March 1, 2023
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) – End of Public Health Emergency (PHE) Fact Sheet
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has published a fact sheet explaining how the end of the PHE will impact vaccines, testing, treatment, telehealth, certain blanket waivers, virtual supervision and more.
On February 9, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the Public Health Emergency (PHE) for COVID-19 will end on May, 11, 2023. COVID-19 remains a significant priority for the Biden-Harris Administration and over the next several months, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will work to ensure a smooth transition. During the PHE, CMS has used a combination of emergency authority waivers, regulations, enforcement discretion, and sub-regulatory guidance to ensure easier access to care during the PHE for health care providers and their beneficiaries.
Some of the flexibilities that were created during the pandemic were recently expanded by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023. Others, while critical during our initial responses to COVID-19, are no longer needed. CMS has made further updates to our CMS Emergencies Page with useful information for providers – specifically around major telehealth and individual waivers – that were initiated during the Public Health Emergency (PHE).
Please reference the following guidance in response to the PHE ending May 11, 2023:
Provider-specific fact sheets about COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) waivers and flexibilities: https://www.cms.gov/coronavirus-waivers
CMS COVID-19 Waivers and Flexibilities for Providers include:
February 21, 2023
The National Association of Rural Health Clinics (NARHC), Center for Medicare, and Rural Health Value are hosting a webinar on rural health clinic participation in the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP). The webinar will be held on March 7 at 3:00 pm ET on Zoom. You must register in advance.
Speakers will include Dr. Doug Jacobs, Chief Transformation Officer at the Center for Medicare and Dr. Clint MacKinney, Co-Principal Investigator at Rural Health Value. Nathan Baugh and Sarah Hohman at NARHC will moderate the session. The will share an overview of the MSSP, highlight RHC opportunities, review 2024 MSSP changes, and provide time for Q&A. All interested members are encouraged to attend.
Register Here
February 17, 2023
Chartis Study Shows More Rural Hospitals Slash Services
The Chartis Group released a study at NRHA’s Rural Health Policy Institute last week that found nearly 51 percent of rural hospitals have a negative operating margin and indicates the number of facilities eliminating services like obstetrics increased in 2022.
Experts say the REH designation could offer a lifeline, especially as pandemic relief dollars are tapped out and patient volumes fail to return to pre-pandemic levels, according to NRHA COO Brock Slabach. Around 500 rural health stakeholders traveled to Washington, D.C., for NRHA’s Rural Health Policy Institute to advocate in person for solutions to these and other pressing challenges. Check out all videos, data, advocacy materials, and other documents under the Agenda tab of the event page, as well as NRHA’s fighting for rural page and the conference app.
February 15, 2023
Register Today: DHSS hosted Virtual Community Forum – March 14 – PrEP and Ending the HIV Epidemic
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services invites you to attend the upcoming quarterly Community Engagement Forum focused on Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) in Missouri. These virtual sessions are designed for YOU! The Bureau of HIV, STD, and Hepatitis wants to hear your thoughts on how to end the HIV epidemic in Missouri and how best to serve those living with HIV.
Registration is open and can be accessed by clicking the event time: Tuesday, March 14, 2023, noon and 6 p.m.
Previous community forum events are available to view or download HERE.
Are you launching a social or digital media campaign? Tap into free resources HERE.
February 15, 2023
Webinar – Engaging and Retaining Employees in a Competitive Environment
Date: April 19, 2023
Time: 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Central Time
Speaker: Shannon Studden, Independent Leadership Consultant
Rural hospitals and clinics across the country are facing significant challenges when it comes to recruiting and retaining qualified employees. Staff turnover leads to work disruptions, workload imbalances, and increased uncertainty for the staff and patients left behind, not to mention the significant time and expense needed to recruit and train those hired in their place.
The Staff Sustainability Cycle is a process for improving the retention of high-performing staff – and as a result, strengthening continuity of health care services and employee well-being. The cycle takes a holistic approach by sharing best practices in recruitment, onboarding, learning & development, engagement & retention, and succession planning.
In this webinar you’ll learn about the elements in the Staff Sustainability Cycle and take a deep dive into some of the key practices that foster employee engagement and retention. We’ll share tools that you can use to strengthen your practices in these areas – thereby ensuring continuity of the critical services your health care organization provides to support the health of your community.
Upon completion of this webinar, participants will be able to:
This event meets the requirement for one ACHE qualified education credit.
