Allowable Investments Search Tool
In general, SHIP allowable investments include activities to assist small rural hospitals with their quality improvement efforts and with their adaptation to changing payment systems through investments in hardware, software and related trainings. This includes aiding with value and quality improvement.
Unallowable investments include, but are not limited to, travel costs, hospital services, hospital staff salaries, or general supplies. Hospitals should contact their State Office of Rural Health (SORH) with questions regarding the appropriateness or fit of a certain activity or hardware/software purchase. For additional clarifications, refer to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).
This tool classifies a number of example investment activities as Allowable, Unallowable, or PO Pre-Approval. This is not a comprehensive list. It is only intended to provide examples of allowable SHIP activities.
Costs or fees associated with the National Rural Health Association (NRHA) CAH CEO Certification may be allowable with PO Pre-Approval.
SORH or hospital would need to define how each session relates to the SHIP funding categories.
Nurse certification training is not an allowable use of SHIP funds.
Note: Any health care professional certification for license to practice is not allowable.
Training and/or certification for direct patient care including behavioral health training is not allowable. Examples: SANE-A (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner), PMHCNS-BC (Adult Psychiatric-Mental Health Clinical Nurse Specialist), CTC (Computed Tomography Certification).
Costs associated with rural hospital-wide credentialing or providing privileges to physicians are not an allowable use of SHIP funds.
CAHs should participate in Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Project (MBQIP). Any activity to support process improvements that result in improved quality reporting or improved inpatient and outpatient measures for PPS acute care hospitals is allowable.
Training, hardware, and software that supports remote pharmacy services are allowable.
Last Updated 12/10/2021
Educational training hardware and software to support the development and implementation of a disease registry for care coordination is allowable.
Many programs that were previously single purchase software are now cloud-based computer programs and the fee allows sharing with other providers. Language supporting this can be found at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
Please see ACO section C for additional resources.
Software and training for analysis of population health needs by chronic disease, geographic location, or analysis of social determinants of health in improving health outcomes and care management programs are allowable.
Training hardware or software that supports the application and implementation of telehealth and/or telemedicine is an allowable investment.
If the hospital and/or hospital-owned ambulance unit has a formal Community Paramedic Program (CPP), hardware and software to support the CPP to reduce emergency medical services (EMS) and emergency department misuse and readmissions are allowable investments. However, the use of SHIP funding for general EMS equipment is not an allowable investment.
Health Information Technology (HIT) Training for Value and ACOs is an allowable investment. SHIP covers hardware, software, and training; therefore, it would be beneficial to include risk assessments and/or training associated with cybersecurity. These are allowable investments.
Any training that updates and computerizes hospital policies and procedures, assessment and maintenance of ICD-10, and hardware/software investments that improve quality, efficiencies, and coding are allowable investments.
After hours pharmacy services software apps that help support remote pharmacy services are an allowable use of SHIP funds.
Note: Pharmacist services or medications are not allowable
Digital meeting technology software purchases to conduct digital/virtual meetings to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 by maintaining physical distancing and reducing facility traffic.
Education/training for provider-based rural health clinic quality improvement reporting, including patient satisfaction survey scores, is allowable.
Any training to support coding and reimbursement, documentation, or documentation improvements that result in increased coding compliance are allowable.
A 340B Drug Pricing Program training intended to increase efficiency or quality improvement in support of Prospective Bundling and Prospective Payment Systems initiatives is an allowable investment.
Books or manuals that are used for continuous reference of standard pricing guidelines are not an allowable use of SHIP Funds.