Rural Spotlight

May 13, 2026

Webinar: How Quality Leaders are Rethinking Patient Prioritization for CMS, HRRP and VBP, June 1

Many hospitals still rely on generic clinical risk scores to flag high-risk patients. The challenge: those scores aren’t built to map to how CMS Star Ratings, HRRP, VBP and Leapfrog measure performance – which means quality improvement effort can be deployed without proportionate impact on the programs that drive reimbursement and public reporting.

Quality outcomes aren’t influenced equally across high-risk patients. Specific patient scenarios – EDAC-relevant cohorts, patients admitted via SNF, palliative concerns – carry a disproportionate impact on readmissions, mortality and overall program performance. Without a way to flag those patients up front, hospitals can work against the measure rather than directly on it.

This session outlines how hospitals can design and apply goal-based patient priority scores aligned to specific program goals and built to complement traditional clinical risk models, not replace them.

Learnings include:

• How patient-level prioritization can be aligned with CMS Star Ratings, HRRP, VBP and Leapfrog measures,
• Why specific patient scenarios disproportionately influence quality outcomes,
• Examples of point-based scoring frameworks and priority bands, and
• How priority scores can guide improvement across ED, inpatient and discharge workflows.

Cost: Free

When: Monday, June 1, 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Click Here to Register

May 13, 2026

Webinar: From Transactional Recruiting to Strategic Workforce Planning: Elevating Permanent Physician Hiring, May 28

Physician shortages, rising competition and long hiring cycles are exposing the limits of transactional recruiting models. Health systems can no longer rely on reactive, requisition-based hiring to meet workforce needs.

This webinar examines how physician recruitment leaders are evolving from transactional recruiters to strategic workforce partners.

Attendees will hear how organizations are using forecasting, workforce data and executive alignment to strengthen workforce stability and support sustainable physician hiring.

You’ll Learn:

• How reactive recruiting models create risk for physician access, workforce stability and organizational growth,
• How data-driven workforce planning supports stronger permanent physician hiring strategies, and
• How physician recruitment leaders can drive executive alignment and shape workforce strategy.

Cost: Free

When: Thursday, May 28, 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Click Here to Register

May 13, 2026

On-Demand Webinar: AI Powered Coding for Cleaner Claims Start Earlier: Practical Strategies to Improve Accuracy Before Denials Begin

Coding accuracy sits at the center of both financial performance and clinical efficiency but staffing and resources are not keeping pace for many practices. As pressures increase, practices are turning to AI-powered support to keep pace and avoid falling behind.

As documentation requirements evolve and payer scrutiny increases, small inconsistencies in coding can create downstream denials, delayed payments, and unnecessary administrative burden for physicians and staff. AI-enabled coding tools now help practices address these challenges earlier in the revenue cycle, allowing coders and billers to focus on higher-value work instead of time-consuming, lower-impact tasks.

In this webinar, healthcare leaders will explore how practices across specialties are taking a more consistent, supported approach to medical coding by adopting AI-driven insights and automation. It will focus on practical strategies to improve accuracy earlier in the revenue cycle, reduce avoidable rework and support cleaner claims, all while enabling coding and billing teams to work at the top of their license and deliver greater value to the practice.

You’ll learn:

• How to reduce denials and rework by improving coding accuracy and consistency using AI-powered support,
• Where coding issues most often create downstream revenue cycle disruption, and
• Practical ways to support cleaner claims earlier in the revenue cycle while shifting staff towards higher-impact work.

Cost: Free

Click Here to Download this On-Demand Webinar

May 13, 2026

Webinar: How Healthcare CFOs are Measuring the ROI of AI, June 9

Healthcare CFOs are under pressure to prove the business impact of AI – not just fund more pilots. Boards want numbers. Operating teams want clarity. And finance leaders are being asked to quantify value in an area where benchmarks are still forming.

Tis panel brings together finance leaders from payer and provider organizations who are actively deploying AI inside the finance function, measuring its impact and identifying where ROI is already showing up.

The discussion is built around the AI questions CFOs are asking most often – from realistic payback periods and high-value use cases to governance, data readiness and the build-versus-buy decision.

Finance leaders will leave with a clearer view of where AI is moving margin, where it’s stalling, and what separates organizations scaling AI from those stuck in pilot mode.

Key takeaways:

• How finance leaders are quantifying AI ROI, KPIs and payback periods,
• Where AI is delivering the most value inside the finance function today,
• What data infrastructure, talent and governance are required before AI works, and
• How leading organizations are moving from pilots to enterprise-wide deployment.

