Hospitals that remain open after obstetric services close may encounter challenges providing emergency births or managing other obstetric complications.  As part of a larger survey to understand local capacity for emergency obstetric services, researchers at the University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center asked nurse manager and emergency department administrators to describe the types of trainings and/or resources that would be needed to help better prepare their hospitals to handle obstetric emergencies. Read more here.

The Georgia Health Policy Center (GHPC) reviews the challenges in rural areas to caring for women with mental health challenges and substance use disorder (SUD).  Among the state- and federal-level innovations currently improving access to care is the HRSA/FORHP-supported Rural Maternity and Obstetrics Management Strategies (RMOMS) program initiated last year.  Read the report here.

The interactive mapping system is a collaboration between the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), the CDC Foundation, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.  It provides data related to chronic disease and unhealthy behaviors at the county, place, census tract, and ZIP code levels.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) uses two sources of information in this summary of the quality of care received by Medicare beneficiaries.  The first source is the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) and its survey on health care experiences (e.g., ease of getting needed care, how well providers communicate, etc.).  The second is the Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) with information collected from medical records and administrative data on the technical quality of care for a variety of medical issues, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and chronic lung disease.

The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) commissioned an in-depth look at the challenges and opportunities for this segment of the health care workforce that includes community health workers, behavioral health peer support, and home health aides.  Forecasting a shortage across professions, the report identifies entry-level positions as one option for expanding community-level capacity while also increasing employment opportunities.

The Rural Health Value team recently released a Summit Findings report focused on design of value-based care models to support rural health organization participation and success.

How to Design Value‐Based Care Models for Rural Participant Success: A Summit Findings Report

Based on the input from a two-day virtual summit of rural participants in value-based care models and programs, this report summarizes themes and actionable recommendations that can be used by those designing and supporting value-based care models to improve the viability, relevance, and likelihood of rural health care organization participation and success.

Direct Link:  https://ruralhealthvalue.public-health.uiowa.edu/files/Rural%20VBC%20Summit%20Report.pdf

Top resources on the Rural Health Value website:

• Let’s Talk about CHART – The Rural Health Value team has been hosting virtual discussions to help rural communities and stakeholders identify opportunities, questions, and potential next steps regarding the CMMI CHART Community Track Model.
• Value-Based Care Assessment – Assess capacity and capabilities to deliver value-based care. Receive an eight category readiness report.
• Physician Engagement – Score current engagement and build effective relationships to create a shared vision for a successful future.
• Board and Community Engagement – Hold value-based care discussions as part of strategic planning and performance measurement.
• Social Determinants of Health – Learn and encourage rural leaders/care teams to address issues to improve their community’s health.

Contact information:

Keith J. Mueller, Ph.D., Co-Principal Investigator, keith-mueller@uiowa.edu