News

• Rural Health Providers Face Pay-For-Performance Challenges (Nov. 28, 2006) -- A recently completed study reveals that the conditions for successful participation in pay-for-performance initiatives affect rural health care providers differently than urban providers. The study calls for future initiatives to include technical assistance for participating rural hospitals and also ensure that clinical areas that are tied to payment are relevant to the type of services delivered by small rural hospitals.
• Rural Hospitals Have Limited Pharmacist Staffing, Technology Use, Study Finds (Jan. 4, 2006) -- Many small rural hospitals have limited hours of onsite pharmacist coverage, according to a national study that assessed how rural hospitals implement medication safety practices, focusing on pharmacist staffing and availability and use of technology. 
• University of Minnesota and the University of North Dakota's Center for Rural Health Become One of Eight Federally Designated Rural Health Research Centers -- The University of Minnesota with the Center for Rural Health have been co-designated as one of eight rural health research centers in the nation funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Rural Health Policy.