Rural issues

Rural issues / en Sat, 14 Jun 2025 15:50:23 -0500 Fri, 13 Jun 25 14:42:15 -0500 MedPAC releases June report to Congress on Medicare and the health care delivery system /news/headline/2025-06-13-medpac-releases-june-report-congress-medicare-and-health-care-delivery-system The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission June 13 released its <a href="https://www.medpac.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Jun25_MedPAC_Report_To_Congress_SEC.pdf">June report</a> to Congress that outlines recommendations for hospital and other Medicare payment systems. Prior to the report, the AHA urged the commission to include recommendations on <a href="/lettercomment/2025-04-04-aha-comments-medpac-physician-fee-schedule-payment-recommendations">physician fee schedules</a> and <a href="/lettercomment/2025-02-28-aha-comments-medpac-rural-medicare-beneficiary-cost-sharing">reducing cost sharing for outpatient services at critical access hospitals</a>. Fri, 13 Jun 2025 14:42:15 -0500 Rural issues Analysis: Rural hospitals at risk due to cuts in OBBA /news/headline/2025-06-12-analysis-rural-hospitals-risk-due-cuts-obba Data from the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill shows that health care cuts under consideration in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1) could place over 300 rural hospitals across the U.S. at risk of closure, conversion or service reductions. The data was requested and released June 12 by <a href="https://www.markey.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/letter_on_rural_hospitals.pdf">Senate Democrats</a>. “Substantial cuts to Medicaid or Medicare payments could increase the number of unprofitable rural hospitals and elevate their risk of financial distress,” the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research <a href="https://www.markey.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/sheps_response.pdf">wrote</a> in response to a request for information on the OBBA’s impact on rural hospitals. “In response, hospitals may be forced to reduce service lines, convert to a different type of healthcare facility, or close altogether.” Thu, 12 Jun 2025 15:39:17 -0500 Rural issues Learning series to focus on obstetric readiness for EMS, EDs in rural areas /news/headline/2025-06-12-learning-series-focus-obstetric-readiness-ems-eds-rural-areas The Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health, with support from the Health Resources and Services Administration, will host a five-part learning series beginning June 25 on obstetric readiness for emergency medical services and emergency departments in rural and under-resourced communities. The series features specific recommendations for rural EMS and EDs that include telehealth and mobile care unit strategies. &nbsp; Experts in the first session will summarize challenges to obstetric care in rural communities and identify community resources to support pregnant and postpartum patients. Learn more information on the series from AIM’s Learning Series <a href="https://saferbirth.org/aim-resources/communities-of-learning/cols-2022-2023/">webpage</a>, under Obstetric Readiness Summer Sprint 2025.&nbsp; Thu, 12 Jun 2025 14:17:09 -0500 Rural issues Threat of Medicaid cuts to rural communities highlighted in new video /news/headline/2025-06-12-threat-medicaid-cuts-rural-communities-highlighted-new-video The latest video in the AHA’s series “Medicaid: Real Lives, Real Care” features Jennifer Clowers, regional chief financial officer of Our Lady of the Lake Health in Louisiana, explaining how Medicaid helps the system provide services such as school-based health clinics in rural communities, and why those communities could be impacted by potential Medicaid cuts from Congress. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LclkrXxrAU">WATCH NOW</a>&nbsp; Thu, 12 Jun 2025 14:12:01 -0500 Rural issues Medicaid Coverage Supports Rural Patients, Hospitals, and Communities /fact-sheets/2025-06-05-medicaid-coverage-supports-rural-patients-hospitals-and-communities <div class="container"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-8"><img src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/16-1-Million-People-in-Rural-Communities-Rely-on-Medicaid.png" data-entity-uuid="5bd93908-0c93-4c85-8af2-4b1d10bc33fb" data-entity-type="file" alt="16.1 Million People in Rural Communities Rely on Medicaid" width="299" height="267" class="align-right">One in seven Americans live in rural areas and rely on rural hospitals and health systems for the health and well-being of their communities.<a href="#fn1">1</a> The importance of rural hospitals cannot be overstated, as individuals who live in these communities face greater challenges in accessing health care due to a number of factors, including a lack of affordable coverage options, geographic isolation and a shortage of health care providers.<a href="#fn2">2</a> Medicaid, which covers 16.1 million people in rural communities, plays a vital role in addressing these barriers and sustaining rural hospitals so they can continue to support patients and their communities.<a href="#fn3">3</a> As part of a larger budget process, many in Congress are currently considering cuts to the Medicaid program, which could have a devastating impact on rural hospitals and patients.<h2>Impact of Proposed Medicaid Cuts on Rural Communities</h2>Medicaid generally pays hospitals far less than the costs of caring for Medicaid patients. The difference between Medicaid payments and costs incurred by hospitals to provide care, known as the “Medicaid shortfall,” was $27.5 billion in 2023.<a href="#fn4">4</a> Congress is considering policy options that could collectively reduce federal spending for the Medicaid program by hundreds of billions of dollars over the next 10 years, which would undermine the ability of hospitals, in particular rural hospitals, to continue to serve their patients.<img src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Proposed-Cuts-Could-Mean.png" data-entity-uuid="9fe59eda-0e35-4ed2-ac8a-2ce61c8ab427" data-entity-type="file" alt="Proposed Cuts Could Mean: Coverage Losses; Fewer Health Care Services; Fewer Jobs; More Hospital Financial Instability." width="284" height="140" class="align-right">Among the targets for cuts being considered by Congress are supplemental payments, which are used to mitigate historically low Medicaid payment rates for services. These funding sources are critical, as many states have been able to target support to rural hospitals through supplemental payments and lessen the gap between Medicaid base payments and the cost of providing care. If the proposed cuts are enacted, the effects will ripple across rural communities and could result in coverage losses, fewer available health care services, fewer jobs and greater hospital financial instability.<h2>The Importance of Rural Hospitals</h2><img src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/About-half-of-rural-hospitals-consistently-experienced-negative-operating-margins.png" data-entity-uuid="12f19b20-8b38-4a5f-929a-f6117d5e4ea8" data-entity-type="file" alt="About half of rural hospitals consistently experienced negative operating margins from patient services from 2017-2022." width="238" height="205" class="align-right">Rural hospitals serve as critical – and sometimes the sole – source of care for rural communities. Consequently, rural hospitals face elevated levels of uncompensated care that can be linked to higher uninsured rates in rural communities.