Month: November 2022

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Finalize Rural Emergency Hospital Medicare Policies

November 10, 2022

CMS finalizes rural emergency hospital Medicare policies

CMS recently finalized policies for rural emergency hospitals in its final Outpatient Prospective Payment System rule. Through the rule, HHS aims to continue the Biden-Harris administration’s progress in promoting rural health equity. Additionally, the administration is trying to jump start a Medicare program that pays health providers based on patient outcomes rather than by how many services they perform. Your chance to learn how to effectively advocate for health policy and become a leading rural health stakeholder is Feb. 7-9 at NRHA’s 34th Rural Health Policy Institute. NRHA is accepting presentation proposals through Dec. 8 and research posters through Feb. 9 for the association’s 28th Health Equity Conference May 16 in San Diego, Calif.

National Rural Health Association (NRHA) Today

November 10, 2022

Could this be one of the worst years for hospital finances?

Despite having survived the worst of the pandemic, rural hospitals continue to struggle. In Wisconsin staffing shortages, worker burnout, and inflation could spell trouble, according to an industry report. Consistent negative margins are leading to what could be “one of the worst financial years for hospitals” as systems are hit by depressed revenues, heightened expenses, and unfavorable payer mixes. At a recent event moderated by NRHA member Robert Duehmig of the Oregon Office of Rural Health, rural hospital leaders cited challenges including staffing and retention issues. And across the country, 631 rural hospitals are considered at risk of closure. The bipartisan Save America’s Rural Hospitals Act was introduced to the 117th Congress to raise the rural health safety net and keep rural hospitals open. You can advocate for its passage here.

National Rural Health Association (NRHA) Today

November 10, 2022

Twitter Chat – Cochran-McClain to participate in national health care panel, November 21, 2022

In the coming weeks, NRHA’s Government Affairs team is participating in two events promoting rural health. NRHA Chief Policy Officer Carrie Cochran-McClain will be part of a national panel discussion on what is needed to improve rural health care starting at 7 a.m. CST Nov. 21. NRHA’s Government Affairs staff and other national organizations are also participating in a Twitter chat hosted by Rural Health Information Hub at 1 p.m. CST Nov. 16 on health literacy in rural America, including why health literacy is vital for rural individuals to make informed health decisions. Be sure to join NRHA’s Government Affairs team to advocate for health policy and make our rural voices louder at NRHA’s 34th Rural Health Policy Institute Feb. 7-9.

NRHA Webinar – Overcoming Rural Health Revenue Cycle Challenges

November 10, 2022

Overcoming Rural Health Revenue Cycle Challenges

Tuesday, Dec 12, 2:00 – 3:00 pm CST

Join this webinar to learn how to accomplish better revenue cycle outcomes, resolving declining revenues and staff shortage challenges. We will discuss how these challenges can be resolved in the rural healthcare setting, identifying root causes and gaps and then applying rural-specific strategic solutions. Additionally, we will review how successful integration with an experienced business partner is an important tool that rural healthcare.

Speakers: Eric Roselott and Darcy Miller, Revenue Cycle Experts with MEDHOST

Register Here

NRHA Webinar – Transforming Care in Rural America through Innovation and Design Simulation

November 10, 2022

Transforming Care in Rural America through Innovation and Design Simulation

Thursday, Dec 8, 2:00 – 3:00 pm CST

This presentation will review a case study of a Critical Access Hospital and introduce a unique design methodology for developing optimal design solutions. This method aims to inspire creative solutions for internal processes and targeted improvement areas in the built environment to positively impact rural community health.

Learning Objectives include designing a Critical Access Hospital (CAH) for community health, and departmental studies through Lean 3P simulation.

Register Here

NRHA Webinar – Optimize patient outcomes, value, and financial stability with A Transitional Care Program in Your Rural Post-Acute Care

November 10, 2022

Optimize patient outcomes, value, and financial stability with A Transitional Care Program in Your Rural Post-Acute Care

Thursday, Nov 17, 1:00 – 2:00 pm CST

Utilize swing beds at your facility to increase access for a broader patient group. Improving post-acute care in rural areas can reduce rural-urban disparities in patient outcomes after hospitalization and improve the financial stability of CAHs. Allevant Solutions focuses on a transitional care model that involves the patient and family, makes available the full resources of the Critical Access Hospital, and focuses on measured outcomes and evidence-based processes to ensure patients get the best care possible. The Transitional Care Program is centered on teamwork, communication, and collaboration. We will cover the Transitional Care model as well as the business benefits of utilizing and marketing your swing bed program, discuss staff training and education, and review process improvement methodologies that can be used to grow your swing bed volume.

