Keywords

case study, outpatient prospective payment system, provider-based clinics, rural

 

Authors

  1. McAtee, Robin E. PhD, MHSA, BSN, RN
  2. Beverly, Claudia J. PhD, FAAN, RN

Abstract

Little is known about the financial impact of rural provider-based geriatric outpatient clinics on their parent hospitals since the implementation of the outpatient prospective payment system. In this study, systems theory was used to develop a methodology for determining the financial viability of one such clinic in a rural hospital using data commonly found in rural hospital financial systems. Formulas were developed to identify the overall financial viability and a case-study model was utilized to test the formulas; however, this hospital did not track a key data element, resulting in an incomplete analysis.