<a href="#fn5">5</a> Due to this and other fiscal pressures, many rural hospitals operate under tight margins and face a disproportionate threat of closure.<a href="#fn6">6</a> About half of rural hospitals consistently experienced negative operating margins from patient services from 2017-2022.<a href="#fn7">7</a> Some hospitals have dealt with negative margins by reducing costs, which can include eliminating service lines or closing altogether. According to the UNC Cecil G. Sheps Center, over 100 rural hospitals have closed or converted in the last decade.<a href="#fn8">8</a>Hospital closures and service line reductions can be devastating to rural communities. Behavioral health and obstetrics care are two examples where despite a significant need for this care in rural areas, providers and services continue to be limited or entirely unavailable in rural communities due to fiscal and other issues.<a href="#fn9">9</a>,<a href="#fn10&gt;10&lt;/a&gt;,&lt;a href=">11</a> When providers or essential services are not available locally, patients are required to travel long distances or, worse, forego care altogether, leading to health complications and unnecessary hospitalizations.<h2>Medicaid’s Role as a Lifeline for Rural Patients, Communities and Hospitals</h2>There are three primary ways in which Medicaid supports rural communities and hospitals:<h3><img src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Percentage-of-Rural-Births-Covered-by-Medicaid-2023.png" data-entity-uuid="8fc3d416-2e58-44dd-9f69-7787485f3bc8" data-entity-type="file" alt="Percentage of Rural Births Covered by Medicaid, 2023, by state. Source: Natality data on the CDC WONDER Online Database. Created with Datawrapper." width="404" height="321" class="align-right">1. Medicaid is a critical coverage option for people who live in rural areas.</h3>Medicaid is a significant source of coverage for individuals and families in rural areas who would otherwise not be able to afford insurance. In nearly all states, Medicaid covers a larger share of both adults and children in rural communities than urban communities.<a href="#fn12">12</a> Nearly 50% of children and 18% of adults in rural communities are covered by Medicaid.<a href="#fn13">13</a> And nearly 50% of babies born in rural areas are covered by Medicaid.<a href="#fn14">14</a><h3>2. Medicaid improves access to care in rural areas.</h3>Medicaid is a powerful tool in enabling people to overcome barriers to care. Children with Medicaid coverage are four times more likely to have regular sources of care and two to three times more likely to receive preventive care services than uninsured children.<a href="#fn15">15</a> Adult Medicaid enrollees are five times more likely to have regular sources of care and four times more likely to receive preventive care services than individuals without coverage. With more patients covered, providers are more likely to be able to sustain themselves financially and, in some cases, expand the services they can offer in rural areas.<h3>3. Medicaid stabilizes and strengthens rural hospitals and workers.</h3>Medicaid plays a significant role in reducing uncompensated care and stabilizing hospitals in rural communities. Higher rates of Medicaid coverage for adults have been associated with improved hospital financial performance and lower likelihood of closure, especially in rural areas that have expanded Medicaid. The majority (74%) of rural hospital closures happened in states where Medicaid expansion was not in place or had been in place for less than a year.<a href="#fn16">16</a>Medicaid coverage directly affects the demand for services in rural areas, and therefore the need for a robust health care workforce. Several studies on the impacts of Medicaid on the primary care and behavioral health workforce showed that states that have expanded Medicaid may be able to recruit, or may attract, additional providers due to the higher demand for services.<a href="#fn17">17</a>And Medicaid’s contribution to the workforce is not limited to health care providers — rural hospitals typically serve as one of the largest employers in their communities and economic foundations of their local economy. This allows Medicaid to support more economically stable and vibrant communities.<hr><h2>End Notes</h2><ol><li id="fn1"><a href="https://aspe.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/6056484066506a8d4ba3dcd8d9322490/rural-health-rr-30-Oct-24.pdf">aspe.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/6056484066506a8d4ba3dcd8d9322490/rural-health-rr-30-Oct-24.pdf</a></li><li id="fn2"><a href="https://www.gao.gov/blog/why-health-care-harder-access-rural-america" target="_blank">gao.gov/blog/why-health-care-harder-access-rural-america</a></li><li id="fn3"><a href="https://www.kff.org/other/state-indicator/medicaid-enrollees-by-urban-rural-status/?dataView=1&amp;currentTimeframe=0&amp;sortModel=%7B%22colId%22:%22Location%22,%22sort%22:%22asc%22%7D" target="_blank">kff.org/other/state-indicator/medicaid-enrollees-by-urban-rural-status/?dataView=1¤tTimeframe=0&amp;sortModel=%7B%22colId%22:%22Location%22,%22sort%22:%22asc%22%7D</a></li><li id="fn4"><a href="/system/files/media/file/2025/02/Fact-Sheet-Medicaid-20250204.pdf" target="_blank">aha.org/system/files/media/file/2025/02/Fact-Sheet-Medicaid-20250204.pdf</a></li><li id="fn5"><a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10924546/#:~:text=Rural%20hospitals%20have%20more%20uncompensated,change%20in%20non%2Dexpansion%20states" target="_blank">mc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10924546/#:~:text=Rural%20hospitals%20have%20more%20uncompensated,change%20in%20non%2Dexpansion%20states</a></li><li id="fn6"><a href="https://www.kff.org/health-costs/issue-brief/hospital-margins-rebounded-in-2023-but-rural-hospitals-and-those-with-high-medicaid-shares-were-struggling-more-than-others/#:~:text=About%20half%20of%20low%2Dvolume,designation%20had%20negative%20operating%20margins" target="_blank">kff.org/health-costs/issue-brief/hospital-margins-rebounded-in-2023-but-rural-hospitals-and-those-with-high-medicaid-shares-werestruggling-more-than-others/#:~:text=About%20half%20of%20low%2Dvolume,designation%20had%20negative%20operating%20margins</a></li><li id="fn7"><a href="/system/files/media/file/2024/04/Assessing-the-Impact-of-COVID-19-on-Rural-Hospitals-report.pdf" target="_blank">aha.org/system/files/media/file/2024/04/Assessing-the-Impact-of-COVID-19-on-Rural-Hospitals-report.pdf</a></li><li id="fn8"><a href="https://www.shepscenter.unc.edu/programs-projects/rural-health/rural-hospital-closures/" target="_blank">shepscenter.unc.edu/programs-projects/rural-health/rural-hospital-closures/</a>; converted facilities no longer offer inpatient services but continue to provide some health care services.