By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    learn to recognize and treat yeast infections
    Most Commonly Asked Questions About Yeast Infections
    November 17, 2021
    Advanced lung cancer diagnosis systems used by doctors
    Advanced Lung Cancer Diagnosis Systems Used by Doctors
    March 6, 2022
    The Top Benefits of a Wearable Blood Pressure Monitor Watch
    The Top Benefits of a Wearable Blood Pressure Monitor Watch
    June 13, 2022
    Latest News
    5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
    July 31, 2025
    Why Custom Telemedicine Apps Outperform Off‑the‑Shelf Solutions
    July 20, 2025
    How Probate Planning Shapes the Future of Your Estate and Family Care
    July 17, 2025
    Beyond Nutrition: Everyday Foods That Support Whole-Body Health
    June 15, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    Soaring Medical Costs Pinned on Medical Devices
    June 7, 2011
    Debt Ceiling Negotiations on Health Care are Mere Cost Shifting
    July 15, 2011
    Is Kathleen Sebelius Listening to the NCPA?
    August 29, 2011
    Latest News
    How IT and Marketing Teams Can Collaborate to Protect Patient Trust
    July 17, 2025
    How Health Choices and Legal Actions Intersect After an Injury
    July 17, 2025
    How communities and healthcare providers can address slip and fall injuries with legal awareness
    July 17, 2025
    Let Your Lawyer Handle the Work Before You Pay Medical Costs
    July 6, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Value of Rural Hospitals
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Business > Value of Rural Hospitals
BusinesseHealth

Value of Rural Hospitals

rdowney14
rdowney14
Share
6 Min Read
SHARE

Consultants in Portland, Maine, have concluded the value of rural hospitals is linked to ED utilization.  I agree but not in the way you might think.

Consultants in Portland, Maine, have concluded the value of rural hospitals is linked to ED utilization.  I agree but not in the way you might think.

In the article on HealthLeaders Media, titled ”Value of Rural Hospitals Linked to ED Utilization,” John Commins reports that iVantage Health Analytics challenges the perception that rural hospitals don’t provide the same level of care delivery value as urban hospitals.  An executive with the consultant firm says they didn’t see gigantic differentiation “between urbans and rurals.”

As John Commins points out early in the article, it’s dangerous to try to make comparisons between big city hospitals and those in small towns because there are so many differences.  And I would certainly second that.  What the consultants compare this time are the costs of ED service.  They found that rural costs are 2.7% less than the urban ones.  In addition, rural physicians get 18% less and rural hospitals receive payments that are 2% lower.  Doctors and hospitals in big cities get more money.  That’s a surprise!?!?

More Read

biopharmaceuticals
The Price, Cost, and Value of Bio-Pharmaceutical Care
Weekly Roundup: Eyeing the Solutions
Are Virtual Doctor Visits Really Cost-Effective?
Health Start-Ups!: Fast Track to Success – Jintronix Rehabilitation Services
The Evolution of Medicare Telehealth Reimbursement

Buried in the story is a telling quote: “We also see the severity level of patients in the rural EDs being lower than that of patients attending any emergency department.”  Let me tell you why that is.  Patients in the small towns KNOW the hospital’s limitations by reputation.  Hospitals in rural areas have few, if any, specialists.  People with serious problems merely bypass the local hospital on the way to full service centers in the nearest urban area.  How do I know that, you might ask?

Because healthcare providers and executives at a small and a medium-sized hospital have told me that was the case BEFORE they embarked on telemedicine programs.

Example #1:  Copper Queen Community Hospital, Bisbee, Arizona

Prior to December, 2009, patients presenting at the Emergency Department with cardiac problems were transported by emergency helicopter to Tucson because the small acute care, critical access hospital has no specialists on staff.  That month, the Copper Queen initiated a telecardiology program that enabled Tucson cardiologists to assess patients telemedically.  Six months after the program started, the Copper Queen counted 36 patients who had shown up with cardiac issues.  In the past, they would have been flown to Tucson via emergency helicopter for a two or three day in-hospital evaluation.  The chopper flights cost $10,000 and the hospital work-ups cost about $10,000 as well.  Thanks to the hospital’s GlobalMed telemedicine solutions, only nine of the 36 patients had to go to be flown to Tucson, saving more than $500,000.  Those nine were usually kept for observation and released with heart monitors and/or medication.  Thanks to the telemedicine program, their families were not forced to drive to and from Tucson, 90 minutes to 2 hours each way, saving them time, gas, food and lodging expenses.  Due to the success of the telecardiology program, the Copper Queen has added teledermatology, telepulmonology, telestroke, teletrauma and plans to have to a teleburn program, using the same equipment with which they started.  The ability to provide specialty care has improved the hospital’s reputation among Bisbee residents.  They know they can now go there for more serious problems and receive quality care.

Example #2:  Flagstaff Medical Center, Flagstaff, Arizona

The FMC began its telemedicine program when it joined the Mayo Clinic’s Telestroke Network.  It is one of nine smaller hospitals in Arizona that can now provide neurological assessments via telemedicine to potential stroke patients presenting at its ED.  The FMC is THE major medical center for the northern half of the state.  Before adopting telemedicine, stroke patients were driven or flown to Phoenix for treatment.  A two-hour trip from Flagstaff to Phoenix cuts into the generally recognized three-hour window for successful thrombolytic care with clot-busting drugs like tPA, tissue plasminogen activator.  Hospital officials told me people would not even stop in Flagstaff if they needed care for stroke.  Now, word has spread about the successes of the Mayo Network and the FMC is the destination for people displaying stroke symptoms.  And, the FMC also uses GlobalMed solutions to connect with Mayo telestroke neurologists.

What the consultants found regarding hospital admissions supports what I’m saying.  The report says rural ED visits result in less  than half the hospital admissions than in other national benchmark reports of  all hospitals.  Why would they if the patients go directly to the larger hospitals or the smaller hospitals transfer them because they can’t take care of their problems?

TAGGED:rural hospitals
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
Health
July 31, 2025
holistic dental
Holistic Dentist Services Are Natural and Safe
Dental health Specialties
July 28, 2025
botox certification
Help Improve People’s Skin Health Via Botox Certification
Skin Specialties
July 22, 2025
Telemedicine Apps
Why Custom Telemedicine Apps Outperform Off‑the‑Shelf Solutions
Health
July 20, 2025

You Might also Like

eHealthMedical DevicesMedical InnovationsTechnology

Healthcare Meets Technology: Future-Ready 2018 Innovations

March 19, 2018

Prescription Drugs in the United States [INFOGRAPHIC]

April 18, 2014

ICD-10: The Countdown is Over – Last Minute Tips

October 1, 2015

Does Shorter LOS Cause a Higher Readmission Rate?

January 11, 2012
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?