HRSA project recognizes top CAH quality reporting states

The Health Resources and Services Administration today recognized 10 states whose critical access hospitals had the highest quality reporting rates and performance improvement under the Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Project during the past year: Wisconsin, Maine, Utah, Minnesota, Illinois and Pennsylvania (tied), Michigan, Nebraska, Indiana and Massachusetts. The Federal Office of Rural Health Policy project uses Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program grants to help CAHs voluntarily report on certain quality measures relevant to the care they provide, share data and participate in quality improvement initiatives. According to HRSA, 96% of the nation’s 1,340 CAHs report on rural-relevant quality measures. “Critical Access Hospitals may be limited in resources, but they have strong connections to their community and a commitment to quality care for every patient that is reflected in their effort to meet higher standards,” said HRSA Administrator George Sigounas.