Demonstrating inspired leadership, innovative collaborative efforts and forward-thinking governance, rural hospitals and health systems continue to deliver care in the face of overwhelming adversity. Organizations across the nation will gather virtually Feb. 17-18 for the AHA Rural Health Care Leadership Conference to make, build and renew connections that will help the field continue to innovate and transform care.
Rural Health Care Leadership Conference News Coverage
The American Hospital Association’s 2022 Rural Health Care Leadership Conference, February 6-9, Phoenix, AZ, brings together top practitioners and thinkers to share strategies and resources for accelerating the shift to a more integrated and sustainable rural health system. We’ll examine the most significant operational, financial and environmental challenges including the post-pandemic impact on rural hospitals and their communities, and present innovative approaches that will enable you to transform your organization’s care delivery model and business practices.
Couldn’t attend AHA’s 2022 Rural Health Care Leadership Conference? No problem. Follow along here for updates, and follow along on social media using hashtag #AHARuralHealth for more.
Latest
by Rod Hochman, M.D.
Though the COVID-19 pandemic has brought us excruciatingly difficult times, I keep saying this is the finest hour for hospitals. Our field has risen to incredible challenges with expertise, commitment and compassion, and it’s inspiring to see.
Four health care leaders in rural Montana discuss how their organizations are adjusting their internal operations to accommodate COVID-19 patients; rallying their communities together and building new relationships; and rebuilding on the path forward.
This year’s AHA Rural Health Care Leadership Conference offers a unique opportunity for leaders to connect before, during and after the conference in affinity groups.
Over 100 rural hospitals have closed since 2013, resulting in patients traveling a median 20 miles farther for health care services, according to a report released by the Government Accountability Office.
U.S. hospitals and other non-profit and for-profit entities with experience using telehealth technologies to serve rural underserved populations can apply through April 2 for up to $350,000 each to implement and evaluate direct-to-consumer telehealth technologies to increase access to health care services, the Health Resources and Services Administration announced.
The AHA announced Southwestern Vermont Medical Center in Bennington, Vt., as the 2020 recipient of the Rural Hospital Leadership Award.
The AHA Rural Health Care Leadership Virtual Conference and Engagement Experience — one of AHA's flagship events — will be held Feb. 17-18.
by Michelle Hood
The AHA Rural Health Care Leadership Virtual Conference and Engagement Experience – one of AHA's flagship events – will be held February 17-18. AHA Executive Vice President Michelle Hood previews the conference designed to help rural health care leaders and trustees propel the transformation to a more integrated and sustainable rural health system.
The Health Resources and Services Administration’s Federal Office of Rural Health Policy finalized its proposal to add additional counties to the list of geographic areas considered rural and therefore eligible for rural health grants.
Siri Nelson, CEO of Marshall Medical Center in Placerville, Calif., will serve as 2021 chair of the AHA Rural Health Services Council. Philip Pandolph, president and CEO of Meadville Medical Center in Meadville, Pa., is chair-elect. The AHA Board liaison is Joanne Conroy, M.D., president and CEO of Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center One in Lebanon, N.H.
Collaboration among rural health care executives will be critical during this transformative period when the field begins to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic. To explore the new landscape in greater detail, the nation’s top leaders will come together during the virtual AHA Rural Health Care Leadership Conference Feb. 17-18.
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality announced two winners of its $50,000 cross-sectional innovation prize to improve rural postpartum mental health: St. Peter's Health in Helena, Mont., for its maternal mental health program that identifies at-risk individuals and connects women to resources and appropriate care early in pregnancy; and Pack Health in Birmingham, Ala., for its digital health coaching program to address postpartum depression.
by Joy Lewis
This case study highlights examples of capitated payment agreements that serve to increase the use and improve the quality of primary care services in rural communities. These arrangements are deployed at several levels of care management and delivery in the public and private sectors, with payment to parties such as managed care organizations, community health workers and physicians. Most of these models are enmeshed in larger, multi-agreement payment models and serve as an example of how to leverage capitated payments for specific services in conjunction with other payment methodologies such as fee-for-service, pay-for-value, and global budgeting.
Hospital outpatient departments, critical access hospitals, rural health clinics and other eligible providers may apply through Jan. 3 to participate in the Value in Opioid Use Disorder Treatment demonstration.
by Michelle Hood
On this National Rural Health Day, Michelle Hood, AHA execu
In honor of today’s National Rural Health Day, the AHA has posted a series of blogs showcasing rural hospitals’ and health systems’ achievements in preserving local access to care in their communities and outlining the association’s rural legislative priorities for Congress.
by Michelle Hood
In this AHA blog, Michelle Hood, AHA executive vice president and chief operating officer and president for the AHA’s Health Forum, honors the important role of local care close to home, and shares her experiences leading health care organizations serving some of America’s most rural communities.
In this AHA blog, AHA Executive Vice President Tom Nickels discusses the resources hospitals and health systems need and what additional relief Congress should deliver during the COVID-19 public health emergency and beyond.
by Tom Nickels
In this AHA blog, AHA Executive Vice President Tom Nickels discusses the resources hospitals and health systems need and what additional relief Congress should deliver during the COVID-19 public health emergency and beyond.