Yoakum Community Hospital in Yoakum, Texas, has innovated with the creation of a psychiatric treatment model for their older adult population. By providing psychiatric care close to home, Yoakum Community Hospital improves continuity of care and also reduces the cost to patients. "The hospital’s plan demonstrates that a...
The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission discussed significant changes to MACRA during the first day of their April meeting. "Though MIPS is a relatively new program, MedPAC has come to the conclusion that it will not be successful at its goals of increasing payment for high-value clinicians and...
The Southwest Rural Health Research Center released a report showcasing the trends in diabetes-related hospital deaths in rural areas throughout the regions of the United States. The report covers the years of 2009-2014 and found a higher likelihood of diabetes-related hospital deaths in the midwest...
Inside the March 2018 issue of The Pulse, read about the recent government funding Omnibus package, the CAH allowable cost legislation, Strategies for Effective Managed Care Contracting from our Spotlight Author Carolyn Roten, Partner at Strategic Health Care, and more. [wpdm_package id=1688 template="598a2ed5b979d"]...
The government agreed on an Omnibus package to extend the government's funding and avert what would have been the third shutdown in 2018. The Omnibus contained many provisions relevant to health care including an increase in funding for the NIH and the opioid crisis. The...
The Iowa Senate unanimously approved a bill yesterday to expand telemedicine throughout the state. Representatives of rural districts were particularly eager for this legislation to pass as they see the immediate relief it can bring their home communities, especially when in need of specialty care. Governor Reynolds...
HHS Secretary Alex Azar provided comment to the National Association of Community Health Centers that Medicare's regulation to cut reimbursement for 340B drugs exemplifies transparency and fairness in drug pricing. He said, "The program was intended to offer affordable medicines to providers focused on low-income...
Hospitals are establishing new career education programs in areas where the nursing shortage has threatened their facility's staffing capabilities. "To grow the prospective hiring pool, hospitals are implementing partnerships with local colleges to provide hands-on training to nursing students and creating internal pools to fill temporary...
Kaiser Health News has profiled how Medicaid payments have aided rural hospitals in staying afloat despite tough financial times and high expense of maternal care. "Medicaid covers nearly 24 percent of rural, nonelderly residents and offers some financial stability to rural facilities by reducing uncompensated care costs at hospitals...