Category: NRHA

Register Now! NRHA’s 48th Annual Rural Health Conference, Atlanta, GA, May 20 – 23

March 7, 2025

Register Now! NRHA’s 48th Annual Rural Health Conference, Atlanta, GA, May 20 – 23

The National Rural Health Association’s (NRHA’s) 48th Annual Rural Health Conference, 10th Rural Hospital Innovation Summit, and associated events constitute the nation’s largest gathering of rural health pros.

Join NRHA and hundreds of rural health leaders for more than 80 innovative, practical, and cost-saving sessions and much more.

Don’t miss NRHA’s expanded and renamed Rural Health Access Conference May 19 – 20 and Rural Medical Education Conference occurring immediately beforehand on May 20, along with NRHA’s Rural Health Awards ceremony and the CDC Experience tour May 22.

Click Here to Learn More and Register

Registration is Now Open: NRHA’s 48th Annual Conference

February 21, 2025

Registration is Now Open: NRHA’s 48th Annual Conference

Join the National Rural Health Association (NRHA) and hundreds of rural health leaders from across the country to help raise the standard for rural health with more than 80 innovative, practical, and cost-saving sessions and much more.

Don’t miss NRHA’s expanded Rural Health Equity Conference May 19 – 20 and Rural Medical Education Conference occurring immediately beforehand on May 20.

When: May 20 – 23, 2025

Where: Atlanta, GA

Click Here to See Agenda and Full Details of Conference

USDA Rural Hospital Technical Assistance

February 18, 2025

USDA Rural Hospital Technical Assistance

Through a cooperative agreement with the United State Department of Agriculture (USDA), the National Rural Health Association (NRHA) provides several types of assistance to rural hospitals selected in collaboration with USDA. Technical Assistance services will be provided under contract with NRHA by selected contractors who specialize in the types of services outlined below.

Process and Criteria

Through NRHA, USDA will provide selected rural hospitals with TA services to identify and address health care needs and strengthen the local health care system.

The goal is to:

  • Enhance hospital systems for improved efficiency and financial performance,
  • Bolster quality of care, and
  • Support the community.

Prior to selection, hospitals will be interviewed by NRHA and complete an initial assessment to identify TA services needed. The total number of projects will be limited by cooperative agreement funding.

Project Goals

Possible project goals may include:

  1. Improving financial position and increasing operational efficiencies
  2. Implementing quality improvements that support an evidenced-based culture for improved health outcomes.
  3. Increasing use of telehealth to fill service gaps and improve access to care.
  4. Strengthening the local health care delivery system to position for population health.
  5. Providing hospital board training through NRHA’s certification program.

For more information and to see if your hospital qualifies, or to refer a hospital that would benefit from technical assistance, fill out the referral form and NRHA staff will follow up.

Contact Mory Bell, mbell@ruralhealth.us for more information and assistance.

Click Here to Access Referral Form

NRHA Webinar: How Critical Access Hospitals Like Grand River Health are Overcoming Staffing and Compliance Challenges with DCM Outsourcing, February 25

February 7, 2025

NRHA Webinar: How Critical Access Hospitals Like Grand River Health are Overcoming Staffing and Compliance Challenges with DCM Outsourcing, February 25

Weighing the impact of recruiting qualified talent and managing the cost of training and retaining resources, Grand River Health leaned on their Partners to guide their exciting transformation.

Grand River Health Controller, Theresa Wagenman, and industry expert Melissa Burris will share insights on overcoming these challenges, achieving compliance, and improving financial sustainability.

Join this webinar to explore how outsourcing their Charge Description Master (CDM) process provided a sustainable solution.

This session is perfect for rural healthcare leaders and financial professionals looking to enhance compliance, efficiency, and financial health through sustainable CDM practices.

Cost: Free

When: Tuesday, February 25, 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Click Here to Register

NRHA Webinar: Swing Bed Culture and Attention to Wellness Vital to Rural Healthcare, A Transitional Care Model, February 20

February 7, 2025

NRHA Webinar: Swing Bed Culture and Attention to Wellness Vital to Rural Healthcare, A Transitional Care Model, February 20

Join this webinar to learn how over 100 Critical Access Hospitals both independent and not, have cared for over 17,000 patients representing more than 244,000 swing bed days.

These 100+ facilities saw an average growth in swing bed days of 47% by the second year.

  • 65% of patients were categorized as complex medical or complex surgical which is a growing patient population.
  • Only 7% of Transitional Care patients were discharged directly back to acute care during a program stay of less than 30 days.
  • 77% of patients were discharged from Transitional Care back to independence.
  • The average patient rating was 4.83 out of 5 when asked if patients would “recommend the program to others”.

Cost: Free

When: Thursday, February 20, 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Click Here to Register

New JRH Brief Report: “Everything cannot be handled virtually”

February 7, 2025

New JRH Brief Report: “Everything cannot be handled virtually”

This qualitative study assessed internet access and use, barriers, and facilitators to participating in digital health interventions or programs, and the engagement experience in virtual versus in-person health interventions among rural adults and rural cancer survivors.

Conclusions

Findings from this qualitative study provide an in-depth understanding of the intricate experiences of rural adults and rural cancer survivors when engaging with digital health technologies.

Integrating the experiences of rural adults and rural cancer survivors may aid in developing clinical and community-based interventions and policies that support increasing access to digital health services and programs for rural communities.

Click Here to read full report

New JRH Article on Digital Health Technology

February 7, 2025

New JRH Article on Digital Health Technology

The National Journal of Rural Health (JRH) recently published a new article on Medicare telehealth utilization by Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Click Here to Read full article

Why Travel Time is Better Indicator of Access than Zip Codes

February 5, 2025

Why Travel Time is Better Indicator of Access than Zip Codes

Patients who travel longer distances to emergency facilities are more likely to present with more severe medical conditions, highlighting travel time as a key indicator of health care access. Additionally, health care leaders look a how organizations can use social determinants of health to reduce disparities in underserved communities.

Click Here to Read “Travel time is better indicator of access than ZIP codes, study suggests”.

Click Here to Read “Reducing Disparities and Promoting Health Equity in Underserved Communities with Social Determinants of Health”.

NRHA Webinar: How Critical Access Hospitals like Grand River Health are Overcoming Staffing and Compliance challenges with CDM Outsourcing, February 25

February 5, 2025

NRHA Webinar: How Critical Access Hospitals like Grand River Health are Overcoming Staffing and Compliance challenges with CDM Outsourcing, February 25

Grand River Health, a Critical Access Hospital with two Rural health Clinics and one Long-Term Care Center, recognized an opportunity in the changes they faced when their tenured CDM expert retired.

Weighing the impact of recruiting qualified talent and managing the cost of training and retaining resources, Grand River Health leaned on their partners to guide their exciting transformation.

Join this webinar to explore how outsourcing their Charge Description Master (CDM) process provided a sustainable solution. Hear from Grand River Health Controller, Theresa Wagenman, and industry expert Melissa Burris as they share insights on overcoming these challenges, achieving compliance, and improving financial sustainability. Discover the tangible benefits of proactive CDM management through expert led strategies and innovative technology.

This session is perfect for rural healthcare leaders and financial professionals looking to enhance comp0liance, efficiency, and financial health through sustainable CDM practices.

Cost: Free

When: Tuesday, February 25, 1:00 – 2:00 p.m.

Click Here to Register

New JRH Articles on Physical Therapy Utilization and More

February 5, 2025

New JRH Articles on Physical Therapy Utilization and More

The National Rural Health Association’s (NRHA’s) Journal of Rural Health (JRH) published articles on the following topics: