1. Small Rural Hospital Improvement Grant Program (SHIP)
Hospital Grant Application 101

2. Presentation Overview
About SHIP
SHIP Investment Categories
SHIP Hospital Eligibility
SHIP Hospital Requirements
SHIP Menu Overview and Investments
SHIP Hospital Resources
Questions/Comments?

3. About SHIP
The SHIP Program is supported by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration's Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP). Section 1820(g)(3) of the Social Security Act (SSA) authorizes SHIP to assist eligible hospitals in meeting the costs of implementing data system requirements established under the Medicare Program, including using funds to assist hospitals in participating in improvements in value and quality to health care such as:
1. Value-Based Purchasing Programs (VBP)
2. Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs)
3. Payment Bundling (PB)/Prospective Payment Systems (PPS)

4. Ship Investment Categories
Value-Based Purchasing (VBP)-Improving data collection activities in order to facilitate reporting to Hospital Compare.
Accountable Care Organizations or Shared Savings-Improving quality outcomes. Focus on activities that support QI such as reduction of medical errors as well as education and training in data collection and reporting and benchmarking.

5. Ship Investment Categories
Payment Bundling- Building accountability across the continuum of care. Funding could be used to improve care transitions between ambulatory and acute, acute to upstream acute and acute to step-down facility. This could be done in the form of training, clinical care transition protocol development or data collection that documents these processes. 
Prospective Payment System - Maintaining accurate PPS billing and coding such as updating charge master or providing training in billing and coding.

6. SHIP Hospital eligibility
Located in the United States and its territories
49 staffed beds or less
For-profit, not-for-profit or tribal organizations.
Critical access hospitals are eligible for the program.
Eligible small rural hospitals are located in the United States and its territories and include hospitals with 49 staffed beds or less. These small rural, non-federal hospitals provide short-term, general acute care to their communities. They may be for-profit, not-for-profit or tribal organizations. Critical access hospitals are eligible for the program.

7. Ship HOSPITAL Requirements
SHIP funded investments are prioritized based on Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) reporting and ICD-10 coding.
Hospitals must utilize resources to fully implement ICD-10 coding and HCAHPS reporting to Hospital Compare before the facility can select any other investment options  without exceptions. 
Hospitals with low HCAHPS patient volume are still required to report HCAHPS to participate in the SHIP Program.
Hospitals that do not follow the purchase priorities and/or purchase equipment/services that are not listed on the SHIP Purchasing Menu without prior approval may be subject to penalties including exclusion from the next SHIP funding opportunity.
SHIP funds are to be used during the Fiscal Year in which they are received. If they are not used or requested, then the hospital may be excluded from the next SHIP funding opportunity.

8. Ship hospital requirements, con’t
Hospitals already implemented ICD-10 coding and reporting HCAHPS to Hospital Compare may select other investments and training options. CAHs must continue to participate in MBQIP. Hospitals may request approval from the state SHIP Coordinator / SORH for changes to the SHIP investment(s) and activities. Hospitals must submit a request for approval before changing investments and activities prior to the mid-year point. No changes can be made to the SHIP investment(s) and activities at or after the mid-year point. Hospitals must be able to utilize resources to demonstrate and report outputs/outcomes to the SORH, and show the impact of the SHIP investment through progress reporting, tracking appropriate measures and report progress at the end of the award year.

9. SHIP Menu Overview and Investments
Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) Investment Activities
Activities that support improved data collection to facilitate quality reporting and improvement. Refer to SHIP Resources and Allowable Investments.
Activity(ies):
Hospital
Network/
Consortium
Hospital to briefly describe the Activity.
A. Quality reporting data collection/related training (e.g. eCQM implementation) ☐
B. HCAHPS data collection process/related training ☒
C. Efficiency or quality improvement training/project in support of VBP related initiatives
D. Provider-Based Clinic Quality Measures Education
E. Alternative Payment Model and Merit-Based Incentive Payment training/education

10. SHIP Menu Overview and Investments, con’t.
Accountable Care Organization (ACO) or Shared Savings Investment Activities
Activities that support the development or the basic tenets of ACOs or shared savings programs. Refer to SHIP Resources and Allowable Investments.
Activity(ies):
Hospitals
Network/
Consortium
Hospital to briefly describe the Activity
A. Computerized provider order entry implementation and/or training ☐
`B. Pharmacy services implementation
C. Disease registry training and/or software/hardware
D. Efficiency or quality improvement training/project in support of ACO or shared savings related initiatives
E. Systems performance training
F. Mobile health equipment installation/use
G. Community paramedicine training and/or equipment installation/use
H. Health Information Technology Training for Value and ACOs

11. SHIP Menu Overview and Investments, con’t.
Links with investment examples are in the hospital application

12. SHIP Hospital Resources
For additional information about hospital resources, please visit:

13. Questions/Comments?