</li><li id="fn9"><a href="https://familymedicine.uw.edu/rhrc/publications/changes-in-the-supply-and-rural-urban-distribution-of-selected-behavioral-health-providers/" target="_blank">familymedicine.uw.edu/rhrc/publications/changes-in-the-supply-and-rural-urban-distribution-of-selected-behavioral-health-providers/</a></li><li id="fn10"><a href="https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-23-105515" target="_blank">gao.gov/products/gao-23-105515</a></li><li id="fn11"><a href="https://www.gao.gov/blog/additional-risks-and-challenges-pregnant-women-rural-and-underserved-communities" target="_blank">gao.gov/blog/additional-risks-and-challenges-pregnant-women-rural-and-underserved-communities</a></li><li id="fn12"><a href="https://www.kff.org/medicaid/issue-brief/the-role-of-medicaid-in-rural-america/" target="_blank">kff.org/medicaid/issue-brief/the-role-of-medicaid-in-rural-america/</a></li><li id="fn13"><a href="https://ccf.georgetown.edu/2023/08/17/medicaids-coverage-role-in-small-towns-and-rural-areas/" target="_blank">ccf.georgetown.edu/2023/08/17/medicaids-coverage-role-in-small-towns-and-rural-areas/</a></li><li id="fn14"><a href="/system/files/media/file/2025/02/Fact-Sheet-Medicaid-20250204.pdf" target="_blank">aha.org/system/files/media/file/2025/02/Fact-Sheet-Medicaid-20250204.pdf</a></li><li id="fn15"><a href="https://www.ahip.org/resources/the-value-of-medicaid-providing-access-to-care-and-preventive-health-services" target="_blank">ahip.org/resources/the-value-of-medicaid-providing-access-to-care-and-preventive-health-services</a></li><li id="fn16"><a href="/system/files/media/file/2022/09/rural-hospital-closures-threaten-access-report.pdf" target="_blank">aha.org/system/files/media/file/2022/09/rural-hospital-closures-threaten-access-report.pdf</a></li><li id="fn17"><a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9262825/" target="_blank">EFFECTS OF THE ACA MEDICAID EXPANSION ON THE COMPENSATION OF NEW PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIANS - PMC</a></li></ol></div><div class="col-md-4"><div class="external-link spacer"><a class="btn btn-wide btn-primary" href="/system/files/media/file/2025/06/Medicaid-Coverage-Supports-Rural-Patients-Hospitals-and-Communities.pdf" target="_blank" title="Click here to download the Medicaid Coverage Supports Rural Patients, Hospitals, and Communities fact sheet PDF.">Download the Fact Sheet PDF</a></div><a href="/system/files/media/file/2025/06/Medicaid-Coverage-Supports-Rural-Patients-Hospitals-and-Communities.pdf" target="_blank" title="Click here to download the Medicaid Coverage Supports Rural Patients, Hospitals, and Communities fact sheet PDF."><img src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Page-1-Medicaid-Coverage-Supports-Rural-Patients-Hospitals-and-Communities-20250605.png" data-entity-uuid="60c6085a-1780-4fb4-8f27-76caf6eddc36" data-entity-type="file" alt="Medicaid Coverage Supports Rural Patients, Hospitals, and Communities fact sheet page 1." width="693" height="900"></a></div></div></div> h2 { color: #9d2235; } h3 { color: #003087; } Thu, 05 Jun 2025 06:00:00 -0500 Rural issues Why Rural Hospitals May Have Some Advantages to Drive Tech Innovation /aha-center-health-innovation-market-scan/2025-06-03-why-rural-hospitals-may-have-some-advantages-drive-tech-innovation <div class="container"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-8"><img src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Why-Rural-Hospitals-May-Have-Some-Advantages-to-Drive-Tech-Innovation.png" data-entity-uuid="bb0adbd4-9ef7-48af-89da-1fc1b74bdad5" data-entity-type="file" alt="Why Rural Hospitals May Have Some Advantages to Drive Tech Innovation. A clinician with a stethoscope around her neck, wearing a white lab coat and holding a clipboard stands in a rural field of grain. Around her is a mandala of AI circuits." width="1200" height="751">Rural hospitals and health systems may not have the size, resources or scale of their urban and academic medical center counterparts, but they have ideal traits to help spur technology innovation.Rural health organizations offer the agility, practicality and a culture of creative problem-solving, <a href="https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/providers/industry-voices-plan-do-study-disrupt-how-rural-hospitals-can-power-innovation" target="_blank" title="Fierce Healthcare Industry Voices: Plan, do, study, disrupt—how rural hospitals can power innovation">notes Jason Cohen, M.D., in a recent blog</a>. Cohen, formerly chief medical officer at North Valley Hospital in Montana, is now chief medical officer-inpatient for <a href="https://www.qventus.com/" target="_blank" title="Qventus">Qventus</a>, a tech company providing AI-powered care operations automation software to improve health system efficiency.Rural hospitals, by necessity, are experts in working “lean,” Cohen writes. “They typically lack the resources of larger systems, but their experience of doing more with less makes them understanding partners for startups.”Feedback loops also run deeper in rural settings, he notes. Providers and patients are used to more personal, face-to-face interactions — and often are more generous with their time and insights. Though the volume of interactions may be lower, the quality is higher, offering sharper, more actionable feedback for startups, Cohen adds.<h2>How Rural Hospitals Can Advocate for Innovation</h2>Cohen offers the following suggestions for ways rural hospitals can become advocates for innovation to drive greater tech advances that can lead to greater efficiency in the field.<ol class="red"><li class="red">Develop in-house expertise across clinical, technical and operational teams. This helps rural systems become active co-creators of solutions.</li><li class="red">Step into startup spaces such as digital health summits and health conferences like the <a href="https://ruralconference.aha.org/" target="_blank" title="AHA Rural Health Care Leadership Conference">AHA Rural Health Leadership Conference</a>.</li><li class="red">Build innovation coalitions across hospitals to attract startups that need broader populations to develop their products. Innovation partnerships thrive on mutual readiness, and rural systems that show up informed, organized and curious can help steer solutions that can work for them and others in the field.</li></ol></div><div class="col-md-4"><a href="/center" title="Visit the AHA Center for Health Innovation landing page."><img src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/logo-aha-innovation-center-color-sm.jpg" data-entity-uuid="7ade6b12-de98-4d0b-965f-a7c99d9463c5" alt="AHA Center for Health Innovation logo" width="721" height="130" data-entity- type="file" class="align-center"></a><a href="/center/form/innovation-subscription"><img src="/sites/default/files/2019-04/Market_Scan_Call_Out_360x300.png" data-entity-uuid data-entity-type alt width="360" height="300"></a></div></div></div>.field_featured_image { position: absolute; overflow: hidden; clip: rect(0 0 0 0); height: 1px; width: 1px; margin: -1px; padding: 0; border: 0; } .featured-image{ position: absolute; overflow: hidden; clip: rect(0 0 0 0); height: 1px; width: 1px; margin: -1px; padding: 0; border: 0; } h2 { color: #9d2235; } ol.red li.red::marker { color: #9d2235; font-weight: bold; } Tue, 03 Jun 2025 06:00:00 -0500 Rural issues AHA podcast: Bringing Virtual Behavioral Health Care Access to Rural Youth in West Virginia /news/headline/2025-05-30-aha-podcast-bringing-virtual-behavioral-health-care-access-rural-youth-west-virginia Adrienne Coopey, D.O., a child and adolescent psychiatrist at the West Virginia University Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, discusses how a fully virtual collaborative care model helps deliver early behavioral health interventions and improve access and outcomes for children across West Virginia.