David Harse, general manager, patient care, at TruBridge
Photo: David Harse
Rural hospitals are the backbone of healthcare delivery for one in five Americans. These providers are often the sole source of care for entire regions – meaning if their doors close, the nearest life-saving intervention could be hours away. Community hospitals also are economic drivers – creating jobs, stabilizing local economies and serving as trusted community resources.
However, rural providers are increasingly forced to do more with less. Rising denials, limited budgets and persistent workforce shortages push leaders to prioritize immediate operational survival over long-term sustainability. Unlike large urban health systems, community hospitals cannot always recruit deep benches of specialized staff or maintain massive administrative departments. An aging workforce, limited staffing pipelines and thin budgets create barriers to timely, equitable care.
National efforts like the CMS Rural Health Transformation Program help bridge the gap between policy direction and local implementation, said David Harse, general manager, patient care, at TruBridge, a vendor of EHR and RCM technologies. Previously he served in various capacities at EHR giant Cerner for 20 years.
"The RHT program highlights the need for sustainable healthcare access and workforce development, goals that can be achieved, especially through peer-to-peer collaboration," he explained. "Industry consortiums such as the Rural Health Collaborative convene leaders and policymakers to share best practices and work together to overcome the hurdles unique to rural environments – ensuring high-quality healthcare stays local."
EHR optimization can help
To help tackle these challenges, hospitals and health systems can achieve clinical and operational gains through strategic EHR optimization.
"Strategic EHR optimization begins by listening to the people on the frontlines, understanding their needs and guiding them to use best practice workflows embedded in the software," Harse said. "It's often not about adding the latest bells and whistles to a platform – it's about refining the tools already there to ensure they serve the clinician.
"As we strip away unnecessary steps and focus on intuitive systems, providers are empowered with accurate, accessible information so they can deliver stronger patient care," he continued. "When IT systems are tailored to the needs of providers, we see clear results like efficiency gains, more accurate documentation and enhanced care. These improvements help hospitals maximize their resources, ensure proper coding and build stability."
Ultimately, the goal of any health IT system is to improve and simplify care delivery. EHR optimization allows rural providers to focus on their patients and keep the hospital at the center of their community, he added.
EHR security
On another front, rural healthcare facilities can strengthen data privacy and security within existing EHR systems without needing large IT teams or major new investments.
"Strengthening security in rural settings is about maximizing existing tools and shifting the focus toward proactive defense and staff education," Harse said. "Most community hospitals do not have the luxury of massive IT departments, so the goal must be prevention, education and building resilience across the facility.
"True protection requires going beyond basic compliance standards," he noted. "HIPAA provides a necessary foundation, but healthcare leaders cannot stop there. Steps such as two-factor authentication and regular system updates help community hospitals stay ahead of security threats. Additionally, staff education is a vital component to safeguarding patient data."
Many security breaches can be prevented if individuals are able to identify an attack before it happens. When every member of the hospital staff understands their role in protecting patient privacy, the entire organization becomes more secure, he added.
"Rural providers also need partners that understand their needs and work alongside them to create tailored security and privacy infrastructure," he said. "Ultimately, strengthening privacy is about ensuring a hospital's mission isn't interrupted by external threats. With the right tools and a proactive approach, rural hospitals can safeguard the community's most sensitive information without added IT spend or headcount."
Pillars of the community
One way to help bolster rural healthcare is by having hospital and health system leaders act as pillars of community support, using technology to help expand resources and services, Harse said.
"Being a pillar of community support means listening first and extending care beyond the walls of the hospital," he explained. "Community healthcare leaders serve as stewards of both community health and local economic stability. By using technology to better understand community needs, they can identify care gaps, address social determinants of health and direct resources where they are needed most – acting as catalysts for rural health transformation.
"When hospitals and health systems achieve financial and operational stability, they serve as true anchors for their communities, reinvesting in services, specialty care and regional access," he continued. "Rural providers are more than caregivers, they are trusted partners and advocates. Protecting that trust requires the right tools and partnerships to help hospitals and clinics remain strong and deliver high-quality care close to home."
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Email him: bsiwicki@himss.org
Healthcare IT News is a HIMSS Media publication.
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