<p>The <a href="http://www.raconline.org/">Rural Assistance Center</a> (RAC) and <a href="http://www.norc.org/Research/Departments/Pages/public-health-research/w… Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis</a> are announcing a new <a href="http://www.raconline.org/community

<p><a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jrh.2014.30.issue-1/issuetoc… class="wp-image-24728 alignright" alt="JRH cover" src="http://fmtumn.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/JRH-cover.jpg&quot; width="127" height="167" /></a>The <a href="onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jrh.2014.30.issue-1/issuetoc&

<p>Dec 10, 2013 -- <a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2013/12/10/2013-28737/medicare… in the Federal Register</a>:  This final rule with comment period from CMS revises the Medicare hospital outpatient prospective payment system (OPPS) and the Medicare ambulatory surgical center (ASC) payment system for CY 2014.

<p>Dec 6, 2013 -- <a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2013/12/06/2013-29144/agency-i… Register</a>:  The Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services is seeking public comments on the following:</p>
<ul>
<li>Application for Hospital Insurance and Supporting Regulations</li>

<p>Dec 6, 2013 -- <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/12/05/telehealth-network… Today article</a> reports that according to a newly released study, using a remote expert to oversee intensive-care units decreases mortality and decreases the amount of time people spend in hospitals, thus saving money.

<p>Dec 4, 2013 -- <a href="http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/rural-hospitals-shine-leapfrog-lis… IT News article</a> reports that for the second consecutive year, rural hospitals stood out, with 22 hospitals making the Leapfrog Group’s 2013 Top Hospitals list – a 69 percent increase from last year.