Arizona Rural Hospital Flexibility Program (AZ Flex)

Highlights of FY 2014 Work Plan

Core Area: Quality Improvement (QI)

Objective / Activity / Impact
Encourage AZ CAHs to publically report Hospital Compare (HC) on relevant inpatient, outpatient, and HCAHPS patient assessment of care measures. /
  • Support AZ CAHs in reporting MBQIP Phase 3 measures (ED Communication)
  • Provide education/generate reports to use, track and benchmark quality scores
  • Adopt use of HCAHPS to establish QI interventions
/
  • Achieve 100% participation
  • Quality improves by using data
  • Patient satisfaction improves

Convene Directors of Nursing and Quality from 12 AZ CAHs to participate in the multi-hospital Quality Network. /
  • Assess future direction of the Quality Network
  • Distribute TeamSTEPPS Culture survey
/
  • Survey results guide direction
  • Hospital communication needs identified

Develop capacity of 15 AZ CAHs to achieve Meaningful Use standards and utilize EMR to support quality improvement initiatives. /
  • Convene HIT and Quality Mangers quarterly focused on Electronic Quality Measures
/
  • EMR used to support quality improvement initiatives

Core Area: Operational and Financial Performance Improvement (OPI)

Objective / Activity / Impact
Support AZ CAH leadership by promoting peer-to-peer exchange and implementing evidence-based strategies to improve operational and financial performance. /
  • Sponsor Annual Performance Improvement Summit
  • Support AZ CAH leadership to attend Western Region Flex Conference(Tucson)
  • Support CAH Board of Trustee web-based training
/
  • Leadership strengthened/ resources aligned based on need
  • Best practices shared among western states
  • Hospital Boards understand health care issues

Assist AZ CAHs in identifying potential areas of financial and operational improvement. /
  • Distribution of FMT Financial Indicator Reports
/
  • Improvement of financial/ operational performance

Support AZ CAHs in planning and implementing interventions to improve financial improvement. /
  • TA provided on Revenue Cycle Management
/
  • Improvement of financial/ operational performance

Core Area: Health System Development and Community Engagement

Objective / Activity / Impact
Work with ADHS-BEMSTS, Banner Health, & Trauma One Centers to increase/maintain CAH Level IV Trauma Centers; assess impact of designation /
  • Support CAHs to maintain Level IV certification
  • Assess impact of L4TCs
  • Conduct state wide EMS needs assessment
/
  • Current L4TCs maintain certification
  • L4TCs enhance AZ’s Trauma System
  • Support direction for FY 2015

Support CAHs in reviewing existing community health needs assessments and assessing project (s) implementation. /
  • Provide TA to CAHs in using results from Community Health Needs Assessments
/
  • CAHs use data from needs assessment to improve care and finances

This program is made possible with funding from HRSA Office of Rural Health Policy to the Arizona Rural Hospital Flexibility Program

at The University of Arizona, Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, Center for Rural Health