From Data to Dollars: Using Rural Health Data to Strengthen Grants, Advocacy, and Transformation Planning

Rural hospitals are increasingly expected to justify strategic investments with clear, localized data — especially as new funding opportunities like the Rural Transformation Fund emerge.

In this session, we will demonstrate Stroudwater’s Rural Health Profiles by State and Congressional District dashboard, developed in partnership with NRHA, NOSORH, and NARHC. The dashboard provides a comprehensive snapshot of rural health across the country, including facilities, utilization patterns, workforce supply, shortage areas, prevention metrics, outcomes, and key health-related demographic factors.

More importantly, this session will move beyond demonstration. Attendees will hear directly from current users of the resource who have leveraged the dashboard to strengthen grant applications, support Rural Transformation Fund planning, inform board and community discussions, and enhance advocacy efforts at the state and federal level.

Participants will leave with a clear understanding of how to:

  • Navigate and customize the dashboard
  • Identify the most compelling data points for their market
  • Download and integrate data visuals into grant applications, presentations, and funding proposals
  • Use localized data to support Rural Transformation Fund strategies and long-term transformation planning

This session is designed for leaders who want to move from data awareness to data-driven action.

At the end of this session, participants will be able to:

  • Identify the most relevant local rural health data points to support Rural Transformation Fund applications and transformation strategies.
  • Use the Rural Health Profiles dashboard to strengthen grant proposals, advocacy efforts, and board-level strategic conversations.
  • Apply real-world examples from current users to translate community health data into actionable funding and performance initiatives.
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Q&A

How do people stay on top of all the payer newsletters to sort through everything to pull out applicable information for the facility/provider? Who typically is going through the newsletter to gather the information to share with other staff?

Our billing specialists are organized by payer, allowing them to develop deep expertise in their respective areas. Each specialist subscribes to their payer’s newsletters to stay informed about updates and changes. Additionally, our team leads, Supervisor, and Director of Patient Accounts—along with the Prior Authorization Team—collaborate to share key insights and ensure the entire team stays up to date. This collective approach enhances our ability to navigate payer policies efficiently and provide the best possible service. 

What leadership structure do you have in place for your revenue cycle and who or what do you use for training when billers or coders need it? Especially for new service lines or common denials?

Our billing specialists are supported by a structured leadership team, including two team leads, one Supervisor, and one Director. Training for billing specialists is conducted by our Supervisor and team leads to ensure consistency and expertise. Additionally, billing specialists meet weekly with leadership to review denials and identify payer-specific trends. For new coders, who are required to be certified, training is led by our Coding Lead to maintain high standards of accuracy and compliance.

Are the billers assigned based on an alphabetical split or by insurance type, such as Medicare and Medicaid specialists?

Billers are first assigned by insurance type and then further divided by alphabetical split. Since each insurance type has multiple billers, the alpha split helps distribute the workload efficiently.

Since we have union employees, how could we implement a similar incentive to Kindal’s while ensuring compliance with union regulations?

This would depend on the specifics of your union contract. Stroudwater can work with you to review the contract and develop a compliant incentive model.

Does your Coding/HIM department manage CPT coding, modifiers, and ICD-10, or do they focus solely on ICD-10?

Our Coding team handles all aspects of coding, including CPT, modifiers, and ICD-10. They thoroughly review all provider documentation to ensure accuracy and compliance.