Critical Access & Small Hospitals Falling Behind in Meaningful Use

A study from Mathematical Policy Research and the American Hospital Association, published in Health Affairs, finds many critical access hospitals and other smaller hospitals are at risk to fail achieving meaningful use and face Medicare payment penalties in 2015.

While meaningful use has led to increased adoption of EHRs, much work remains to be done, according to the study. “The majority of eligible hospitals did not achieve meaningful use in the first two years of the program. Furthermore, certain types of hospitals--particularly smaller institutions--were less likely than others to have received incentive payments. These findings suggest that at least as of the conclusion of the program’s first two years, the digital divide persists.”

Critical-access and smaller hospitals in particular face three tough challenges, the study notes:

* Low patient volume complicates long-range planning and limits ability to maintain adequate cash flow,

* The hospitals may not be able to offer competitive salaries for skilled information technology professionals, and

* Smaller hospitals may have difficulty finding a suitable I.T. vendor.

To Learn More: http://www.healthdatamanagement.com/news/ehr-electronic-health-records-meaningful-use-hospitals-46461-1.html

Obstetric Services and Quality among Critical Access, Rural, and Urban Hospitals in Nine States

Although approximately 25% of U.S. births occur in rural hospitals, many questions about the types and quality of obstetric care in different types of hospital settings have remained unexamined. This study takes a step toward filling this gap, assessing and comparing obstetric care among rural and urban hospitals in nine states.


Key Findings:

• Women who gave birth in CAHs and other rural hospitals in 2010 were younger on average and had lower rates of clinical complications than those who gave birth in urban hospitals.

• CAHs compared favorably with other rural and urban hospitals on a number of obstetric care quality measures.

• Medicaid covered 49 percent of births in CAHs and 56 percent of births in other rural hospitals, compared to 41 percent of births in urban hospitals.

• The percentage of CAHs, other rural hospitals, and urban hospitals providing obstetric services in 2010 varied significantly across states, with the greatest variation among CAHs.

• Half of the CAHs in this study’s sample provided obstetric services in 2010, likely a higher rate than all CAHs nationwide due to the selection criteria for the sample.

Read More...

Office for Civil Rights Initiative to Strengthen Language Access Programs at Critical Access Hospitals

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced its national compliance review initiative, "Advancing Effective Communication in Critical Access Hospitals," to support language access programs in these hospitals. In concert with the HHS Action Plan to Reduce Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, this initiative will ensure that language access is provided so that individuals who do not speak English as their primary language and who have a limited ability to read, speak, write or understand English or are limited English proficient (LEP) can participate in, and benefit from, quality health care services. Read the bulletin