Client Case Study:
Rural Emergency Hospital Conversion Assessment
THE CHALLENGE
St. Francis Hospital found that they had substantial gaps in provider coverage as well as specialty support caring for an average daily inpatient census of 3 patients. Given the continued provider and staff recruitment challenges, they were interested in evaluating the recently approved Congressional legislation on developing a Rural Emergency Hospital (REH), increasing the organization’s focus on emergency, urgent, and outpatient care and stopping the provision of inpatient care.
THE SOLUTION
RHS found during their REH Assessment that the organization would be more profitable and be able to serve a larger community if they chose to pursue the REH designation. RHS then developed with St. Francis leadership the necessary roadmap to increase its outpatient services and capacity and begin the actual conversion process.
THE RESULTS
RHS has assisted St Francis with completing all regulatory requirements and developed an augmented outpatient care program, including adding additional primary and specialty services and providing additional nursing and provider staffing to meet the new needs. St Francis’ CEO said, “with these new regulations, we found RHS to be , very knowledgeable in helping us drive the changes necessary to be successful in this new world, including assisting us with strategic relationship with our referral hospitals.”