February 15, 2023
Making the ACO Decision: How to Select an ACO
Date: March 15, 2023
Time: 2:00 – 3:00 PM Central Time
Speaker: Ralph Llewellyn, Eide Bailly LLP
The decision to engage in the ACO movement is a significant one. The first decision is the overall decision to join and embrace the ACO model. As is the case in all major decisions, one needs to ensure the organization understands and embraces the goals and vision of an ACO. The next decision is related to selecting which ACO to participate in. There are large ACOs and there are smaller ACOs. Some are regional while others are national in scope. This session will explore the question of how to select an ACO that is right for an organization.
Upon completion of this webinar, participants will be able to:
This event meets the requirement for one ACHE qualified education credit.
February 15, 2023
Diverting to Care in Communities Convening
Missouri Foundation for Health invites you to join them for the Diverting to Care in Communities Convening on March 23, 2023 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Tiger Hotel in Columbia, Missouri.
This convening will bring together community representatives across behavioral health, law enforcement, public health, and community care to share efforts currently underway and strategize around future opportunities for improving the way individuals experiencing mental health and substance use emergencies are supported.
You should attend this convening if you:
Registration is limited to two representatives per organization. Attendance is capped at 50 so register today!
February 14, 2023
Physician leadership is paramount to the success and health of rural hospitals and communities
With the constantly changing healthcare landscape, there has never been a more crucial time for physician leaders to have the tools, knowledge, and network of peers and experts they need to thrive in their roles. These are things you don’t learn in medical school.
Physician leaders are unique. Physicians have been trained to take care of patients and provide leadership in doing so. Providing leadership within a rural hospital however is different, one of the resounding reasons for the creation of this program. This program was created for rural hospital CMOs and Physician Leaders by rural hospital CMOs and Physician Leaders.
What kind of value might you receive if you participate in this program? Come find out! Learn about this one-of-a-kind program created by rural hospital physician leaders for rural hospital physician leaders during a live webinar in February.
CMO Certification Program Webinar on February 22nd at 1 pm EST
CMO Certification Program Webinar on February 24th at 12 pm EST
To register for either of these webinar times click here.
Enrollment is open for all Certification Programs for 2023 Cohorts – visit our website for details and application information at www.crhleadership.com
February 14, 2023
Swing Bed Learning Action Network
Stroudwater Associates, in partnership with the Missouri Office of Rural Health and Primary Care, will be hosting monthly Swing Bed Learning Action Network (LAN) meetings for all Critical Access Hospitals participating in the Missouri Flex Quality Improvement Program. Each meeting will focus on a different Swing Bed topic. While participation in all LAN meetings is encouraged, individuals can register for the meeting topics most valuable to them. We encourage you to share this information with individuals within your organization who may be interested in participating.
The schedule below includes the meeting date and time, the link to register for each meeting, the meeting topic, and a brief description.
February 24th | 12-1pm CT: Swing Bed 101 – This education provides an overview of the “why” swing bed utilization is important; general Medicare eligibility requirements and rules and regulations to meet the Conditions of Participation for CAHs with Swing Beds. Register here.
March 24th | 1-2pm CT: Understanding the Five Categories of Skilled Services for Swing Bed Admissions – This education provides a review of the categories and criteria necessary for daily inpatient skilled nursing, rehabilitation, or a combination of services. Register here.
April 28th | 12-1pm CT: Swing Bed Documentation – This education will provide a review of required CMS documentation for Swing Bed patients and documentation improvement opportunities. Register here.
May 26th | 12-1pm CT: Swing Bed Quality Improvement and Portal Demo – This education will provide an introduction to Swing Bed data, using data and best practices to measure and improve quality and patient outcomes impacting the growth of your program. Register here.
June 23rd | 12-1pm CT: Swing Bed Strategy, Growth, and Optimization – This education will provide useful strategies for design, marketing, active patient pursuit, and the economic benefits of Swing Bed growth. Register here.
July 28th | 12-1pm CT: Swing Bed Discharge Planning – This education will provide foundational best practice discharge planning processes necessary to support a successful patient discharge thereby, reducing readmissions and unnecessary emergency department visits. Register here.
August 25th 12-1pm CT: Swing Bed Care Spectrum Development – This education will provide interdisciplinary steps to assist your Swing Bed team in formally determining what type of patients are appropriate for your swing bed program, decreasing variability in decision-making, improving efficiency, and growing your program. Register here.
Contact the Stroudwater Team:
Carla Wilber, Senior Consultant: cwilber@stroudwater.com
Lindsay Corcoran, Senior Consultant: lcorcoran@stroudwater.com
Christie Bishop, Consultant: cbishop@stroudwater.com
Megan Zook, Project Coordinator: mzook@stroudwater.com
This work is funded by the Missouri Office of Rural Health and Primary Care Medicare Flex program.