&nbsp;<a href="/advancing-health-podcast/2025-05-30-bringing-virtual-behavioral-health-care-access-rural-youth-west-virginia">LISTEN NOW</a>&nbsp; Fri, 30 May 2025 15:09:11 -0500 Rural issues Bringing Virtual Behavioral Health Care Access to Rural Youth in West Virginia /advancing-health-podcast/2025-05-30-bringing-virtual-behavioral-health-care-access-rural-youth-west-virginia Access to youth and adolescent behavioral health care is a major challenge facing rural communities. In this conversation, Adrienne Coopey, D.O., a child and adolescent psychiatrist at the West Virginia University Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, discusses how a fully virtual collaborative care model is helping deliver early behavioral health interventions and improve access and outcomes for children across West Virginia.<hr><div></div><div class="raw-html-embed"><details class="transcript"> <summary> <h2 title="Click here to open/close the transcript."> View Transcript </h2> </summary> 00:00:01:06 - 00:00:22:12 Tom Haederle Welcome to Advancing Health. In today's podcast, we learn how West Virginia University Medicine involves the entire clinical team: primary care physicians, virtual social workers and others to get children and young people the care they need before a psychiatrist is required. 00:00:22:15 - 00:00:53:12 Jordan Steiger My name is Jordan Steiger, and I am senior program manager for clinical affairs and workforce at AHA. I'm really excited to be joined today by Dr. Adrienne Coopey from West Virginia University Medicine. Dr. Coopey is a child and adolescent psychiatrist who is extremely passionate about integrating physical and behavioral health services, which is, we know, something we love to talk about at AHA. And she is especially interested in doing this in areas of West Virginia where children and their families faced challenges in accessing behavioral health services. 00:00:53:14 - 00:01:14:17 Jordan Steiger She and her team are doing lots of great work, not only to improve the outcomes for these children and their families, but also really trying to support the health care workforce, and clinicians who are developing behavioral health programs and delivering services maybe for whom behavioral health is not their specialty area. So, Dr. Coopey, thank you so much for being with us today. 00:01:14:20 - 00:01:15:29 Adrienne Coopey, D.O. Thank you. 00:01:16:01 - 00:01:21:12 Jordan Steiger So to get us started, please tell us just a little bit about you and your role at WVU. 00:01:21:14 - 00:01:52:13 Adrienne Coopey, D.O. Thank you, Jordan, for that lovely introduction. I think the biggest thing is I'm really fortunate to have the support of West Virginia University to do this work, because I really enjoy it and it doesn't always pay well, right? Reimbursement can be an issue. So, I am currently a fully virtual faculty member in the Department of Behavioral Medicine and Psychiatry, and my role there at WVU is primarily in teaching psychiatry residents and the child and adolescent psychiatry fellows. 00:01:52:15 - 00:02:33:11 Adrienne Coopey, D.O. So they can join the workforce, and help take care of our people. So teaching is a big role in my work, and it has been all along, which I didn't really catch on to. But, through integrated behavioral health, I've really done a lot of teaching all along. I think most of my, early career has been in-patient child and adolescent psychiatry, emergency departments, &nbsp;doing consult liaison work in medicine and pediatrics, and then the integrated behavioral health work was just kind of like natural development that kind of happened, which is medical overlap, behavioral health 00:02:33:13 - 00:02:53:25 Adrienne Coopey, D.O. in a lot of the work that I was doing. And I got really lucky. The hospital that I was working in supported me to implement, integrated behavioral health into primary care. Now, I've been at WVU for two years, and really I was hired to implement behavioral health integration. 00:02:53:28 - 00:03:12:21 Jordan Steiger I love that WVU has made this investment in behavioral health integration. I think that speaks so, so much to the system and the priorities. And I love that you are completely virtual. I know we'll talk about that a little bit more later and how that helps you in your role. But I'd like to go back to, you know, you are a child and adolescent psychiatrist. 00:03:12:22 - 00:03:36:18 Jordan Steiger You've practiced for a long time in this role. I know you're really passionate about the care that you provide. We know that there are not enough of you out there in the workforce right now. There are just not enough people going into psychiatry, and especially child and adolescent psychiatry. What does this mean for patients? What does this mean for the short term and long term outcomes for these kids when they can't see a psychiatrist? 00:03:36:20 - 00:04:02:19 Adrienne Coopey, D.O. Right. So all of that is true. We are not able to produce enough child and adolescent psychiatrists to see every kid who needs help. But I would argue we don't need to. You know, our primary care providers are really seeing the kids who need behavioral health intervention. They're seeing them first, right? They're identifying their needs pretty early, right. 00:04:02:20 - 00:04:34:23 Adrienne Coopey, D.O. We have made it important for screening tools to be implemented for depression and anxiety. So our primary care providers are seeing these kids right off the bat. If we can support our primary care providers to intervene early, we may not need as many child psychiatrists as we feel we do at this point. Treating behavioral health though, is so different than, say, treating strep throat, right? 00:04:34:25 - 00:04:57:04 Adrienne Coopey, D.O. We don't have that one test that gives us that one answer and know that one antibiotic is going to be helpful. And so that can make it a little more difficult to just do. And that, is where I get to be a part of sort of distilling all the I've learned to support the primary care providers. 00:04:57:11 - 00:05:21:27 Jordan Steiger So what I'm hearing you say, I think, is that we need to maybe shift our mindset around this a little bit. Not every child needs to be seeing a psychiatrist. And that early intervention piece is really important. And I know that that's something that WVU medicine is really investing a lot of time and resources in right now. So could you tell us a little bit about the work you're doing to empower that early intervention and get kids the care that they need? 00:05:21:29 - 00:05:46:12 Adrienne Coopey, D.O. Yes. We have implemented three different programs already in behavioral health integration. That has been very exciting for me. One that I have continued today and it is a direct education with a primary care provider. I have a pediatrician that I work with in an area of West Virginia that has no behavioral health services as far as child and adolescent psychiatry is concerned. 