Rural Health Path to Value Rural Health Innovations offers services to help you climb toward population health and improve the health status of your community.
Community Health Needs Assessments (CHNA) Work with us to set a course toward value-based payment and population health. A thorough assessment of your community's needs is the crucial first step.
Community Health Implementation Planning We can help you to strategically build and carry out a community health implementation plan that addresses the needs identified in your CHNA.
Additional Consulting Services
Network and Partnership Development More is possible when working together. Let us help you build bridges that lead to healthier communities.
Technical Assistance & Services Center (TASC) TASC provides performance improvement resources to CAHs and state Flex Programs on quality, finance, operations, systems of care and population health.
Small Rural Hospital Improvement Grant Program (SHIP) SHIP provides funding to approximately 1,600 participating hospitals in 46 participating SORHs to help small rural hospitals participate in value-based payment and care delivery models.
Network Technical Assistance (TA) RHI provides technical assistance (TA) to over 60 networks in the Development and Allied Health rural health network grant programs.
Small Rural Hospital Transition (SRHT) Project The Small Rural Hospital Transition (SRHT) Project supports small rural hospitals nationally by providing on-site technical assistance to assist bridging the gaps between the current health care system and the newly emerging health care delivery and payment system.
Resource Library The Center's Resource Library features webinars, presentations, articles and toolkits developed by trusted industry leaders to guide and support rural health stakeholders.
Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Project (MBQIP) Virtual Knowledge Group (VKG) webinars are intended to provide a forum for state Flex Program personnel and subcontractors to share MBQIP successes, discuss challenges and brainstorm strategies to assist hospitals toward reporting, participating, improving and excelling across the four quality domains of patient safety, outpatient care, patient engagement, and care transitions. Topics for discussion are determined based on MBQIP Data Reports, technical assistance trends, and requests.
Understand the proposed purpose of the National CAH Quality Assessment (the assessment). Participate in discussion and provide feedback to help inform development of the assessment. Hear about additional opportunities to engage in development of the assessment.
This webinar will include: the opportunity to hear updates and provide input into FORHP plans regarding reinstating MBQIP eligibility requirements, a brief update on proposed quality measure changes in the 2023 Inpatient Prospective Payment System proposed rule and the chance to provide feedback on what types of CAH related information would be useful to inform your quality-focused work.
This webinar will include: updates regarding EDTC reporting tools, changes to antibiotic stewardship questions on the NHSN Annual Facility Survey, a review of FMT’s analysis of CAH data reporting during COVID, Q&A regarding QI Project deliverables timeline, and a continued discussion from Flex NCC regarding next steps for MBQIP.
Explore the new TASC-hosted SharePoint space and Quality Innovation Lab (QIL) email groups and understand expectations of use. Review examples of well written project plans and identify opportunities to enhance your state QI project plan. Receive instructions prior to the first round of QIL meetings. Hear general MBQIP updates.
Participate in group sharing and discussion of plans and potential pain points regarding planning and implementation of the quality improvement (QI) project as outlined in your non-competing continuation (NCC). Hear general MBQIP updates.
Participate in group sharing of ideas regarding the Quality Improvement project for this year’s Flex NCC. Hear updates regarding CMS Hospital Star Ratings and electronic clinical quality measures (eCQMs). Hear general MBQIP updates.
Learn about FORHP’s plans to help states increase the Flex focus on quality improvement efforts during budget year 3. Discuss how FORHP’s plans align with previously discussed MBQIP refresh efforts. Hear general MBQIP updates from FORHP and RQITA.
Explore the updated MBQIP Data Reports and understand how to make use of them. Review available resources to support MBQIP at the state and hospital level in the context of the results of the Annual RQITA Assessment. Discuss additional MBQIP resource and support needs and requests.
MBQIP VKGs provide a networking opportunity for state Flex Programs and subcontractors. Topics for discussion are determined based on MBQIP Data Reports, technical assistance trends and requests.
Review the recent updates regarding MBQIP reporting during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hear and share issues from the field related to COVID-19. Discuss adjustments to MBQIP work plans.
Learn how other state Flex programs manage and organize communications with CAHs as it relates to MBQIP, including the use of listservs, site-visits, and in-person and virtual group meetings. Engage in peer-sharing regarding other approaches to managing CAH relationships to support MBQIP implementation and success. Hear CMS Quality Program updates.
Explore the MBQIP Fundamentals Guide for State Flex Programs and understand how to use it. Review available resources to support MBQIP at the state and hospital level. Understand the role of RQITA and services available to support your work. Discuss additional MBQIP resource and support needs and requests.
Explore findings from the antibiotic stewardship focus groups with high performing CAHs. Engage in peer-sharing regarding state Flex Program approaches and obstacles to supporting CAHs with antibiotic stewardship. Review summary of public comments regarding MBQIP Performance Standards.
Review the purpose behind the development of the MBQIP Performance Standards. Review the methodology of the MBQIP Performance Standards. Participate in a question and answer session and learn more about next steps regarding the MBQIP Performance Standards.
Identify alternative ways to analyze, visualize, and share MBQIP data with CAHs to drive quality improvement. Review resources developed by RQITA to assist in data analyzing and visualization. Hear other MBQIP news, including updates to the EDTC measure and changes to the outpatient quality reporting program notice of participation.
Understand the current state and expectations for CAH implementation of antibiotic stewardship. Learn about an opportunity for high performing CAHs to share their implementation successes. Explore opportunities to align Flex and SHIP activities to support antibiotic stewardship. Engage in peer-sharing regarding quality in the 2019 Flex Program funding proposal.
Explore ways of utilizing the antibiotic stewardship Annual Facility Survey data to inform work with CAHs. Share and hear ideas around MBQIP planning for the Flex funding application. Hear an overview of the MAP Rural Health Workgroup Report and Quality Peer Group Indicators for CAHs FMT brief.
Understand the methodology involved in calculating the MBQIP Quality Improvement Benchmarks and the intended uses of the measures. Hear about the outcomes of the Abstracting for Accuracy project and how Flex partners can leverage the learnings to improve reporting practices
Understand the basic program goals of common partners in supporting CAH quality. Hear how Flex Programs are managing their partner relationships, including challenges and successes. Identify opportunities for your Flex Program to expand partner relationships in support of your CAHs.
Learn how Flex Programs are setting goals with HCAHPS data. Hear about the Kansas Flex Program Patient Satisfaction Learning Community project and related resources. Hear a discussion about promising practices for HCAHPS improvement and updates related to an electronic clinical quality measures (eCQMs) pilot and the Abstracting for Accuracy project.
Hear a discussion about the Inpatient ED measures (ED-1 and ED-2) new to MBQIP. Understand the basics, review currently available CAH data and discuss best practices for quality improvement. Also hear updates on antibiotic stewardship measures, National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) enrollment and upcoming changes to the MBQIP Data Reports.
Hear Flex Programs discuss CAH improvement strategies for immunization measures and the use of groups in the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) for supporting MBQIP.
Learn about antibiotic stewardship. Hear a discussion about MBQIP successes, challenges and strategies to assist hospitals toward reporting, participating, improving and excelling across the four MBQIP domains.
Learn about the future of MBQIP and resources needed. Hear a discussion of MBQIP successes, challenges and strategies to assist hospitals to excel in data reporting and performance improvement.
This project is/was supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number UB1RH24206, Information Services to Rural Hospital Flexibility Program Grantees, $1,560,000 (0% financed with nongovernmental sources). This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.
