Resources
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.
Resource Type
Toolkits
Programs
Topics
Series
Services
517 results found
Toolkit
Care Coordination
These resources focus on quality improvement for care transitions.
Toolkit
Emergency Department
These resources focus on quality improvement for outpatient hospital services, primarily those provided in the emergency department (ED).
Toolkit
Patient Experience
These resources focus on quality improvement related to the patient experience.
Toolkit
Patient Safety
These resources focus on quality improvement related to patient safety and inpatient care.
The Flex Program and CAHs rely on leadership and a skilled workforce to advance program goals and deliver high-quality, high-value care for patients.
The Critical Access Hospital Financial Sustainability Guide guide is intended for use by state Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility (Flex) Program personnel, leaders of critical access hospitals (CAHs), and other individuals and/or teams that provide guidance and assistance to these providers in managing their long-term financial stability.
Interactive
Frequently Asked Questions
Access the answers to questions frequently asked about the Rural Hospital Stabilization Program (RHSP).
The National Rural Health Resource Center (The Center) has launched the 2025 update to its Population Health Toolkit, which is designed to assist State Offices of Rural Health, state Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility (Flex) Programs and individual health care organizations as they seek to better understand, manage and improve population health in their communities and states.
In September 2023, Rural Health Innovations, the for-profit consulting arm of the National Rural Health Resource Center, was contracted by the Episcopal Health Foundation to conduct a review and assessment of the Texas Community Health Access and Rural Transformation (CHART) Model design and rollout. The assessment included an examination of Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation initiatives, an analysis of the Texas CHART Model design and related communications with hospitals and partners, an analysis of state hospital finances, and interviews with more than a dozen key informants.
Review the process the Rural Hospital Stabilization Program uses to analyze applications and select hospitals to participate.
The Cancer Screening and Prevention Toolkit features messaging that emphasizes cancer prevention and awareness, highlighting the powerful motivation of living not just for oneself, but for others.
America’s rural health care system faces growing challenges in accessing capital funding for essential infrastructure projects. This paper provides a historical overview of major capital funding programs and analyzes the persistent challenges that prevent rural health care providers from converting available funding into usable capital—undermining sustainability in rural health systems.
Outlines a compilation of states' criteria for designation as a necessary provider. Describes how each state has addressed local considerations or unique requirements.
This document outlines four performance management tools: Balanced Scorecard, Baldrige, Lean and Studer. These tools have been identified as effective methods for managing performance improvement with small rural hospitals.
HIT networks can use this tool to assess organizational strengths and weaknesses and identify areas needing attention.
These samples from an HIT network can serve as reference documents for networks interested in incorporating the Balanced Scorecard into their strategic and evaluation planning efforts.
This document summarizes the consensus of a discussion with CAH financial leaders and experts about the most important performance indicators, the CAH financial distress model from the FMT, CAH interventions for optimizing financial performance and the evolving health care system.
This guide to Direct connectivity standards is designed to assist health care providers in understanding and implementing health information exchange using Direct protocols. It includes descriptions of technologies used, a glossary of terms and recommendations on implementing Direct.
Determining whether your practice is ready to build or join a HIE can be a challenge. This guide provides some basic information for providers to consider while evaluating options for HIE.
With the changes and transitions in today’s health care environment, it's an important time for rural health care leaders to engage stakeholders in collaborative efforts. This presentation suggests two key ways to enable people to take on new behaviors and offers specific ways to help leaders succeed in truly engaging stakeholders.