Author: dianawinder

New Microsoft Offers to Support Rural Health Efficiency Innovation, and Resiliency

September 24, 2025

New Microsoft Offers to Support Rural Health Efficiency Innovation, and Resiliency

To build on Microsoft’s philanthropic commitment to all rural health hospitals in the US, the Rural Health Resiliency program is pleased to announce that the following offers are now available:

  • Windows 10 Extended Security Update (ESU) Free One-Year Extension
    • The free one-year Windows 10 ESU is now available to all US rural hospitals.
    • The ESU extends the use of Windows 10 devices in a secure manner, while lightening the cost burden for the transition to Windows 11.
    • The ESU extension is valid through October 13, 2026, and covers up to 250 devices running the latest software update (22H2) per rural hospital.

How to Access Windows 10 ESU and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

    1. To be qualified for this offer, confirm your hospital is listed as “rural” in the Urban and Rural Hospitals database.
      • All independent Critical Access Hospitals and Rural Emergency Hospitals are also qualified.
      • For health system customers, only the specific hospitals listed as rural in the database qualify for this offer.
    1. If you are not yet registered for the Microsoft Rural Health Resiliency Program, register here.
    2. If you do not have an existing Microsoft Account, click here to create your account today. If you have an existing account, sign in as the administrator of the Office 365 account.
    3. Accept TechSoup as a Provider and accept the Microsoft Customer Agreement.
    4. Fill out this request form
    5. Look for an email from TechSoup within the next five business days. It will include the product keys to access your licenses. Once you receive that mail, you will have five calendar days to download the product keys. You will receive one product key per order.

Click Here to Learn More about Microsoft’s ESU program

  • Pro Bono Cloud Capability Evaluations

Many rural hospitals still depend on on-premises infrastructure due to financial, technical, and connectivity challenges. This legacy IT drains budgets, slows staff, and steals time from patient care. The Cloud Capability Evaluation gives rural hospitals a clear roadmap to shift IT infrastructure to be cloud-powered, secure, and cost effective.

    • If your hospital is already registered for the Rural Health Resiliency program send an email to: RuralHealth@microsoft.com to schedule your free evaluation.
    • If your hospital has not yet registered for the program, and would like to access the Free Cloud Capability Evaluation and other offers, click here to register today.
  • Free AI-powered Claims Denial Navigator Tool

To streamline insurance claim processing, the Claims Denial Navigator – the first AI innovation co-created with healthcare leaders in the Rural Health AI Innovation Lab (RHAIL) – is now available for free on GitHub: RHAIL Claims Denial Navigator.

This AI-powered tool helps recover lost revenue and streamline the process of researching and resolving denied Medicare, Medicaid, and commercial insurance claims. Built to be lightweight and flexible, this tool:

    • Requires minimal capacity in SharePoint, Azure, and Power Apps,
    • Operates entirely within your hospital or organization’s existing IT environment, and
    • Is EHR-agnostic with no integration or interfacing required

The Microsoft Rural Health Resiliency (RHR) Program provides free cybersecurity, affordability, and AI tools to all rural hospitals in the U.S.

Applications Now Being Accepted: Health Professional Loan Repayment Program (HPLRP)

September 24, 2025

Applications Now Being Accepted: Health Professional Loan Repayment Program (HPLRP)

The Health Professional Loan Repayment Program (HPLRP) is currently accepting applications for qualifying health care, mental health, or public health professionals. Applicants may be eligible for up to $60,000 in loan repayment to apply to your qualifying educational debt through the HPLRP in exchange for a two-year service commitment in an area of need.

Deadline to apply is 11:59 p.m. CST, November 1, 2025.

Click Here to Learn More and Apply

OR

Send questions to DHSS.LoanRepayment@health.mo.gov

Whitepaper: RCM at a Crossroads: How 100+ Finance Leaders are Preparing for What’s Next

September 22, 2025

Whitepaper: RCM at a Crossroads: How 100+ Finance Leaders are Preparing for What’s Next

Delayed reimbursements, rising denials and under-resourced revenue cycle teams are putting hospital margins at risk.

This report shares insights from 115 finance and RCM leaders on how health systems are upgrading workflows with automation, hybrid staffing models and strategic partnerships to regain control.

Download now to explore the most pressing RCM challenges and see how top performers are building resilient revenue cycles for 2025 and beyond.

You’ll Learn:

  • Why traditional denial management fall short, and what high performers do differently,
  • How hybrid RCM staffing models support scalability and reduce burnout, and
  • Automation strategies that drive real ROI – not just added complexity.

Click Here to Download Whitepaper

Whitepaper: New Guide Tackles Connected Chronic Conditions Across Care Teams

September 22, 2025

Whitepaper: New Guide Tackles Connected Chronic Conditions Across Care Teams

About 1 in 3 U.S. adults have at least three risk factors for cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) syndrome – a condition rooted in the overlap of heart disease, kidney disease and metabolic disorders like Type 2 diabetes and obesity.

Yet care delivery remains fragmented, with primary and specialty teams often working in silos.

The American Heart Association’s CKM Health Implementation Guide offers a practical framework to help clinicians detect risk earlier, align workflows and deliver more person-centered care. No matter your specialty, this guide shows how to operationalize the science and design care around whole-patient needs.

Download to Learn:

  • How to stage and manage overlapping heart, kidney and metabolic conditions from prevention to progression,
  • What to add – and remove – from workflows: waist circumference, kidney screening, social risk, and
  • How to implement a CKM coordinator model to connect care across specialties.