00:05:46:15 - 00:06:12:13 Adrienne Coopey, D.O. She primarily sees children with behavioral health needs. And I talk to her a couple times a week about patients. And we help implement those screening tools in a way that makes it easier for her to care for kids. I give her recommendations, but really, she's doing all the work. And often I am just saying, yeah, that sounds like a really good idea. 00:06:12:13 - 00:06:46:28 Adrienne Coopey, D.O. And that has gotten a lot of children seen earlier and getting the care in their communities that they would otherwise have to travel pretty far for. Another program is primarily supported through our population health department. Really cool. It is a fully virtual collaborative care model. In general, the collaborative care model parks a social worker in a primary care office who then is the liaison between the patient, the primary care provider, and the specialist, 00:06:46:28 - 00:07:13:27 Adrienne Coopey, D.O. the child and adolescent psychiatrist. I've worked in that model, it's super fun. It's great to have that collaboration with everybody in that team model. This model is completely virtual. The primary care provider can be in any setting. The social worker is calling the patient using the medical record to communicate. And I have direct conversations with the social worker. 00:07:13:29 - 00:07:45:06 Adrienne Coopey, D.O. What that gives us is an opportunity to see patients in various practices that can be geographically quite separated. That was one of the difficulties with rural collaborative care is that the social worker may not have enough volume in one practice to really support their position. And so this really negates that issue. The third thing that we're doing that's super fun is, we call it E-consultation. 00:07:45:12 - 00:08:11:09 Adrienne Coopey, D.O. It is an interprofessional consultation. So the primary care provider puts in an order and a question about a patient. It comes to me or one of our child psychiatrists electronically. We review the chart, review the question and send back an answer. This can be really great. Because we can give it an answer pretty quickly, and we can bill for it so it can support itself. 00:08:11:12 - 00:08:36:16 Adrienne Coopey, D.O. The primary care provider and this child psychiatrist, are part of any kind of billings and review generation, so that can be helpful in supporting the program. That can give those patients who may not be appropriate for a collaborative care model, a more immediate answer before they can get to a child psychiatrist in specialty care. 00:08:36:18 - 00:09:07:01 Jordan Steiger Wow, so many things you've mentioned I would love to just dive deeper and deeper into. I think that I mean, the thread I hear among all of these programs though, is the willingness to embrace that virtual care and the willingness to connect across a very large state with a lot of rural communities. You know, I think being a big anchor system in a state like West Virginia, there is such an opportunity maybe for other, you know, states similar to West Virginia, to kind of model off of the work that you are doing. 00:09:07:04 - 00:09:29:22 Jordan Steiger One of the things you mentioned at the beginning, you know, talking about your different implementations is, you know, how you work one on one with this primary care physician in a rural community in West Virginia. I love this. I think this is such a smart way to just spread that knowledge and help - like you said - just bring that access to care to communities where it wouldn't maybe be. 00:09:29:24 - 00:09:51:18 Jordan Steiger You alluded to this at the beginning too, but we know that behavioral health provision, you know, for services, is a little different sometimes than primary care. So how can other child and adolescent psychiatrists model kind of the work that you're doing and empower other primary care clinicians to be more confident in treating children with behavioral health needs? 00:09:51:20 - 00:10:23:15 Adrienne Coopey, D.O. Great question. And this has taken time to develop for myself. Getting little bits of information about someone and formulating a diagnosis and plan can be really difficult and a little scary. So learning the ways that primary care providers can communicate with you in the same language. So sometimes our primary care providers and our psychiatrist are speaking different languages. 00:10:23:17 - 00:10:57:09 Adrienne Coopey, D.O. One way that we can speak the same language and get the same information is if by using screening tools. And we are using screening tools in primary care a lot, right? We're using the PHQ. We're using the Gad seven and the scared for anxiety. We're using the Vanderbilt for ADHD. We're doing that. And that can be a great way to get the information that you need and communicate it with each other, primary care and psychiatry and follow the care. So we can use those to help support diagnosis. 00:10:57:11 - 00:11:17:18 Adrienne Coopey, D.O. We can use those to help follow the care and see if we're getting better. Because one thing about psychiatry in general is that our responses aren't always immediate and they're not big. You don't go from sore throat to no sore throat, right? You have incremental improvement. 00:11:17:21 - 00:11:47:05 Jordan Steiger Absolutely. And just making it objective, like you said, it's not like you have sore throat and no sore throat. It could be a lot of time, a lot of different interventions, a lot of different experimentation with lots of different things to get that person to that right care plan in psychiatry. So I think that that's a great takeaway message for our listeners is just figuring out what is that shared language and how can we come to kind of the middle and understanding each other between psychiatry and primary care 00:11:47:05 - 00:11:59:15 Jordan Steiger so I love that. As we start to close, what advice would you have for other health systems who are looking to integrate behavioral health into their other models of care? 00:11:59:17 - 00:12:28:24 Adrienne Coopey, D.O. Support it. I am super grateful to WVU for supporting my work. I am grateful to other hospitals that I've worked at for supporting behavioral health integration. It doesn't always pay upfront, but the improvements on the end in quality of life, hospital visits, hospitalizations and other needs are significant. So that prevention piece is really powerful. 