Category: Resources

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.

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

New Resource: Telehealth for Nutrition Care and Services

September 18, 2025

New Resource: Telehealth for Nutrition Care and Services

Tele-nutrition enables providers to deliver personalized nutrition care to patients using innovative telehealth technologies.

Explore the latest tools and strategies for effective use of telehealth when providing nutrition care.

This National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, share this tip sheet with your patients so they can see how telehealth helps people of all ages get nutrition care and services from home.

Click Here to see the Latest Tools and Strategies for Telehealth Nutrition Services

Click Here to see Childhood Obesity Tip Sheet

New FMT Product: Rural Resource: Availability of Obstetric Simulation Training by State

September 16, 2025

New FMT Product: Rural Resource: Availability of Obstetric Simulation Training by State

The Flex Monitoring Team (FMT) has released a new product, Rural Resource: Availability of Obstetric Simulation Training by State. Obstetric simulation training is one-way clinical health professionals can maintain skills, which is of particular importance for rural hospitals with low birth volumes and for rural hospitals that do not have obstetric un8its but need to remain prepared for obstetric emergencies.

This environmental scan includes a list of obstetric simulation trainings by state as well as national and regional offerings, Fifteen trainings identified have a specific rural focus, and each training includes a link to the program, a description, the intended audience, and whether the training includes a mobile unit.

Critical Access Hospitals can use this resource to identify available trainings in their state or neighboring states, foster new partnerships with organizations offering simulation training, or use as examples of rural-specific training programs.

Click Here to View Resource

 

September is National Recovery Month

September 12, 2025

September is National Recovery Month

September is National Recovery Month observed every September to promote and support new evidence-based treatment and recovery practices, the nation’s strong and proud recovery communities, and the dedication of service providers and communities who make recovery possible.

A variety of federal resources are available to support individuals and their families:

To learn more about programs created by HRSA’s Federal Office of Rural Health Policy to support recovery, visit the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP) on HRSA’s website. Each of the RCORP Centers of Excellence provides a clearinghouse of information and resources for prevention, treatment, and recovery that are specific to rural communities.

Click Here for SAMHSA’s National Recovery Month Toolkit

Click Here for CDC’s Stigma Reduction Guide

Click Here for NIDA’s Preferred Language for Talking About Addiction

Policy Update: Important Information for CAHs Billing under Method II

September 4, 2025

Policy Update: Important Information for CAHs Billing under Method II

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a reminder that Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) can bill for facility and professional outpatient services only when physicians and or practitioners reassign their billing rights to the CAH, also know as Method II billing.

CAHs can prevent claim denials with reason codes 31006 and 31007 (indicating that providers don’t have the reassignment on file in the Provider Enrollment, Chain, and Ownership System (PECOS) if they submit the reassignment application through PECOS or the paper Form CMS-8551).

Starting in January 2026, CMS will deny CAH claims for professional services if a reassignment is not in PECOS.

Click Here to Read More

Click Here to Access Information for Critical Access Hospitals (PDF) booklet (revised to add reassignment information.

September is National Recovery Month

September 4, 2025

September is National Recovery Month

First recognized in 1989, National Recovery Month promotes new evidence-based treatment and recovery practices, supports the nation’s strong and proud recovery community, and highlights the dedication of communities and service providers who make recovery possible.

In honor of National Recovery Month, the White House proclaimed the week of August 31 as the 2025 Overdose Prevention Week to remember the lives lost, support grieving families, and review the nation’s solemn commitment to ending the overdose epidemic.

A variety of federal resources is available to support individuals and their families:

To learn more about programs created by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) to support recovery, visit the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP) on HRSA’s website.

Each of the RCORP Centers of Excellence provides a clearinghouse of information and resources for prevention, treatment, and recovery that are specific to rural communities.

Recovery Resources

Click Here for SAMHSA’s National Recovery Month Resources and Tools

Click Here to Read Presidents’ Overdose Prevention Week Proclamation

Click Here for SAMHSA’s 2025 Recovery Month Toolkit

Click Here for CDC Stigma Reduction Guide

Click Here for the National Institute on Drug Abuse Preferred Language for Talking About Addiction

Missouri Tobacco Quit Services

July 25, 2025

Missouri Tobacco Quit Services

Lung cancer is the leading cancer-related cause of death among adults in the United States, and smoking combustible commercial tobacco products remains the leading cause of lung cancer.

Missouri Tobacco Quit Services offers a package of resources to support providing information about lung cancer screening services in partnership with MD Anderson Cancer Center, Project CONNECT.

Click Here to Explore Missouri Tobacco Quit Services

Free Compliance Checklist

June 17, 2025

Free Compliance Checklist

According to the American Hospital Association (AHA), over 40% of a hospital’s total patient care expenses are attributed to administrative costs, including regulatory burden.

This challenge is especially true for hospital pharmacies. Many do not have the staff, expertise, nor bandwidth needed to keep up with ongoing compliance needs amidst day-to-day patient care activities.

Are you prepared for the recent regulatory updates? Download the CPS Optimizer Quarterly Compliance Action Checklist, which serves as a quick, timely assessment to identify gaps, implement recommended corrective actions, and reduce regulatory risks.

Click Here to Learn More and Download CPS’ Free Compliance Checklist

CDC’s Suicide Prevention Communication Campaign Playbook

June 17, 2025

 

CDC’s Suicide Prevention Communication Campaign Playbook

Closing out Mental Health Awareness Month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a new resource for planning suicide prevention campaigns. The playbook includes:

  • Key Audience:
    • Tools for identifying specific populations at higher risk and their networks of influence.
  • Campaign Development:
    • Steps to design effective strategies, craft meaningful messages, and promote behavior change.
  • Behavior Models:
    • Insights into frameworks like the Health Belief Model and Social Cognitive Theory.
  • Messaging Best Practices:
    • Strategies to emphasize hope and resilience and use culturally relevant language.
  • Evaluation:
    • Tools to measure campaign impact and improve future efforts.

The latest data from the CDC show that rural residents are at a higher risk of suicide than urban residents and that rates of suicide almost doubled between 2000-2020 in rural areas.

Click Here to Read More