IS YOUR HOSPITAL CONSIDERING AN REH CONVERSION?
What is a Rural Emergency Hospital?
Established by Congress, Rural Emergency Hospital is a Medicare provider designation. Rural Emergency Hospitals can strengthen access to outpatient medical services and preserve access to local care.
How Can Becoming a Rural Emergency Hospital Benefit Your Community?
Rural Emergency Hospital is a new Medicare provider designation designed to avert hospital closures and keep care in rural communities, providing the following benefits:
Crucial Access to Healthcare
The region’s residents continue receiving the exceptional care and emergency medical attention you provide in their community.
Reduces Patients’ Financial Burden
Rural Emergency Hospitals provide local services and reduce transportation and associated costs for patients and families.
Boosts the Region’s Economy
Rural Emergency Hospitals provide job opportunities for talented, knowledgeable, local healthcare professionals.
Trusted Local Care
Community members who understand patients’ unique healthcare needs staff Rural Emergency Hospitals.
Better Preventative Care
Rural Emergency Hospitals can engage in preventative care efforts, address local health concerns, and foster the well-being of the region’s residents.
What are the REH Eligibility Requirements?
To qualify as an REH, the hospital must:
- Be in a rural area and licensed as a critical access hospital (CAH) or rural prospective payment system (PPS) hospital as of December 27, 2020, with fewer than 50 beds
- Be a licensed Medicare provider
- Meet staff training and certification requirements
- Meet annual average length of stay requirements*
- Have an established transfer agreement with a Level I or Level II trauma center
- Meet conditions of participation (similar to a CAH or PPS hospital for emergency services)
- Have an action plan including provisions for staffing, a transition plan, and a description of services offered
*The annual per patient average length of stay (LOS) cannot exceed 24 hours. The LOS begins at the time of registration, check-in, or triage of the patient, whichever occurs first, and ends upon discharge from the REH. Distinct part SNF units are not subject to 24-hour annual average LOS.
What is the REH Technical Assistance Center Approach?
Leveraging collective experience and a commitment to improving the lives within rural communities, we are equipped to provide thorough technical assistance in alignment with the terms of our cooperative agreement with the Health Services and Resources Administration (HRSA).
Determine Eligibility
We help hospitals determine whether they meet REH requirements per CMS regulations and conditions of participation.
Assess
Through robust financial modeling, service line assessments, and outmigration reports, we will help hospitals explore the potential benefits and downsides to conversion.
Apply
We walk alongside hospitals to help them submit their CMS application, including action plans, transfer agreements, and attestations.
Convert
Once approved, we help hospitals implement their action plans and explore areas of opportunity for service lines, operational efficiency, revenue cycle, regulatory compliance, and more.
Ongoing Support
We follow REHs beyond their initial conversion to help them be successful. Through our REH Network, we provide peer learning forums, cohort education, and one-on-one technical assistance as needs arise.
Throughout this process we maintain hospital confidentiality, responsiveness, and provide rurally relevant subject matter expertise.
Interested in Receiving Support from the Rural Emergency Hospital Technical Assistance Center?
Our technical assistance process occurs on an ongoing basis, and we encourage interested hospitals to reach out at any time. If you’re interested in enrollment, let us know by completing our brief intake form and telling us a little about your organization and the type(s) of support you are looking for.
If you have a question or would like to request more information, reach out to us directly at REHsupport@rhrco.org.
Hear from prior REH Participants
Meet the Team
Our passion for helping rural communities thrive comes from our lived experience as rural residents and healthcare executives. We are committed to addressing rural issues through creative and practical approaches.