00:12:28:26 - 00:12:34:16 Jordan Steiger I absolutely agree. Thank you so much. Is there anything else you'd like to add? 00:12:34:18 - 00:12:57:24 Adrienne Coopey, D.O. Thank you for having me. I really appreciate this. It is something I've been doing in the background for quite some time, and I know that individually, each primary care provider I work with is grateful their patients are getting what they need, and they are also grateful for this program. But I don't always get to talk about it. 00:12:57:27 - 00:13:06:12 Adrienne Coopey, D.O. Because behavioral health can be something that we don't talk about a lot. So I really appreciate that you've given us this time and spotlight to do it. 00:13:06:15 - 00:13:17:23 Jordan Steiger We are so happy to do so. I love talking about behavioral health and getting to help other people share their stories. So, we are really excited to keep following your work and see what comes next. 00:13:17:25 - 00:13:19:10 Adrienne Coopey, D.O. Thank you. 00:13:19:13 - 00:13:27:24 Tom Haederle Thanks for listening to Advancing Health. Please subscribe and rate us five stars on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. </details></div> Fri, 30 May 2025 08:25:00 -0500 Rural issues Rural Health Update May 16, 2025 <div class="container"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-8"><img src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/aha-logo-small-header.png" data-entity-uuid="0a3f954c-34fd-4faa-8f13-d31245d1d41f" data-entity-type="file" alt="Small AHA Logo Header" width="128" height="48" class="align-center"><img src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/rural-health-icon_1.jpg" data-entity-uuid="248e96f2-a7da-403f-835e-93ccca7b07d7" data-entity-type="file" alt="Rural Health Image" width="600" height="45" class="align-center"><h2 class="text-align-center">NEWS UPDATE</h2>May 16, 2025Your guide to the latest rural health news and resourcesThe following is a compilation of recent news from the AHA and the Rural Health Services team, whose focus is to ensure rural hospitals’ and health systems’ unique needs are national priorities.<img src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/image_9.png" data-entity-uuid="ccd6cbce-9947-4c0f-9732-6c6052160b3d" data-entity-type="file" alt="AHA Rural Advocacy Alliance Logo" width="571" height="84">&nbsp;AHA offers comments on House E&amp;C proposals related to Medicaid and House W&amp;M reconciliation provisionsThe House Energy and Commerce Committee May 13 advanced its portion of the fiscal year 2025 reconciliation bill. The committee has been instructed to reduce deficits by $880 billion, with significant Medicaid changes and cuts being considered.The AHA sent a detailed <a href="/system/files/media/file/2025/05/aha-house-statement-on-full-committee-markup-of-budget-reconciliation-text-testimony-5-13-2025.pdf">statement</a> to the E&amp;C Committee with comments on certain sections of the bill, including potential changes to policies related to provider taxes and state-directed payments (SDPs), among other provisions.Specifically, the bill would freeze, at current rates and amounts, what states can assess through provider taxes as of the date of enactment of this legislation and prohibits states from establishing new provider taxes.In addition, the bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services to revise current regulations to limit SDPs for services furnished on or after the enactment of this legislation from exceeding the total published Medicare payment rate.SDPs are used to support essential hospital services, including behavioral health and obstetrical services, and to create incentives to improve quality and health outcomes. They are particularly important in rural areas, where hospitals are sometimes the sole source of care in a community. AHA May 13 shared a <a href="/advisory/2025-05-12-aha-summary-house-energy-and-commerce-legislative-language">Legislative Advisory</a> with summaries of provisions included in the bill.The House Ways and Means Committee also advanced its portion of the fiscal year 2025 reconciliation bill, with some proposals impacting the health care field. The AHA has developed a <a href="/system/files/media/file/2025/05/aha-summary-of-house-ways-and-means-legislative-language-advisory-5-13-2025.pdf">Legislative Advisory</a> with summaries of several provisions in the bill.The AHA sent a <a href="/system/files/media/file/2025/05/aha-statement-to-house-committee-on-ways-and-means-on-concurrent-resolution-on-the-budget-for-fiscal-year-2025-h-con-res-14-5-13-2025.pdf">statement</a> to the W&amp;M Committee with specific comments on certain sections of the bill, including potential changes to policies related to tax incentives, among other provisions. The AHA discussed several proposals, including expanding the Rural Emergency Hospital definition, greater health plan choice for employees and temporary charitable contribution deductions.As the budget process continues, subscribe to <a href="/2017-12-15-aha-today">AHA Today</a> to receive the latest news.AHA offers 100 suggestions to Trump administration for regulatory reliefThe AHA May 12 <a href="/lettercomment/2025-05-12-aha-response-omb-deregulation-rfi">responded</a> to the Office of Management and Budget's April 11 <a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/04/11/2025-06316/request-for-information-deregulation" target="_blank" title="Federal Register: Request for Information: Deregulation">request for information</a> on regulatory relief, making 100 suggestions to the Trump administration to help reduce burdens on hospitals and health systems. “The Trump administration has rightly pointed out that the health status of too many Americans does not reflect the greatness or wealth of our nation,” said AHA President and CEO Rick Pollack. “Excessive regulatory and administrative burdens are a key contributor, as they add unnecessary cost to the health care system, reduce patient access to care and stifle innovation.”The AHA’s recommendations fall under four categories: billing, payment and other administrative requirements; quality and patient safety; telehealth; and workforce.More administrative actions added to AHA trackerThe Trump administration has issued many executive orders and taken other administrative actions. The AHA has compiled a <a href="/system/files/media/file/2025/01/2025-New-Executive-Orders-20250127.pdf">tracker</a> of the actions the administration has taken that may be of interest to hospitals and health systems. The tracker will be updated regularly as new actions are taken.<img src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/image_67.png" data-entity-uuid="984b9279-b222-4071-8271-33f7153ac0c0" data-entity-type="file" alt="Executive Order Tracker Banner" width="641" height="197" class="align-center">Tell your story to protect access to careYour voice matters. Help protect the care your community depends on. <a href="/tellingthehospitalstory">SHARE YOUR STORY</a>Hospitals provide lifesaving, around-the-clock care, especially in rural and vulnerable communities. But proposed policies could threaten that access. By sharing real stories, we can help policymakers understand the critical role hospitals play — and why protecting access to care, particularly in rural areas, must remain a top priority. Here are some examples of stories that can make a difference.<ul><li>Shodair Children’s Hospital in Helena, Mont., has launched the <a href="/role-hospitals-shodair-childrens-hospital-launches-hope-campaign">Hope Campaign</a> to reduce stigma and encourage conversations about youth mental health.</li><li>Dartmouth Health in Lebanon, N.H., offers free educational <a href="/role-hospitals-virtual-singing-walking-groups-dartmouth-healths-programs-older-adults-enhance-health">classes, support and services</a> to improve the minds, bodies and spirits of older adults and their families. Older adults can take classes to improve their balance, get help using their iPhone, learn strategies for coping with symptoms of chronic disease and get tips for eating healthy.