Sarah Gaskell, Dave Mosley, Abdul Shaikh, PhD, MHSc, William Faber, MD, and Dan DeBehnke, MD, MBA
Significant changes continue to occur in rural health. On August 3, President Trump signed an Executive Order to expand access to care for rural communities, with White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany citing Guidehouse’s (formerly known as Navigant) 2019 study in the administration’s press briefing the next day.
In response to the President’s Order, on August 11, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Innovation Center debuted its new Community Health Access and Rural Transformation (CHART) Model focused on improving financial sustainability, removing regulatory burdens, and enhancing access to care for rural residents.
In our work, we have been privileged to partner with our nation’s rural health frontline as they continue to pursue financial sustainability. The recent changes create the following opportunities for rural providers:
Some key considerations for state and rural hospital leaders include:
State and local health agencies, independent practice associations, academic medical centers, health systems with rural hospitals, and independent rural hospitals have an opportunity to invest in new and sustainable business innovation whether it’s through CHART or other avenues. Leaders should consider and prioritize the opportunities that will improve financial sustainability and promote access to quality care for all rural communities.