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.
Education/training for provider-based rural health clinic quality improvement reporting, including patient satisfaction survey scores, is 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.
Mobile language line workstations, iPads, and tablets can potentially be allowable SHIP investments if used by hospital staff to support operational efficiency and increase equitable patient satisfaction.
Note: These investments require Project Officer pre-approval. If a hospital is interested in this investment, the State SHIP coordinator should email their project officer with justification of how these services will support operational efficiency and increase equitable patient satisfaction.
Carts used to support the application and implementation of telehealth that are used by hospital staff to improve operational efficiencies are an allowable use of SHIP funds.
Training crash carts that allow for continuous staff training to improve clinical care are an allowable use of SHIP funds. Examples of allowable training crash carts would be code blue simulation training carts.
Note: Real crash carts not used for simulation would not be an allowable use of SHIP Funds given those are part of the hospital’s day-to-day patient care operations.
Surveys completed for medical clinics, ambulatory services, emergency room, specialty clinics, home health, and other outpatient services are NOT an allowable use of SHIP funds. This includes OAS-CAHPS and CG CAHPS.