Rural Spotlight

Call for Exhibitors – 2025 Annual Rural Health Day Celebration

August 28, 2025

Planning for the annual Rural Health Day Celebration is underway and the Office of Rural Health and Primary Care (ORHPC) is seeking exhibitors to showcase their goods and services.

The event is scheduled to take place at the Capital Bluffs Event Center, in Jefferson City on Thursday, November 20.

Exhibitor Information:

Cost to Exhibit: No Charge

When: Thursday, November 20 (set up ay begin at 7:30 a.m. the event activities will occur between 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Where: Capital Bluffs Event Center, 1616 Oilwell Rd, Jefferson City, MO

Interested groups/organizations should send an email to Diana Winder, Flex/SHIP/SORH Grant Coordinator, diana.winder@health.mo.gov, or call 573 526-2486 to reserve a space.

 

Call for Sponsors – Annual Rural Health Day Celebration

August 28, 2025

Call for Sponsors – Annual Rural Health Day Celebration

The Office of Rural Health and Primary Care (ORHPC) seeks sponsors for the 2025 Annual Rural Health Day Celebration.

The event is scheduled for Thursday, November 20, at the Capital Bluffs Event Center, in Jefferson City. Lunch for the event must be catered through the event center and we are seeking sponsors to share in the cost of the meal that will be provided.

Sponsors are requested to join all other sponsors in paying an equal share for the lunch that will be provided. Sponsors will be provided an exhibit table and their organization’s logo will be used to advertise the sponsorship.

Organization/Groups interested in participating as a sponsor please contact:

By October 1, 2025.

Webinar: Beyond the Bedside: Expanding Access and Equity Through Virtual Nursing, September 19

August 27, 2025

Webinar: Beyond the Bedside: Expanding Access and Equity Through Virtual Nursing, September 19

Staffing constraints in rural hospitals are leaving patients vulnerable. Meanwhile, urban units face mounting acuity, and bedside teams are burning out under relentless demand. Without new approaches, care delays, inequities and rising turnover will only worsen.

But some health systems are breaking this cycle. Virtual nursing is enabling them to optimize workforce deployment, extend coverage across geographies and deliver consistent, patient-centered care even in resource-limited settings.

Join this online learning session to hear how virtual care models are improving access, reducing burnout and strengthening trust across diverse care environments.

You’ll gain insights on:

  • Closing rural staffing gaps while enhancing coverage in high-acuity settings,
  • Balancing nurse workloads with tech-enabled support, and
  • Building equity-driven virtual care models that scale.

Cost: Free

When: Friday, September 19, 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Click Here to Register

Webinar: From Data to Dollars: How to Optimize Reimbursement Strategy, September 18

August 27, 2025

Webinar: From Data to Dollars: How to Optimize Reimbursement Strategy, September 18

Margin erosion, payer rate compression and regulatory mandates are squeezing healthcare revenue. For many systems, reimbursement strategies remain reactive, leaving millions on the table.

Without a data-driven approach, organizations risk falling behind in payer negotiations and missing opportunities that standalone data solutions may not uncover.

In this session, leaders share how health systems, physician groups, and management companies can elevate their reimbursement strategy by going beyond traditional models through marrying internal cost and contract data with external market rate benchmarks.

Key Learnings:

  • How transparency mandates are reshaping payer-provider negotiations,
  • The datasets and governance models that support ongoing revenue optimization, and
  • Methods to integrate internal and external data

Cost: Free

When: Thursday, September 18, 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Click Here to Register

Webinar: Metrics That Matter: Moving the Needle on Flow, Quality, and Financials, September 24

August 27, 2025

Webinar: Metrics That Matter: Moving the Needle on Flow, Quality, and Financials, September 24

Hospitals face an overwhelming number of performance metrics, making it challenging to know where to focus. In this session, you’ll learn how health system leaders cut through the noise prioritizing the right metrics and using advanced analytics, interdisciplinary huddles, and leadership accountability to unlock capacity, elevate quality, and strengthen margin.

Attendees will leave with:

  • The essential KPIs that drive sustainable improvements in throughput, quality, and financial performance,
  • Proven strategies for leveraging team alignment and accountability to move the right metrics, and
  • A quick-start action guide for measurable wins without additional resources.

Cost: Free

When: Wednesday, September 24, 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Click Here to Register

The 340B Program, Explained

August 27, 2025

The 340B Program, Explained

More than three decades ago, Congress created the 340B program to help safety-net hospitals and clinics expand resources and care for underserved communities.

By requiring pharmaceutical companies to offer deep discounts on outpatient drugs, the program has become a hallmark resource to help health systems support vulnerable patients. In recent years, however, the program has drawn scrutiny from federal lawmakers as several drug makers have introduced alternative rebate and drug pricing models, raising questions about the direction of the program.

