MHA's Center for Rural Health

Implementing Patient Safety Initiatives in Rural Hospitals

Rural hospitals are interested in and willing to invest in patient safety initiatives, according to a report on the Tennessee Rural Hospital Patient Safety Demonstration by the Upper Midwest Rural Health Research Center. For the full story, click here.

Rural Families More Likely to be Uninsured and Have Different Sources of Coverage

Rural residents, particularly those living far from an urban area, are at greater risk of being uninsured, according to a study by the Maine Rural Health Research Center. One out of every three rural families has at least one uninsured member. However, three-fourths of rural families have someone in the household with health insurance coverage that could be built upon to cover additional members, the study says.

CMS issues guidelines for CAH relocations

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on Sept. 7 announced revisions to its interpretive guidelines regarding the relocation of Critical Access Hospitals.

Effective immediately, the agency will no longer require CAHs without “necessary provider” designation to adhere to the same requirements for relocating as necessary provider CAHs, which must continue to provide care for at least 75% of the same service area, offer at least 75% of the same services and retain 75% of the same staff as the original location. Also, previous guidelines contained set criteria that had to be met by necessary provider CAHs; however, the new guidelines provide examples of acceptable documentation and allow alternative documentation to demonstrate compliance with the “75% Test.”

CMS now will issue preliminary determinations based on CAH letters of attestations and projections; however, final approval only will be granted once the hospital has relocated and evidence confirming compliance is provided. In addition, CMS has relaxed the definitions of “mountainous terrain” and “secondary roads” for the purposes of determining whether a facility is exempt from the “35-mile drive standard.”

Danielle Lloyd, American Hospital Association senior associate director for policy, said, “We are still reviewing the guidelines, but they appear to be greatly improved. CMS has adopted many of our recommended changes.”

[ via AHA News Now ]

Rural Emergency Department Staffing

Rural hospital emergency departments must be staffed to handle a wide range of emergency situations, but demands on rural physicians’ time and limited ED patient volume complicate ED staffing, according to a report by the Upper Midwest Rural Health Research Center.

For the full story, click here.

Recruiting Physicians to Community Hospitals: Four Pieces of Advice from Rural Docs

Clifton Garris, MD, grew up in Leroy, AL, where the closest hospital was 20 miles away. For advanced medical services, residents had to travel to Mobile - an hour-long drive. Now an obstetrician at a two-doctor practice in Sylacauga, AL, Garris says his background was one of the main reasons he chose a facility in a rural town where the nearest city is 48 miles away. According to rural docs, community hospitals should play up their strengths when recruiting physicians and not try to be something they are not.

For the full story, click here.