Rural Emergency Hospital Technical Assistance Center

This notice announces the opportunity to apply for funding under the Rural Emergency Hospital Technical Assistance Center. The purpose of this program is to ensure rural hospitals and the communities they serve have the information and resources needed to an make informed decisions as to if REH is the best model of care for their communities and facilitate a successful implementation of Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) requirements for those hospitals converting to this new provider type. The REH model is in the final stages of regulation development at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), in preparation for the start date of January 1, 2023, and the award recipient will need to align and adjust plans to those final rules. Program Objectives: The program is intended to support eligible rural hospitals throughout the process of conversion to the REH model. The award recipient will provide technical assistance (TA) to rural hospitals and communities by: 1) Assessing feasibility of the REH model; 2) Assisting with the application to CMS for REH designation; and 3) Providing ongoing support to REHs implementing new services and achieving REH compliance standards. For each of the three objectives, the award recipient should develop resources for broad dissemination and provide in-depth technical assistance to individual hospitals and their communities. Hospitals and rural communities considering this new model will need assistance across a broad range of issues, including, financial analysis (including how to apply the REH Alternative Monthly Payment), workforce or staffing planning, establishment of referral relationships and processes, determining REH service lines, community health needs, and impact on the community health system (including emergency medical services).