</li><li>Our Lady of the Lake Ascension, a rural community hospital, works to improve early sepsis detection. Their groundbreaking technology has resulted in a <a href="/role-hospitals-our-lady-lake-ascension-works-improve-early-sepsis-detection">30% reduction in mortality</a> among septic patients. IntelliSep, the only Food and Drug Administration-cleared sepsis test, is a blood test that can detect sepsis in its early stages.</li></ul>Advisory details CMS rate announcement, final rule Medicare Advantage, Part DThe AHA April 15 released an <a href="/advisory/2025-04-15-cms-issues-rate-announcement-and-final-rule-cy-2026-medicare-advantage-prescription-drug-plans">advisory</a> detailing the Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services’ payment rate announcement for Medicare Advantage and Part D programs for calendar year 2026 and its final rule on policy and technical changes to MA, the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Program, Medicare Cost Plan Program and Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly.Payments to MA plans will increase by 5.06% on average, or more than $25 billion. The final rule strengthens provider and patient access to appeals processes related to concurrent medical reviews and confirms previous rulemaking regarding MA plan prior authorization determinations, while deferring action on several other plan-focused regulations.Advisories detail FY 2026 Inpatient PPS, TEAM proposed ruleThe AHA May 7 released advisories with additional details on the Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services’ hospital inpatient prospective payment system and long-term care hospital PPS <a href="/advisory/2025-05-07-inpatient-pps-proposed-rule-fy-2026">proposed rule</a> for fiscal year 2026, which includes changes to the <a href="/advisory/2025-05-07-fy-2026-transforming-episode-accountability-model-proposed-rule">Transforming Episode Accountability Model</a>.View the AHA Regulatory Advisory for a summary and key takeaways from the <a href="/advisory/2025-05-15-long-term-care-hospital-prospective-payment-system-proposed-rule-fy-2026">LTCH</a> provisions of the rule.View the AHA Regulatory Advisory for a summary and key takeaways from the <a href="/advisory/2025-05-15-inpatient-rehabilitation-facility-prospective-payment-system-proposed-rule-fy-2026">inpatient rehabilitation facility</a> and <a href="/2025-05-15-skilled-nursing-facility-pps-proposed-rule-fy-2026">skilled nursing facility</a> proposed rules.<h2>Events &amp; Education</h2>CALL FOR SPEAKERS: 2026 AHA Rural Health Care Leadership ConferenceWe are now accepting <a href="https://www.cvent.com/c/abstracts/8e23b424-5ad1-4aba-a0fd-0998e93d5fd6" target="_blank" title="Cvent: 2026 AHA Rural Health Care Leadership Conference - Call for Speakers">speaking proposals</a> for the <a href="https://ruralconference.aha.org/" target="_blank" title="AHA Rural Health Care Leadership Conference homepage">2026 AHA Rural Health Care Leadership Conference</a>, to be held Feb. 8-11 in San Antonio, Texas. We are especially interested in presentations that feature rural hospital executives, clinical leaders and trustees as presenters. The proposal deadline is June 6. <a href="https://www.cvent.com/c/abstracts/8e23b424-5ad1-4aba-a0fd-0998e93d5fd6" target="_blank" title="Cvent: 2026 AHA Rural Health Care Leadership Conference - Call for Speakers">LEARN MORE</a><img src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/2026_RuralConf_630x320_CallForSpeakers_0.jpg" data-entity-uuid="a80b80ca-e5b7-4a0b-8a27-0261b812e5e0" data-entity-type="file" alt="39th Annual AHA Rural Health Care Leadership Conference. February 8-11, 2026. San Antonio, Texas. JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country. Call for Speakers. Application Deadline: June 6, 2025. Learn more." width="630" height="320" class="align-center">AONL Advocacy DayElevate the voice of nursing leadership and network with your peers from across the country at the AHA’s annual American Organization for Nursing Leadership Advocacy Day on June 2-3 in Washington, D.C. Share with legislators your stories about the impact of national issues on your patients, community and nursing teams. <a href="https://web.cvent.com/event/74dfca98-7862-40db-bf5f-4253a686a17a/summary" target="_blank" title="Cvent: AONL's Advocacy Day">LEARN MORE</a>2025 AHA Leadership SummitThe AHA’s annual <a href="https://leadershipsummit.aha.org/?utm_source=newsletter&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=rural-general" target="_blank" title="�� Association Leadership Summit homepage">Leadership Summit</a> takes place July 20-22 in Nashville, Tenn. Hospital executives, clinicians and experts will share innovative insights, inspiring ideas and disruptive solutions to drive transformative change in health care. Consider joining us a day early for the AHA Sustainability Summit on July 19.Interested in attending at no cost? Participate in the Hosted Buyer Forum, an invitation-only event for hospital and health system leaders that allows you to take part in an exclusive showcase of solution providers who specialize in addressing key issues facing hospitals. Approved applicants are given complimentary registration to the Leadership Summit. Once the forum has concluded, participants are encouraged to join the Leadership Summit’s Welcome Reception for beverages, appetizers and networking. <a href="https://leadershipsummit.aha.org/hosted-buyer" target="_blank" title="�� Association Leadership Summit: Hosted Buyer Forum">LEARN MORE</a><img src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/AHRMM-logo_1.png" data-entity-uuid="2f366015-55ee-4211-b4f9-9acdaab70d73" data-entity-type="file" alt="AHRMM logo. Advancing Health Care through Supply Chain Excellence." width="274" height="109">AHRMM25 ConferenceIn a time of financial pressures and supply chain uncertainty, AHRMM25 is your opportunity to connect, learn and lead. With curated sessions, expert speakers and practical solutions, the conference offers real value for professionals focused on cost savings, resiliency, sourcing and more. Early bird pricing is extended through Aug. 2 to support your participation. Join AHRMM Aug. 3-6 in Denver and be part of the conversation shaping the future of the health care supply chain. <a href="https://www.ahrmm.org/ahrmm-conference-exhibition?utm_source=newsletter" target="_blank" title="AHRMM: AHRMM25 Annual Conference: Health Care Supply Chain">REGISTER TODAY.