Click Here to Download Whitepaper

Health Center Facility Loan Guarantee Program

September 22, 2025

Health Center Facility Loan Guarantee Program

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Health Center Facility Loan Guarantee Program facilitates access to capital funding and reduces financing costs for health center by guaranteeing up to 80% of financing needed to support capital infrastructure projects.

After approving a loan guarantee, HRSA monitors the loan repayment status and assesses the operational/financial viability of the health center during the life of the loan.

Funding may be used for the construction, expansion, alteration, renovation, and modernization of health center medical facilities.

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Health centers interested in applying should email LGProgram@hrsa.gov and provide the following information:

  • Health Center name and H80 Award Number,
  • Anticipated project scope,
  • Type of construction activity (new construction, renovation, new site, replacement facility),
  • Total project cost,
  • Financing needs and potential lender(s), and
  • Timeline and status of project planning and financing

Click Here to Learn More

RHIhub Article: Instead of Selling, Some Rural Hospitals Band Together to Survive

September 22, 2025

RHIhub Article: Instead of Selling, Some Rural Hospitals Band Together to Survive

This article profiles the Rough Rider Network, a collaborative effort of 22 independent rural healthcare facilities known as a Clinical Integration Network (CIN).

Located in North Dakota, these facilities are working together to save money and improve care across all facilities.

Click Here to Read Full Article

RHIhub Article: Broadening Access to Minimally Invasive Surgery Could Narrow Rural-Urban Health Gaps

September 22, 2025

RHIhub Article: Broadening Access to Minimally Invasive Surgery Could Narrow Rural-Urban Health Gaps

This article summarizes recent research findings that rural residents are more likely to experience poor outcomes compared to urban residents following surgery for colon cancer. Greater access to minimally invasive surgery MIS for rural patients is identified as a solution for improving surgery outcomes.

The article also discusses challenges with expanding access to MIS.

Click Here to Read More

On-Demand Webinar: the AHA’s Telehealth Certification: Key Details and How to Prepare

September 22, 2025

On-Demand Webinar: the AHA’s Telehealth Certification: Key Details and How to Prepare

The Certified Professional by the American Heart Association (CPAHA) Telehealth designation is more than a credential – it’s a career catalyst. But many telehealth professionals lack a clear roadmap to prepare and succeed.

Join Carly Brown, PharmD, a clinical pharmacist at the University of Mississippi Medical Center’s Center for Telehealth, for a candid conversation on what it really takes to prepare for and pass the CPAHA-Telehealth exam. She’ll share her certification journey, study strategies and lessons learned along the way.

What You’ll Learn:

  • How to approach each stage of the CPAHA-Telehealth certification process,
  • Common mistakes and how to avoid them during preparation and testing, and
  • Key resources and study strategies that actually work.

Cost: Free

When: This webinar is on-demand and can be viewed at your convenience

Click Here to access webinar

New FMT Resource: Sustaining Rural Labor & Delivery Programs

September 19, 2025

New FMT Resource: Sustaining Rural Labor & Delivery Programs

Over the past decade, hundreds of rural hospitals have stopped offering Labor & Delivery services, and many remaining programs face financial and operational challenges. Drawing on case studies from previous Stroudwater Associates engagements, this resource details three strategies that may bring a Labor & Delivery program closer to sustainability and prevent unnecessary closures in rural areas.

These strategies ensure that Critical Access Hospitals and rural hospitals understand how to properly:

  • Allocate costs and statistics in the Medicare Cost Report to maximize the value created by the Labor & Delivery program,
  • Evaluate the contribution margin of the program, and
  • Leverage other opportunities, such as partnerships and family practice obstetricians, to enhance the efficiency of the program.

This resource can be used by hospitals to support informed decision-making and optimize resource allocation to improve financial sustainability and ensure continued access to Labor & Delivery services in rural communities.

Click Here for Sustaining Rural Labor & Delivery Programs Resource

Webinar: Early Capital Planning Phases, September 24

September 18, 2025

Webinar: Early Capital Planning Phases, September 24

Is your health center considering a renovation, expansion, or new site? The success of any capital project is determined long before the first blueprint is drawn.

The early planning phases -where strategic vision meets operational and financial reality – are the most crucial. This webinar will provide your leadership team with a proven framework to navigate this complex process, align your project with community need, and build a compelling case for funders.

Join Capital Link, a national nonprofit with over 30 years of experience guiding health centers through $1.6 billion in successful capital projects, for this essential deep dive into early-stage planning.

What You Will Learn:

In this actionable session, our experts will guide you through the sequential steps of early project planning:

  • Strategic Alignment:
    • How to ensure your capital project is driven by your mission and informed by a robust, board-led strategic plan, as required by HRSA.
  • Market Justification:
    • Learn how to use data from UDS, EHB Forms, and market mapping tools to define your service area, identify unmet need, and quantitatively justify expansion.
  • Operational Assessment:
    • Methods to evaluate your current operations, staffing, and workflows to forecast future needs and avoid simply recreating existing bottlenecks in a new space.
  • Financial Readiness:
    • How to assess your organization’s financial capacity and debt readiness to undertake a capital project sustainably.
  • The Functional Program:
    • An introduction to translating your operational needs into a preliminary space plan – the essential document that guides architects and funders.

This webinar is designed for health center leaders and teams involved in strategic growth planning, including:

  • CEOs, COOs, and CFOs
  • Board Members
  • Facilities and Operations Directors
  • Project Managers and
  • Development and Strategy Staff

Cost: Free

When: Wednesday, September 24, 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Click Here to Register