National Quality News Headlines

(Click on the headline to read the article)

 

 

Senate Approves Bill To Change The Way Medicare Pays Doctors
Kaiser Health News - April 15, 2015

Kaiser Health News brings together a number of stories on the Senate's approval of the bill that will repeal the current Medicare physician payment formula. The new formula includes an Medicare physician payment increase of .5% each year through 2019, and rewards physicians that meet certain quality measures.  

  

Obstetrics a Money-Losing Challenge for Rural Hospitals
HealthLeaders Media - April 8, 2015  

Describes financial pressures for small and rural hospitals to drop expensive obstetric services despite a persistent need for them. 
 

 

Study: Rural Hospitals Work Hard to Provide Maternity Care but Face Significant Staffing and Training Challenges
University of MN School of Public Health - March 23, 2015  

Describes a study that found challenges to staffing and training of obstetric workforce in rural areas across the country. Provides key findings from the study outlining the challenges.   

 
Study: Minimum-Distance Requirements Could Harm CAHs, Rural Communities

American Hospital Association - April 6, 2015

Highlights a study that identifies the negative impacts of enforcing a minimum-distance regulation on Critical Access Hospital locations.   

 
Education and Training of the Healthcare Workforce - The training of the health workforce plays a big role in whether students consider, and are prepared for, rural practice. This new topic guide discusses a wide range of strategies, programs, and technologies for training the rural health workforce. The guide was developed by Mary Reinertson-Sand, RAC information specialist, with assistance from Randy Smith, Rural Community College Alliance; Mark Deutchman, Colorado AHEC; and Kristin Juliar, Montana Office of Rural Health and Area Health Education Center.

Critique of the Office of the Inspector General's Report on Swing Beds in Critical Access Hospitals
North Carolina Rural Health Research Program - March 2015  

Policy brief evaluating a March 2015 report from the Office of the Inspector General (OIG), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, commenting on Medicare reimbursement policy for swing bed services in Critical Access Hospitals. Evaluates the methods and data of the OIG report. 


 CMS Releases 2015 Impact Assessment Of Quality Measures Report
CMS - March 2, 2015
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released the2015 National Impact Assessment of the CMS Quality Measures Report. This is a comprehensive evaluation of the effects of the measures used in CMS quality reporting programs on achieving the goals of providing high-quality, affordable health care to CMS beneficiaries.