</a><h2>News</h2>U.S. surpasses 1,000 measles casesAs of May 8, there have been more than 1,000 confirmed cases of measles across the United States this year, according to the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/measles/data-research/index.html" target="_blank" title="CDC Measles (Rubiola): Measles Cases and Outbreaks">latest data</a> from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Cases have been reported by 30 states and there have been 14 outbreaks. Most cases (928 of 1,001) are outbreak-associated. The vaccination status of 96% of all cases is classified as “unvaccinated or unknown.”Use this <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/project-firstline/media/pdfs/PFL-MeaslesMicroLearn.pdf" target="_blank" title="CDC:" infection control micro-learns user>Project Firstline micro-learn</a> to educate your team on what to do when they suspect a measles case. The micro-learns created by the CDC are a series of guided discussions that connect infection control concepts to immediate, practical value, so healthcare workers can recognize risks and stop the spread of germs.Calls for MA reform amid rising costs and rural hospital strainAn <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2025/04/22/medicare-advantage-upcoding-reform-health-care-reform/" target="_blank" title="The Washington Post: To cut 'waste and fraud,' reform Medicare Advantage">editorial</a> published by The Washington Post calls for reforming Medicare Advantage, citing estimates that the federal government this year will pay $84 billion more for individuals on MA plans than if they were on Traditional Medicare, due in part to MA plan upcoding practices. An <a href="/guidesreports/growing-impact-medicare-advantage-rural-hospitals-across-america">AHA report</a> further examines how certain MA practices heighten financial pressures on rural hospitals and jeopardize access to care in rural communities.Report: The Cost of CaringAmerica’s hospitals are the foundation of our health care system, but in 2025 they face mounting financial pressures. Rising costs, chronic underpayment and growing demand from an aging, medically complex population threaten hospitals’ ability to deliver essential care. The <a href="/costsofcaring">Cost of Caring</a> report from the AHA highlights the most urgent challenges and the need for immediate policy action.Key Findings:<ul><li>Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements cover only 83 cents per dollar spent —leaving hospitals to absorb the loss.</li><li>Medicare Advantage plans increase costs through longer observation stays, delayed discharges and lower reimbursement than Traditional Medicare.</li><li>Administrative burdens are growing, with hospitals spending $26 billion in 2023 on insurance claims and facing delays from rising prior authorizations.</li></ul>Your mission is to share with lawmakers how policy proposals would affect your organization’s ability to care for patients and communities.<ul><li>Protect access: Reject Medicaid funding cuts and extend support to hospitals already operating at a loss.</li><li>Reduce regulations:<ul><li>Ensure stronger enforcement of federal rules related to Medicare Advantage and establish a prompt payment standard.</li><li>Enact regulatory and administrative relief from burdensome policies that take caregivers away from providing patient care and increase costs for patients and the health care system.</li></ul></li></ul><h2>Tools &amp; Resources</h2>Rural Health Information Hub launches more help for health care organizationsA new tool, FORHP Hospital Rural Technical Assistance Finder, is now live on RHIhub. Rural health care organizations can select their organization type, state and county to receive information on the programs for which they may be eligible to receive assistance, based on their need. The direct link to the tool is <a href="https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/hospital-ta" target="_blank" title="Rural Health Information Hub: FORHP Rural Hospital Technical Assistance Finder">here</a> and also accessible via RHIhub’s <a href="https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/" target="_blank" title="Rural Health Information Hube homepage">homepage</a>.HRSA funding and opportunities<a href="https://news.va.gov/138974/telehealth-study-recruiting-veterans-now/" target="_blank" title="Virginia: Telehealth study recruiting Veterans now">Physical Therapy Telehealth Research Study for Veterans.</a> The federal Veterans Affairs (VA) is seeking veterans at least 60 years old for a telehealth program providing high-intensity rehabilitation, coaching and social support. According to the VA’s Office of Rural Health, <a href="https://www.ruralhealth.va.gov/" target="_blank" title="U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs: Office of Rural Health">nearly 5 million veterans live in rural communities</a>.<a href="https://www.ruralgme.org/" target="_blank" title="Rural Graduate Medical Education homepage">Rural Graduate Medical Education planning and development.</a> The Rural Residency Planning and Development Program works to reduce physician shortages in rural areas by supporting the development of rural residency programs. a href="https://www.ruralgme.org/" target="_blank" title="Rural Graduate Medical Education homepage"&gt;Access tools and resources to support development of residency training.AHA blog: 3 Must-know Cyber and Risk Realities: What’s Ahead for Health Care in 2025In 2025, the landscape of cyber and physical threats continues to evolve, challenging health systems to adapt quickly. Hospitals are advancing their strategies to better prepare for attacks, sustain clinical operations and ensure business continuity during prolonged disruptions. <a href="/news/aha-cyber-intel/2025-04-03-3-must-know-cyber-and-risk-realities-whats-ahead-health-care-2025">Learn more</a> about the current threat environment and how the health care sector is responding.<h2>Rural Health Services</h2>The AHA ensures that the unique needs of our members are a national priority. Location, size, workforce, payment and access to capital challenge small and rural hospitals and the communities they serve. AHA Rural Health Services tracks the issues, develops policies and identifies solutions to our most pressing problems. We do this through:<ul><li>Representation and advocacy in Washington, D.C.</li><li>Communication and education.</li><li>Executive leadership and technical assistance.</li><li>Grants, tools and resources.</li></ul>For more details, visit our website at <a href="/advocacy/rural-health-services">AHA Rural Health Services</a> or contact:<ul><li>Susan Doherty, AHA Vice President, Field Engagement (<a href="mailto:sdoherty@aha.org">sdoherty@aha.org</a>)</li><li>Travis Robey, AHA Vice President, Political Affairs (<a href="mailto:trobey@aha.org">trobey@aha.org</a>)</li><li>Shannon Wu, AHA Senior Director, Payment Policy (<a href="mailto:swu@aha.org">swu@aha.org</a>)</li></ul></div></div></div> h2 { color: #307fe2; } Thu, 22 May 2025 10:04:21 -0500 Rural issues House Ways and Means Committee advances its portion of FY 2025 reconciliation bill /news/headline/2025-05-14-house-ways-and-means-committee-advances-its-portion-fy-2025-reconciliation-bill The House Ways and Means Committee today advanced its portion of the fiscal year 2025 reconciliation bill by a 26-19 vote along party lines, following an hours-long, <a href="https://waysandmeans.house.gov/event/full-committee-markup-of-legislative-proposals-to-comply-with-the-reconciliation-directive-included-in-section-2001-of-the-concurrent-resolution-on-the-budget-for-fiscal-year-2025-h-con-res-14/">overnight markup</a>. The bill includes some proposals impacting the health care field. &nbsp; The AHA sent a <a href="/system/files/media/file/2025/05/aha-statement-to-house-committee-on-ways-and-means-on-concurrent-resolution-on-the-budget-for-fiscal-year-2025-h-con-res-14-5-13-2025.pdf">statement</a> to the committee with specific comments on certain sections of the bill. The AHA discussed several proposals, including expanding the Rural Emergency Hospital definition, greater health plan choice for employees, temporary charitable contribution deductions, and other policies related to tax incentives.&nbsp; Wed, 14 May 2025 16:02:00 -0500 Rural issues