The Wyoming Flex Program has two goals
- To provide training and support to Critical Access Hospitals (CAH) as they seek to improve services.
- To support hospitals seeking a CAH designation.
Applications for the Flex Program Scholarship are open
Who can apply?
- Wyoming Flex Program scholarship funds are available to support anyone working at a Wyoming Critical Access Hospital that reports Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Project (MBQIP) Measures.
- Flex scholarships are also available for all rural Wyoming Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel—they do not have to be attached to a CAH.
- Funds are reimbursed to the CAH or independent EMS personnel upon receipt of all documentation. The full process can be found here.
- For information on scholarships or MBQIP please contact the Flex Program Manager – Gail.VanBuren@wyo.gov
What can scholarships be used for?
Training scholarships must advance one of the Flex program goals: quality, finances, operations, population health, or EMS improvement.
Approval Process
All scholarships need to be submitted by the organization’s point of contact. The funds will be approved based on availability and how closely they fit the Flex Program goals. Scholarships cannot be used for hands-on training with patients. They will be processed once a week on Mondays.
Application Link
Another source of training funds: Workforce Services Training Fund
Who can apply?
- Wyoming Flex Program scholarship funds are available to support anyone working at a Wyoming Critical Access Hospital that reports Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Project (MBQIP) Measures.
- Flex scholarships are also available for all rural Wyoming Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel—they do not have to be attached to a CAH.
- Funds are reimbursed to the CAH or independent EMS personnel upon receipt of all documentation. The full process can be found here.
- For information on scholarships or MBQIP please contact the Flex Program Manager – Gail.VanBuren@wyo.gov
What can scholarships be used for?
Training scholarships must advance one of the Flex program goals: quality, finances, operations, population health, or EMS improvement.
Approval Process
All scholarships need to be submitted by the organization’s point of contact. The funds will be approved based on availability and how closely they fit the Flex Program goals. Scholarships cannot be used for hands-on training with patients. They will be processed once a week on Mondays.
Application Link
Another source of training funds: Workforce Services Training Fund
Critical Access Hospital (CAH) Designation Requirements
- The standard location of a CAH is more than a 35-mile drive on primary roads (or, in the case of mountainous terrain or areas with only secondary roads available, a 15-mile drive) from another hospital.
- CAHs maintain no more than 25 inpatient beds, which may be used for either inpatient or swing-bed services.
- CAHs provide acute inpatient care for a period that does not exceed 96 hours per patient on an annual average.
- Additional information regarding CAH designation can be found in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).
- Wyoming Healthcare Licensing and Surveys information and application can be found here.
- Begin the CAH designation process by contacting the Office of Rural Health at wyo.ruralhealth@wyo.gov
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.