Small Rural Hospital Improvement Grant Program

The goal of the Kentucky Office of Rural Health (KORH) with regards to the Small Hospital Improvement Grant Program (SHIP) is to implement the program in the most efficient and effective manner possible. In addition, the KORH will assist the small rural hospitals in achieving the purpose and objectives of the grant, improving the quality and access to health care in the rural communities of Kentucky. In FY19, the SHIP grant will provide 35 small rural hospitals in Kentucky funding towards their costs for implementing data systems required to meet requirements established under the Medicare program pursuant to amendments made by the Balanced Budget Act of 1997. The Kentucky Office of Rural Health will provide these 35 small rural hospitals with program guidance and oversight related to the use of their funds: -Value Based Purchasing/Investment activities - hospitals can purchase training and/or software related to the implementation and reporting of quality data collection, HCAHPS training and/or software related to data collection, and/or efficiency/quality improvement training, alternative payment model and merit-based incentive payment training. - Accountable Care Organizations/Shared Savings Investment activities - hospitals can purchase hardware/software related to the disease registry, and/or efficiency training, computerized provider order entry implementation and/or training, systems performance training, telemedicine or mobile health equipment and community paramedicine training and/or equipment. - Payment Bundling/PPS - hospitals have the choice to purchase ICD-10 training and software, efficiency or quality improvement training, revenue cycle management training, S-10 cost reporting training and pricing transpar