Scope: Carry-Forward-Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Grant Program

Kentucky’s Flex Program has evolved into a program that assists Kentucky’s 27 critical access hospitals through technical assistance, training, network activities to spur quality and performance improvement activities; s tabilize rural hospital finance; and integrate emergency medical services (EMS) into their health care systems. The Kentucky Flex Program focuses on the following criteria: 1. Support for Quality Improvement in CAHs with an emphasis on MBQIP 2. Support for Operational and Financial Improvement in CAHs 3. Support for CAH Population Health Improvement 4. Support for Rural EMS Improvement 5. CAH Designation Major focuses of the Kentucky Flex Program throughout the 5 year Flex project period will be encouraging and assisting the 27 CAHs in the state to report and improve their MBQIP scores, to support financial improvement in CAHs across the state through trainings and technical assistance and to work towards integrating rural EMS into local systems of care. Work will be accomplished and completed by the Kentucky Office of Rural Health Flex Program as well as through a contractual partnership with the Kentucky Hospital Research and Education Foundation, as well as other partners across the state.