Small and Rural Hospital Section

Vision
National example of excellence in rural health care

Mission
To promote quality health care that is adequately financed and universally accessible
by providing representation, advocacy, assistance and education programs.

Values
Integrity – Collaboration – Leadership – Innovation

Strategy
Develop Leaders – Connect - Partner - Identify and Advocate on Issues – Provide Best Practice Models and be the Source of timely information - Improve Outcomes

Defining a Small & Rural Hospital

Oregon’s small and rural hospitals provide services for more than one million people in the state. They are defined by ORS 442.470 as those hospitals operating fewer than 100 beds and are classified by the state as Type A, Type B, Type C, or Critical Access Hospital, depending on bed size and distance from another hospital.

Type A hospitals are small and remote and have 50 or fewer beds. They are located more than 30 miles from another acute care, inpatient facility.

Type B hospitals are small and rural and have 50 or fewer beds. Type B hospitals are located 30 miles or less from another acute care facility.

Type C hospitals are considered rural and have more than 50 beds, but are not a rural referral center.

Critical Access Hospitals (CAH) . The federal Balanced Budget Act of 1997 established a program for rural communities to preserve access to primary care and emergency health care services, provide health care services that meet community needs, and help assure the financial viability of small, rural hospitals through classification as Critical Access Hospitals. A critical access hospital (CAH) is able to improve its financial stability through enhanced Medicare reimbursement and reduced operating costs.

Small and Rural Committee: 2008 Meeting Schedule

SRC Documents & Resources

• Year 1 Action Plan (PDF)
• Informational Rural Issues (PDF)
• Notes From the Road Newsletter - Coming Soon.