Top Three Flex Activities in 2009

1. Full implementation of the Nevada Rural Hospital Benchmarking Project which allows all CAH, CAH-eligible, and SHIP hospitals in Nevada to assess and improve hospital performance through the development and utilization of rural-relevant financial, operational, and quality indicators and benchmarks.
2. Publication and dissemination of the Nevada Rural and Frontier Health Data Book, 2009 Edition and the "Health and Health Care in Nevada, March 2009" county profiles for every rural and frontier county in Nevada. (Available Online)
3. A wide range of technical assistance and support for all rural hospitals in Nevada, including assistance to facilities preparing for state and Medicare hospital, clinic, outpatient-surgery, and long-term care surveys.

Flex Program Success Story

The Nevada Flex Program has played a lead role in the development of a coordinated response by rural hospitals, communities, and stakeholders to Nevada’s worsening rural mental health crisis. The centerpiece of programmatic efforts has been the development of a well-established, effective telehealth application for telepsychiatry. The telepsychiatry application has expanded the mental health services currently available to residents served by CAH and CAH-eligible hospitals in Nevada.

The vision of the project is to expand the specialty medical services delivered via the state’s telehealth network resulting in an enhanced system of care for rural Nevada residents. The project builds on the extensive telemedicine network linking:

• Urban and rural clinical and teaching sites developed by the University of Nevada School of Medicine
• The existing formal network of rural and frontier hospitals managed by Nevada Rural Hospital Partners (the principal Flex subcontractor in Nevada)
• A wide range of ongoing, network-oriented technical assistance to rural hospitals provided by the Nevada Office of Rural Health and Nevada Rural Hospital Partners through Flex and SHIP funding for the past eight years.

Most Significant Achievement

The most significant achievement is the financial stabilization of rural hospitals in Nevada over the past decade. This has occurred by the certification of 10 CAHs and through the provision of a wide range of financial, operational, and other technical assistance to all 15 rural hospitals and rural communities. This financial stabilization has ensured access to approximately 250,000 residents served by the state’s 15 rural and frontier hospitals.

Flex Program Details

Location: University of Nevada School of Medicine
Number of CAHs: 10
Web site: http://www.medicine.nevada.edu/flex/

State Rural Health Plan
Rural Assistance Center State Resources