Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Office of Rural Health

Missouri State Flex Program

What is one Core Competency your state Flex Program is working on developing through Flex activities?

Selected Core Competency: Improving Financial Sustainability

The Missouri state Flex program implemented a Swing Bed Learning Action Network (LAN) in order to increase Swing Bed reporting. The LAN began in February and will include eight webinars, one per month through August, designed to educate CAHs on the importance of collecting and reporting Swing Bed Data. Prior to the implementation of this LAN only four out of 35 CAHs were actively reporting Swing Bed measures for their hospital. The LAN has been well received by the CAHs with 100% participating in the LAN meetings to date. Collecting and reporting Swing Bed data will help improve financial sustainability due to the data allowing the CAHs to see what areas need improvement. This helps them optimize and grow their swing bed program. Improved quality of care translates to an increase in referrals to a hospital thus improving the financial sustainability of the hospital.

What is one activity your state is funding through SHIP?

The Missouri state SHIP program expends SHIP dollars to support the use of ICD-10 Software to decrease claim denials and increase revenue. There are currently 20 out of 40 participating SHIP hospitals focusing on ICD-10 software to decrease claims denials.