Improving Population Health: A Guide for CAHs

Today, small rural hospitals face the challenge of being successful in their current payment systems, while preparing for the various value-based models that are being rolled out across the country. In the immediate future, rural hospital leaders will be called upon to provide better care; better quality; and payers are increasingly factoring in population health outcomes into reimbursement formulas. Managing this transition is challenging and complex.

Therefore, the National Rural Health Resource Center convened subject matter experts from around the country to create “Improving Population Health: A Guide for Critical Access Hospitals” (CAH) which is a tool for rural hospital leaders in support of incorporating population health principles and programs into strategic planning and operations. A systems-based framework is utilized to identify critical success factors for successfully managing this transition. Tools, resources, suggested readings, case studies and additional materials on how to integrate population health as culture change are also included.