Strategies for Critical Access Hospitals to Address Outmigration

The Technical Assistance and Services Center (TASC) developed this four-part technical assistance series with support from the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP).

The Outmigration Technical Assistance Brief Series helps Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility (Flex) Programs, critical access hospitals (CAHs), and rural health clinics (RHCs) understand why patients choose to receive care outside their community and identify ways to keep more care local. This series explores factors that contribute to avoidable bypass and offers practical strategies related to patient experience, brand awareness, marketing and engagement, and workforce and culture.

Explore the Briefs

Brief 1: Contributing Factors to Avoidable Bypass
Explore common reasons patients choose care outside their community, including convenience, cost and coverage, privacy, patient experience, physical environment, and confidence in local services.

Brief 2: Brand Strategies to Address Outmigration
Learn how brand identity, awareness, storytelling, key messages, and tailored communication can strengthen trust and help patients better understand the value of local care.

Brief 3: Inbound Marketing and Engagement Strategies
Explore practical marketing and engagement strategies to attract community members, turn interest into action, strengthen relationships, and increase local service utilization.

Brief 4: Culture and Workforce Strategies to Grow Market Share
Examine how workforce culture and staff interactions influence patient choice. The brief includes strategies to strengthen internal communication, support staff as brand ambassadors, and build confidence in local care.

The series supports Flex Program goals to improve access to care, respond to community needs, and strengthen CAH financial, operational, and quality performance. As a companion to the Small Rural Hospital and Clinic Finance 101 Guide, the series provides practical approaches rural health organizations can use to address market share loss and strengthen local service utilization.

For more information on outmigration, see Tools and Resources to Address Outmigration.