Rural Hospital and
Healthsystem Initiatives

Improving Quality, Financial
Performance, and Operations

PORH administers the federal Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program (Flex) in Pennsylvania, which assists the state’s smallest rural hospitals (Critical Access Hospitals) with improving quality, financial performance, and operations, as well as providing support for healthsystem development and community engagement.

PORH also administers the federal Small Rural Hospital Improvement Program (SHIP), which provides support to the state’s small rural hospitals with activities related to quality improvement and investments towards meaningful use of health information technology.

Rural Hospital Toolkit for Transitioning to Value-based Systems

With the support of the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy, The Rural Hospital Toolkit for Transitioning to Value-based Systems (Toolkit) was developed to disseminate consultant-recommended best practices and transition strategies identified through the Small Rural Hospital Transition (SRHT) Project. The Toolkit shares best practices for improving financial, operational and quality performance to position rural hospitals and networks for the future. It also outlines strategies for transitioning to value-based purchasing and population health. Rural providers and leaders should use the Toolkit to identify performance improvement opportunities for their hospitals and networks, and develop strategies for successfully transitioning to population health.

  • Self-assessment for Transition Planning
  • Strategic Planning
  • Leadership: Board, Employee and Community Engagement
  • Physician and Provider Engagement and Alignment
  • Population Health Management
  • Financial and Operational Strategies
  • Revenue Cycle Management and Business Office (BO) Processes
  • Quality Improvement
  • Community Care Coordination and Chronic Disease Management

Explore the Rural Hospital Toolkit for Transitioning to Value-based Systems.

Hospital Resources

Self-Assessment for Transition to Value Planning

Strategic Planning

Leadership: Board, Employee, and Community Engagement

Physician and Provider Engagement and Alignment

Population Health Management

Financial and Operational Strategies

Revenue Cycle Management and Business Office Practices

Quality Improvement

Community Care Coordination and Chronic Care Management

Emergency Medical Services