Cost: Free

When: Tuesday, June 9, 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Click Here to Register

May 13, 2026

Webinar: Why Traditional Denial Tracking is Missing the Most Damaging Losses, June 2

Hospitals spent $43 billion in 2025 chasing payments insurers already owed them. Payer tactics have grown more sophisticated, more automated and harder to detect – and many of the most financially damaging losses, including DRG downgrades, never trigger a formal denial alert at all.

The pressure compounds quickly. Disconnected CDI, coding and denials teams generate gaps that payers exploit. Traditional denial tracking dashboards miss what was never flagged. Contract leverage sits unused while reimbursement quietly erodes. And RCM technology decisions get made under a flood of AI marketing claims that don’t always translate to financial outcomes.

This panel brings revenue cycle, CDI and clinical leaders together for a frank conversation about what’s working and what isn’t.

The discussion will cover:

• Why denial rates are rising across major payers and how hospitals must respond,
• How siloed CDI, coding and denials teams compound revenue loss,
• What traditional denial tracking misses – especially DRG downgrades, and
• Where payer contracts are being underused as a defense strategy.

Cost: Free

When: Tuesday, June 2, 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Click Here to Register

May 13, 2026

Webinar: The Current Telehealth Policy Landscape: What System Leaders Need to Know, May 27

Telehealth policy is shifting fast – and the decisions being made now will shape how hospitals and health systems deliver virtual care for years to come.

Federal waivers have been extended through 2027, but long-term permanence remains unresolved, state regulations continue to diverge and payment policy is creating new pressure points across cardiovascular and chronic disease programs.

In this live webinar, a national policy research analyst at the American Heart Association and UNC Health’s chief medical informatics officer will break down the policy environment in plain terms – and explain what it means for your organization.

Key takeaways:

• How federal and state laws, regulations and waivers are shaping telehealth delivery today,
• How payment policy and coverage decisions affect the sustainability of virtual care programs,
• The American Heart Association’s current policy priorities in telehealth and digital health, and
• How evolving policy affects equity, access and outcomes in cardiovascular and chronic disease care.

Cost: Free

When: Wednesday, May 27, 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Click Here to Register

May 13, 2026

Webinar: AI-embedded EHR: A Practical Path to Outpatient Efficiency, May 27

Ambulatory organizations are under pressure to reduce administrative burden, improve clinician satisfaction and deliver a more consistent patient experience – all without compromising security or trust.

The answer isn’t another bolt-on tool. It’s AI built directly into the EHR workflows clinicians already use.

This webinar explores how an AI-embedded platform addresses persistent outpatient challenges: supporting seamless transitions for clinicians across devices and roles, reducing documentation load and enabling more informed decisions – while keeping governance and security practices integrated by design.

Key learnings:

• How AI embedded in EHR workflows streamline clinical operations end-to-end,
• Ways conversational search and AI-powered clinical summaries improve access to information and support faster decisions,
• Governance and security considerations for deploying AI responsibly in the clinical setting, and
• How to measure outcomes that matter: clinical efficiency, care team experience and patient trust.

Cost: Free

When: Wednesday, May 27, 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Click Here to Register

May 13, 2026

MRHA Webinar: How Pulse Telehealth Resource Center Supports the Future of Virtual Communities, August 13

Telehealth continues to play an important role in improving healthcare access across rural communities, helping providers expand services, reduce barriers to care and better meet the needs of medically underserved populations.

This webinar will introduce the HRSA-funded Pulse Telehealth Resource Center (PulseTRC), which now serves Missouri, Kansas, and Oklahoma as the region’s federally designated telehealth resource center, continuing the work previously supported through the Heartland Telehealth Resource Center.

Participants will learn how PulseTRC supports healthcare professionals, policymakers, and community organizations through free research-based rresources designed to strengthen telehealth and virtual care delivery.

The session will provide an overview of available tools and services, including:

• technical assistance,
• educational webinars,
• policy and billing guidance,
• technology resources,
• virtual health access mapping, and
• telehealth best practices.

Attendees will also explore how telehealth can improve healthcare access, increase operational efficiency, and support sustainability in rural communities.

Target Audience:

• healthcare professionals,
• policymakers,
• community organizations, and
• individuals interested in expanding healthcare access and virtual care

Cost: Free

When: Thursday, August 13, 12:00 p.m.

Click Here to Register