Posts from July, 2010

Urban versus Rural – What’s Important for Rural Health Clinics

Wednesday, July 21st, 2010

BILL DEANE, Manager Licensing
Over the years, many misconceptions have developed about the definition of the terms “urban” and “rural” and how they apply to rural health clinics. Federal and State programs use different terminology to explain the location and service area characteristics of clinics. When the results of the 2010 census are published, we will become aware of these terms again.

Why is it important to understand the difference?
Urbanized versus non-urbanized definitions are used to establish criteria for swing beds in a hospital and to determine rural health clinic eligibility. Several Federal agencies, including HRSA, rely on the U.S. Census Bureau’s definition of these terms to establish eligibility. (more…)

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Post Acute Services – The Demographic Need

Wednesday, July 7th, 2010

Larry Blitz, Manager

It is very evident that most of our health care dollars have been directed toward acute health care. Beginning with the first health care system at Johns Hopkins over 140 years ago, community acceptable standards have been well established and reimbursement strategies have largely paid for these acute services. The creation of Medicare and Medicaid in the 1960’s focused a minimal reimbursement system for elderly patients through these programs.

The story is vastly different for those needed services that follow the acute stay (post acute). Our country by default has accepted a post acute system that is based on the reality of “spending as little as we can for it not to be a problem.” Some health systems in the past have invested minimal sums of resources in order to examine this issue. Other healthcare systems have even entered into the post acute market place in an attempt to provide more of a continuum of care for patients. (more…)

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