our focus from simply delivering care to truly understanding the patient’s experience within the healthcare system. This means acknowledging the overwhelming complexity of navigating appointments, insurance, and billing, which often leaves patients feeling lost and frustrated. We need to address the systemic barriers, like long wait times and physician shortages that lead to patient disengagement and reliance on costly emergency care. Ultimately, a patient-centered approach demands transparency in costs, simplified processes and a genuine commitment to easing the burden of accessing necessary medical services. It’s time to prioritize the human element, ensuring that every individual feels supported and empowered throughout their healthcare journey.

  • Margaret Anderson. Interim President, Senior Vice President and Chief Sales and Marketing Officer at Health Alliance Plan:

Patient choice isn’t one size fits all. What matters most to one person may be different for another. That’s why we offer a range of options – PPOs for broad access, HMOs for coordinated care and cost savings, and high-performing networks that provide great value. As we continue to grow statewide, our focus remains on ensuring members have the flexibility to choose the care model that works best for them, with access to high-quality providers when and where they need it.

Click Here to Read More

Article: Healthcare Payments Report: Why Most Patients Aren’t Satisfied With Financial Communication + More

March 24, 2025

Article: Healthcare Payments Report: Why Most Patients Aren’t Satisfied with Financial Communication + More

Nearly 60% of patients are less than satisfied with their providers’ communication on healthcare costs. Confusing bills, unexpected charges, and a lack of transparency make it difficult for them to manage their medical expenses. In today’s competitive healthcare landscape, financial transparency isn’t just a courtesy – it’s a necessity.

This Healthcare Payments Insights Report uncovers the latest trends and consumer preferences, as well as emerging challenges and opportunities in healthcare payments.

Key learnings include:

  • Current patient experience trends related to healthcare costs,
  • Current provider experience trends and evolving payment channels, and
  • Opportunities for improvement and innovation in healthcare payments.

Click Here to Read More

Webinar: How System Finance Leaders are Turning Manual Processes into Bottom-Line Wins, March 26

March 24, 2025

Webinar: How System Finance Leaders are Turning Manual Processes into Bottom-Line Wins, March 26

The pressure on finance leaders to cut costs, reduce errors and optimize cash flow is unrelenting, yet manual accounting processes still stand in the way.

Inefficiencies created by outdated processes don’t just waste time – they drain resources, risk compliance and strain supplier relationships. Time wasted on manual tasks equals missed opportunities to improve the bottom line.

Join industry leaders to learn how automation is transforming accounts payable and accounts receivable processes for health systems. Panelists will share actionable strategies to evaluate workflows from procurement to payment, implement technology and save costs while enhancing efficiency and growth.

Key Insights will Include:

  • Payment processes ripe for improvement and how automation can streamline operations,
  • How to leverage reports and dashboards effectively for data-driven decision-making and reducing costs and errors,
  • Organization- and supplier-level benefits of automating invoicing and payments, and
  • Actionable next steps for implementing automation with minimal disruption and maximum ROI.

Cost: Free

When: Wednesday, March 26, 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Click Here to Register

Article: Hackers Use ChatGPT to Target Healthcare

March 24, 2025

Article: Hackers Use ChatGPT to Target Healthcare

Health systems should be on the lookout for a ChatGPT vulnerability hackers are using to target industries including healthcare, the American Hospital Association warns.

Cybersecurity firm Veriti reported March 12 that a server-side request forgery in ChatGPT has been used in more than 10,000 cyberattack attempts worldwide, according to the March 18 AHA article. The National Institute of Standards and Technology scores the vulnerability as “medium risk.”

“This could allow an attacker to steal sensitive data or impact the availability of the AI tool,” said Scott Gee, AHA deputy national advisor for cybersecurity and risk, in the article. “This highlights the importance of integrating patch management into a comprehensive governance plan for AI when it is implemented in a hospital environment.”

Click Here to Read More About Cybersecurity