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Federal inquiry traces payments from Gaetz to women; a new Florida-Puerto Rico partnership poised to transform higher-ed landscape; MT joins Tribes to target Canadian mining pollution; Heart health plummets in rural SD and nationwide; CO working families would pay more under Trump tax proposals.

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Transgender rights in Congress, a historic win for Utah's youngest elected official, scrutiny of Democratic Party leadership, and the economic impact of Trump's tax proposals highlight America's shifting political and social landscape.

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The CDC has a new plan to improve the health of rural Americans, updated data could better prepare folks for flash floods like those that devastated Appalachia, and Native American Tribes could play a key role in the nation's energy future.

Rural Emergency Hospital plan works to keep rural care available in KS

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Tuesday, October 29, 2024   

With many rural hospitals on the financial critical list, Congress created a Rural Emergency Hospital model in 2021 to help deliver critical care to struggling communities in Kansas and elsewhere.

Two years in, the Bipartisan Policy Center has issued a report which showed care is improving where the system has been implemented but more work is needed. Under the model, 32 Rural Emergency Hospitals in 14 states have been established.

Julia Harris, health program director at the center, said the plan is preserving health care options for rural residents.

"If you start seeing hospital closures go down, that's a success measure," Harris explained. "Because this should be what helps them meet the needs of the community and stay open rather than being forced to close."

Harris said under the model, a rural facility can offer emergency department, observation, outpatient care and skilled nursing facility services in a distinct unit. Mercy Hospital in Moundridge and South Central Kansas Medical Center in Arkansas City are the only two such facilities in Kansas.

Harris pointed the growth of Rural Emergency Hospitals is reducing the number of rural hospital closures. She acknowledged challenges remain in operational flexibility and the availability of financial assistance. They studied states across the Midwest, looking for hospitals and communities to potentially benefit from Rural Emergency Hospitals.

"The reason we chose Kansas and Nebraska is because there was some modeling done to see which states would have the most hospitals eligible for this model," Harris noted. "Those were two states that had a lot of potential REHs."

Other recommendations in the report included support for prescription drug discounts, more flexibility in converting to Rural Emergency Hospital status, timely payments to speed the process and more funding for providing technical and operational assistance through technical assistance centers.

"There is a federal TA center to help hospitals that are trying to consider their pros and cons," Harris explained. "We advocate for continued funding for that TA center to be able to continue to do this sort of advising and help states make these choices."

Disclosure: The Bipartisan Policy Center contributes to our fund for reporting on Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention, Health Issues, Hunger/Food/Nutrition, and Mental Health. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


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