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Rural Health

Provider looking at young girl's throat; her practice is part of a clinically integrated network

Understanding a Clinically Integrated Network

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Understanding a Clinically Integrated Network A clinically integrated network, or CIN, is a structured alliance of hospitals, clinics, and/or providers. Members work together around shared quality outcomes, coordinated care, and collective payer strategy. For independent and rural healthcare organizations, a CIN offers a way to improve performance. It also helps reduce unneeded cost variations, and […]

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Provider with hands on laptop keyboard; he chose an ehr vs emr

Understanding an EHR vs EMR And What Your Clinic or Rural Hospital Needs

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Understanding an EHR vs EMR And What Your Clinic or Rural Hospital Needs An electronic medical record (EMR) is a digital version of a paper chart used inside a single clinic, while an electronic health record (EHR) primarily focuses on clinical documentation and data exchange, modern systems often integrate with or include administrative and billing

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Small hospital to represent what is a critical access hospital

What Is a Critical Access Hospital and Why They Matter

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What Is a Critical Access Hospital and Why They Matter A critical access hospital, or CAH, is a small rural hospital that meets federal criteria to receive cost-based reimbursement from Medicare. These hospitals keep emergency and essential inpatient services available in communities too small to support a full acute-care facility. They provide 24×7 emergency care,

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What Are RVUs in Healthcare and How Are they Calculated?

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What Are RVUs in Healthcare and How Are they Calculated? RVUs stands for Relative Value Units. RVUs in healthcare are non-monetary units used to quantify the value of medical services. RVUs reflect the relative amount of work, practice expense, and malpractice risk used to deliver different procedures or services. Each service or procedure provided is

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maximize reimbursements for rural health clinics​ represented by doctor talking to patient

How to Maximize Reimbursements for Rural Health Clinics

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How to Maximize Reimbursements for Rural Health Clinics In 2023, hospitals absorbed $130 billion in Medicare and Medicaid underpayments — a roughly 14% annual increase over 2019.1 And underpayments are one reason providers can benefit from knowing how to maximize reimbursements for rural health clinics (RHCs). Why? Because a higher portion of RHC payments come

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critical access hospital requirements​ represented by blue hospital highway sign

Critical Access Hospital Requirements for Care Centers in Transition

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Critical Access Hospital Requirements for Care Centers in Transition Critical access hospitals (CAHs) get financial protection and access to government resources to support care in rural areas. Hospitals are only eligible for the CAH designation if they participate in the Medicare program. To earn the CAH designation, facilities also need to meet certain critical access

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Web address bar on computer screen to represent Internet options for rural areas

Internet Options for Rural Areas and Healthcare Services

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Understanding Internet Options for Rural Areas Access to reliable high-speed Internet is missing from too many rural communities. And that limits access to essential healthcare services, which impacts patient care. It also plays a key role in connecting underserved communities to essential other resources and opportunities. But major Internet service providers (ISPs) are expanding to

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Man on stretcher arriving at rural emergency hopsital

The Rural Emergency Hospital Designation: What to Know

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The Rural Emergency Hospital Designation: What to Know The rural emergency hospital designation gives rural hospitals a way to stay open when inpatient care becomes unprofitable. Instead of running inpatient units, hospitals can shift to a model that relies on emergency and outpatient services. This arrangement provides more consistent Medicare reimbursements and reduces financial uncertainty.

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