Month: January 2023

NRHA in the News – Mobile lab trains first responders after hospital closures

January 13, 2023

NRHA in the News – Mobile lab trains first responders after hospital closures

Within the last eight years, 15 hospitals have closed in Missouri, most of them in rural areas. A mobile simulation lab is now helping train first responders in the state following these closures. Additionally, in rural Traer, Iowa, the struggling ambulance service operates with three paid employees and 16 volunteers. According to Shaun Kennedy, Traer ambulance manager, EMS needs to be made an essential service, as reliance on volunteers – many of whom are either retirement age or young people working out of town – can only get the ambulance service so far.

NRHA webinar on financial assistance program, sustainability

January 13, 2023

NRHA webinar on financial assistance program, sustainability

NRHA Partner Breez will host a webinar at 2 p.m. CST Jan. 18 on how rural hospitals can leverage financial assistance programs for financial sustainability. Attendees will learn to reduce the financial burden of care on indigent patients to improve health outcomes and increase reimbursement; to leverage your financial assistance program to engage indigent patients and improve Medicare bad debt reimbursement; and how financial assistance plays into consumerism and price transparency and can improve the accuracy of patient liability estimates.

Register Here

RHI Hub podcast on health equity in rural America

January 13, 2023

RHI Hub podcast on health equity in rural America

A recording is now available of a recent Rural Health Information Hub podcast on health equity in rural America featuring Alana Knudson and Luciana Rocha of NORC’s Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis, an NRHA member, and Paula Swepson of West Marion Community Forum Inc. Knudson and Rocha provide an overview of rural health equity, and Swepson tells about the formation of West Marion Inc., the improvements they’ve made in their community, and the changes they want to make moving forward. Act by 11:59 p.m. CST today to save hundreds on your chance to advocate in person for health equity in your rural community and those across the country with NRHA Feb. 7-9 in D.C

Click Here to listen to the podcast

NRHA in the News – Rural implications of hospital designations, payment evolution

January 13, 2023

NRHA in the News – Rural implications of hospital designations, payment evolution

New research by NRHA members at the RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis looks at the evolution of hospital designations and payment in the United States, along with implications for rural hospitals. Additionally, the Rural Health Redesign Center Organization’s Rural Emergency Hospital Technical Assistance Center is hosting a webinar at 11:30 a.m. Jan. 18 on an overview of the REH model. Participants will learn about REH requirements and CMS conditions for REH participation and payment, as well as how access ongoing support. Act by 11:59 p.m. CST today to save hundreds on your chance to explore the implications of the REH model and advocate in person for other crucial rural health policies Feb. 7-9 in D.C.

NRHA Awards Spotlight

January 13, 2023

Nominations are now open for NRHA’s 2023 Rural Health Awards. Each year NRHA honors outstanding individuals and organizations in the field of rural health who have dedicated their time and talents to improving the health and well-being of others. Act by Feb. 20 to submit NRHA Rural Health Award nominations

Previous Rural Health Award recipients have stretched the boundaries of possibility by forging innovative programs and services, making rural life healthier and more compassionate.

Nominate your favorite rural health individual, organization, program, or student for these prestigious awards soon for consideration.

Winners will be honored during a special ceremony during NRHA’s Annual Rural Health Conference in San Diego next spring.

For more information click here

NRHA in The News – Maternal, Infant Health in Rural Counties Without OBs

January 13, 2023

NRHA in The News – Maternal, Infant Health in Rural Counties Without OBs

New research by NRHA members at the University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center offers a comparison of evidence-based supports for maternal and infant health in 133 rural U.S. counties with and without hospital-based OB care. Additionally, Titus Regional Medical Center, an NRHA member in rural Texas, has been recognized as one of the best hospitals in the country for maternity care, while women in Deep East Texas drive more than an hour to give birth after the last obstetrics unit in the area closed in 2019. Act by 11:59 p.m. CST today to save hundreds on your chance to advocate in person for the maternity care needs of your community Feb. 7-9 at NRHA’s 34th Rural Health Policy Institute.

NRHA in The News – Children’s hospitals struggle with respiratory illness surge

January 13, 2023

NRHA in The News – Children’s hospitals struggle with respiratory illness surge

At children’s hospitals across the country, facilities are struggling to cope with limited staff and a surge of respiratory illnesses. Facing shortages of critical care beds, medication, and frontline staff amid the onslaught of RSV, COVID-19, and the flu, hospitals serving Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska are collaborating to get children with acute conditions the treatment they need. Additionally, updated antibiotic stewardship requirements come at a vital time, as data show the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in increased antibiotic use and a backslide in stewardship efforts because of the excess strain the outbreak imposed on hospital resources.

NRHA in The News – 2022 was Rough for Hospitals – 2023 Won’t be Much Better

January 13, 2023

NRHA in The News – 2022 was Rough for Hospitals – 2023 Won’t be Much Better

Financial analysts have said that 2022 may have been the worst year for hospital finances in decades. This year looks like it will be yet another year of financial underperformance, with rural providers in especially dire circumstances. Only a handful of rural hospitals closed in 2021 and 2022, but these low totals are due to government relief, according to NRHA COO Brock Slabach, who is expecting an increase in rural hospital closures this year. Recent reports indicate at least 631 hospitals are at risk of closure. Stakeholders cite inflation and shrinking margins as key challenges, which may lead more hospitals to merge with other systems to survive. Act by 11:59 p.m. CST today to save hundreds on your chance to advocate in person for the needs of rural hospitals Feb. 7-9 at NRHA’s 34th Rural Health Policy Institute.

New Policy Brief and Webinar: Impacts of CAH Independence and System Ownership during the COVID-19 Pandemic

January 13, 2023

New Policy Brief and Webinar: Impacts of CAH Independence and System Ownership during the COVID-19 Pandemic

A new policy brief is available on the Flex Monitoring Team (FMT) website: Impacts of Critical Access Hospital Independence and System Ownership during the COVID-19 Pandemic. In this brief, the FMT describes findings from a survey of CAH CEOs about their response to COVID-19, with a specific focus on advantages and disadvantages of system ownership or independence as described by survey participants.

Additionally, a new webinar recording is available on the FMT website: COVID-19 Response in System-Owned and Independent CAHs. In this webinar, the FMT presents findings from their survey of CAHs including advantages and disadvantages of system ownership or independent status, support received from State Flex Programs, staff recruiting challenges, partnerships, and patient transfers.

View Policy Brief

View Webinar

NRHA In The News – Year-end Legislation Includes Funds for Rural Projects

January 13, 2023

NRHA in The News – Year-end Legislation Includes Funds for Rural Projects

The recently passed end-of-year government funding bill includes several bipartisan efforts that benefit rural, including a two-year extension of telehealth and hospital-at-home waivers and the Summer Barrow Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Act introduced by Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.). “This legislation will increase access to needed services in our rural communities,” says NRHA CEO Alan Morgan. The $1.7 trillion omnibus spending bill also includes changes to federal health policy, including easing Medicare provider pay cuts, restarting Medicare redeterminations, and extending federal rural hospital programs. Act by 11:59 p.m. CST today to save hundreds on your chance to advocate for health policy and make our rural voices louder Feb. 7-9 at NRHA’s 34th Rural Health Policy Institute.