The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) have approved St. Anthony Regional Hospital’s application for a Critical Access Hospital (CAH) designation. In a message to staff last week, SARH President and CEO Allen Anderson announced that the process was finally completed with an effective date of March 18, 2024. Anderson explains what led to the decision to pursue the CAH designation.
Anderson says the application process was extensive and required input from staff at all levels in the hospital.
The criteria list for the CAH designation is lengthy, most notably a 25-bed limit on the number of inpatient beds and an average length of stay for inpatient care of 96 hours or less. Anderson says there were questions and concerns from patients early in the application process who were worried that the CAH designation would somehow affect the quality of care at St. Anthony. The answer has remained the same from the get-go.
The most significant changes will be on the backend when it comes to compensation to the hospital for treating Medicare patients. Chief Financial Officer Eric Salmonson says Medicare payments will now more closely reflect the actual cost of providing care.
Anderson adds that the biggest takeaway from the CAH designation is that it makes St. Anthony’s financial future more secure.
Again, Anderson stresses that St. Anthony’s focus remains squarely on providing high-quality care to residents, and patients should not notice any difference in services now the designation has been approved.