What you will learn:

  • Participants will be able to understand the value of developing high-quality Post-Acute Transitional Care in Critical Access Hospitals in response to a growing patient population and demands and challenges in acute care hospitals.
  • Participants will be able to begin to quantify the opportunity and understand the key steps to initiate, implement and track progress in developing high-quality Post-Acute Transitional Care.
  • Participants will learn how Transitional Care is an effective way to incorporate population health, chronic disease management, and wellness.

Register Here

NRHA Webinar – 10 Things Rural Hospitals can do to Reduce Cyber Liability Insurance Premiums

November 10, 2022

Tuesday, Nov 15, 2:00 – 3:30 pm CST

NRHA Webinar

10 Things Rural Hospitals Can do to Reduce Cyber Liability Insurance Premiums.

Rural hospitals have been hit hard by cyberattacks driving cybersecurity liability insurance premiums skyrocketing. There are many great organizations that “do cybersecurity” as one of their solutions, but in this webinar, you can learn from one of the most respected and impactful rural hospital cyber experts as they share which initiatives are most impactful in securing your data and driving your premiums back down.

Join this live webinar to understand the trends in cybersecurity liability insurance and learn 10 things that rural hospitals can do right now to impact their premiums. Register

Attendees will learn about:

  • Current cybersecurity liability insurance landscape
  • Prioritizing cybersecurity investments to reduce insurance premiums
  • Why it may cost you more to insure than to address the cybersecurity issue
  • 10 things rural hospitals can do to reduce cyber insurance premiums

Register Here

NRHA Webinar – A Case Study: Can a Patient Financing Program Have a Positive Impact for Rural Healthcare Providers?

November 10, 2022

A Case Study: Can a Patient Financing Program Have a Positive Impact for Rural Healthcare Providers?

Wednesday, Nov 16, 2:00 – 3:00 pm CST

In an era of high-deductible health plans, even insured patients may have a hard time meeting their financial obligations. Both traditional self-pay patients and insured patients with large out-of-pocket balances risk going into bad debt if they do not have patient-friendly options for paying their medical bills. Healthcare providers have had success by engaging with a partner to offer flexible low or no-interest payment plans that give patients options that meet their current needs and help reduce the financial stress that medical expenses often create. Join this session and hear how Tahoe Forest Hospital District and Cameron Memorial Community Hospital successfully leveraged services.

Learning Objectives:

  • Demonstrate the potential of vendor-assisted patient financing to provide your organization with the following:
  • Consistent levels of incremental cash collections
  • Reduced administrative costs
  • Staffing flexibility – reassignment of staff to other revenue tasks (i.e., Insurance follow-up)
  • Reduction of accounts receivable levels
  • Decreased Bad Debt Levels and Reserve Requirements
  • Increased patient engagement / satisfaction scores

Register Here

National Rural Health Association (NRHA) Upcoming Webinars

November 10, 2022

Thursday, Nov 10, 2:00 – 3:00 pm CST

NRHA Webinar

We’ll give you insider insight on how to compose a harmonious arrangement between your strategic plan, community health needs assessment, and marketing plan – to increase patient volumes and decrease outmigration. President of Legato Healthcare Marketing, Mike Milligan, and VP of Strategic Services, Amy Yaeger, will outline three components that will increase your volumes and counter outmigration, showcase tactics for melding those components together, offer ways to communicate strategies to stakeholders and offer their expertise in using numbers in evaluation.

Register Here

 

Simple Strategies for Antibiotic Stewardship

November 9, 2022

Simple Strategies: Stay Compliant with Vaccinations

There are three F tags related to vaccinations. F883 Influenza and Pneumococcal Vaccinations, F887 COVID-19 Immunization, and F888 COVID-19 Vaccination of Facility Staff. The requirements are part of the Infection Control regulatory group, which has expanded during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE). Now that standard surveys have resumed, many nursing homes are seeing deficiencies in these areas.

 

The above program information is being forwarded by the Office of Rural Health and Primary Care (ORHPC) as a service of this office.  ORHPC does not endorse or recommend any vendor or service. Please review for the appropriate use within your organization.