Hospitals have also faced increased scrutiny in recent years over how they are utilizing 340B savings. This intensified after a Senate report published in April found some of the largest health systems were exploiting the system. According to the report, Cincinnati-based Bon Secours Mercy Health and Cleveland Clinic generated hundreds of millions of dollars by acquiring discounted drugs and then charged patients significantly higher prices. Both health systems defended their participation in the 340B program, telling Becker’s they operated the program in compliance with federal rules.

Click Here to Read Full Article

Urban Hospitals Increasingly Poaching Rural Funds

August 27, 2025

Urban Hospitals Increasingly Poaching Rural Funds

A regulatory loophole has allowed hundreds of large, urban hospitals to claim rural benefits, raining alarms from lawmakers and experts who warn that taxpayer dollars are being diverted from the very communities Congress intended to protect.

In 2016, CMS revised its regulations in response to two federal court decisions: Geisinger Community Medical Center v. Secretary and Lawrence and Memorial Hospital v. Burwell. The rule change effectively permitted hospitals to use a two-step reclassification process to be designated as both urban and rural for Medicare purposes, a practice CMS had previously prohibited.

The impact was immediate.

According to a study published in Health Affairs in August, the number of urban hospitals claiming rural status jumped from just three in 2017 to 425 in 2023. The number o hospital beds in dual-classified facilities skyrocketed from fewer than 400 in 2017 to more than 162,000 in 2023, representing 61% of all beds in administratively rural hospitals nationwide.

More than 75% were nonprofit organizations, and all of the top 20 highest-revenue facilities with dual status were teaching hospitals, with net patient revenues ranging from $2.9 billion to more than $9 billion. New York City-based New York Presbyterian Hospital, with 2,850 beds and nearly $9.3 billion in patient revenue, topped the list.

Click Here to Read Full Article

Webinar: Closing Healthcare Communication Gaps with AI, September 17

August 27, 2025

Webinar: Closing Healthcare Communication Gaps with AI, September 17

Disconnected systems and inefficient workflows often lead to patient frustration, staff dissatisfaction and compliance risk.

In today’s complex healthcare environment, outdated communication tools slow decision-making and leave critical messages unanswered, which has negative implications for care quality and patient satisfaction.

Join this virtual learning session to discover how AI-driven communications are transforming patient interactions, streamlining operations and supporting HIPAA compliance.

You’ll Learn:

  • Practical ways AI is being deployed to automate key workflows,
  • How to measure and optimize communication efficiency across care teams, and
  • Steps to ensure security and compliance while scaling AI

Cost: Free

When: Wednesday, September 17, 12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m.

Click Here to Register

Webinar: Securing Your ASC’s Future: Reducing Burnout Costs & Boosting Revenue, September 26

August 27, 2025

Webinar: Securing Your ASC’s Future: Reducing Burnout Costs & Boosting Revenue, September 26

Ambulatory surgery centers are facing a perfect storm – staffing shortages, rising burnout and growing operational pressures, all while patient expectations climb. Every cancellation, delayed procedure and inefficient workflow directly erodes revenue and accelerates turnover.

In this panel discussion, ASC leaders and industry experts will share proven strategies to combat these challenges. You’ll learn how to quantify the hidden financial and emotional costs of burnout, close workflow gaps, reduce cancellations and leverage technology to strengthen sustainability and patient experience.

Key Takeaways:

  • How to measure burnout’s true cost and pinpoint high-impact workflow improvements,
  • Strategies to prevent and address cancellations to protect revenue and patient trust, and
  • The role of technology in driving ASC efficiency, sustainability and value-based care outcomes.

Cost: Free

When: Friday, September 26, 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Click Here to Register

Webinar: Fewer Resources, Same Patient Needs: How AI Can Bridge the Gap Post-OBBBA, September 26

August 27, 2025

Webinar: Fewer Resources, Same Patient Needs: How AI Can Bridge the Gap Post-OBBBA, September 26

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act is poised to disrupt healthcare’s financial landscape. With more Americans expected to lose healthcare coverage, hospitals face a growing patient population with limited ability to pay – but the same clinical needs.

Providers must prepare now to deliver high-quality care with fewer resources. That’s where AI comes in.

This session unpacks how AI-powered engagement and automation tools are helping health systems improve access, adherence and prevention – without inflating costs or clinician workloads. From proactive reminders to asynchronous care models and personalized outreach, these strategies can ensure patients stay on track even when coverage disappears.

Insights Include:

  • How AI can boost adherence with automated nudges for medication, physical therapy and care plans,
  • Ways to scale asynchronous, low-cost care that keeps patients out of the hospital, and
  • Strategies to simplify care delivery while improving experience – even in resource-strapped settings.

Cost: Free

When: Friday, September 26, 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Click Here to Register