The Center's searchable Resource Library features articles, reports, webinars, podcasts, toolkits, and other materials developed by trusted industry leaders to guide and support rural health stakeholders.
Resources to support abstracting, submitting, and confirming data submission to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) QualityNet Warehouse, including the CMS Abstraction and Reporting Tool (CART) and reporting specifications manuals.
Managing the cooperative agreement is one of the primary responsibilities of state Flex Programs and includes: budgeting, cooperative agreement application writing, working with partners, information management, and reporting.
This toolkit can assist organizations and communities in evaluating opportunities for developing a CHW program, including resources and best practices.
State Flex Programs remain vital because of the web of relationships developed and maintained within communities, providers, networks, states, regions, and nationally. It is imperative that state Flex Programs have the skills, capacity, and commitment to build and sustain partnerships, new and old, to support rural providers and rural stakeholders.
State Flex Programs need to have an in-depth understanding of the policies and regulations governing the Flex Program, as well as a basic understanding of the policy-making process and other policies and regulations affecting rural providers.
The Flex Program and CAH designation was established and remains in place because of the financial vulnerability of small rural hospitals. CAH financial and operational improvement is one of the required program areas of the Flex Program.
State Flex Programs can help CAHs transition into value-based systems, population health models, and future opportunities through education, network support, facilitation of new partnerships, and technical assistance.
It is important for state Flex Programs to understand the community needs of CAH and RHC service areas to develop or leverage program activities in support of health system development, community engagement, and population health improvement.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released a toolkit highlighting innovative strategies that Medicare accountable care organizations (ACOs) use to coordinate and manage care for their diverse beneficiary populations.
Customer engagement is an important outcome of an overall learning and performance excellence strategy. Use these resources to learn more about identifying population health partners.
Planning ought to be purposeful, active, and relevant, with input from key stakeholders such as internal staff, rural provider leaders and staff, and the state rural health and clinic organizations.
The guide for state Flex Programs contains relevant and practical recommendations and tools to strengthen staff engagement and retention through the Staff Sustainability Cycle described within, which consists of recruiting, onboarding, learning and development, engagement and retention, and succession planning.