The hospital-based rural health care program: a consortium approach

The Hospital-Based Rural Health Care Program is a national initiative of The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The goals of the program are to strengthen the ability of rural hospitals to provide a high quality of care and to promote the financial stability of these institutions. The four-year demonstration program began on 1 January 1988 and provides up to $9 million in grants and $7.5 million in loans to 13 consortia of 182 rural hospitals. Evaluation of the program will be made by a team headed by Ira Moscovice of the University of Minnesota. This article discusses the programs being implemented and explains why the demonstration is important for rural hospitals and rural health care. The characteristics of grantee consortia and environments are presented, and examples of programs by one consortia and measurable objectives for a program undertaken by another consortia are described. First-year experience in the demonstration is reviewed briefly, and opportunities and constraints for program implementation are noted.