The Flex Program has two goals:
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To provide training and support to Critical Access Hospitals (CAH) as they seek to improve services.
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To support hospitals seeking a CAH designation.
Critical Access Hospital (CAH) Designation
The standard location of a CAH is more than a 35-mile drive on primary roads (or, in the case of mountainous terrain or in areas with only secondary roads available, a 15-mile drive) from a hospital or another CAH. CAH’s maintain no more than 25 inpatient beds. Inpatient beds may be used for either inpatient or swing-bed services. CAH’s provide acute inpatient care for a period that does not exceed, on an annual average basis, 96 hours per patient. For additional information regarding Critical Access Hospital designation can be found in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) and the Wyoming license application and information can be found Here.
Flex Scholarship Program
Who can apply?
Flex Program reimbursement scholarship funds are available to support anyone working at a Critical Access Hospital (example: dietary, maintenance, housekeeping as well as billing and coding and clinical personnel). Flex scholarships are also available for rural Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel.
Reporting Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Project (MBQIP) measures is a requirement for Flex scholarship funding. For information on MBQIP please contact the Flex Program Manager.
What can scholarships be used for?
Training scholarships have to advance one of the Flex program goals. These goals are: quality, finances, operations, population health or EMS system development.
Approval Process
Approval of funds will be based on the funds available and the fit of the training to the Flex goals. Scholarships cannot be used for training on patient care.
Application Link
Click here for the application
Another source of training funds: Workforce Services
This project is/was supported by the Health Resources and Service Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number U2WRH33330-01-00 Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility (Flex) Program and 0% financed with nongovernmental sources. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements to be inferred by HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government.