SB351 Alabama 2018 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Greg J. Reed

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2018

Title

Health care, Alabama Rural Hospital Resource Center, created, within Univ. of Alabama at Birmingham, staffing and reporting requirements, rural administrative residency program, created

Summary

Creates the Alabama Rural Hospital Resource Center at the University of Alabama at Birmingham to support rural hospitals with staffing, resources, and a rural health administration residency, aiming to improve access to high-quality care at little or no cost.

What This Bill Does

The bill creates the Alabama Rural Hospital Resource Center within UAB to help eligible rural hospitals become more viable and capable, at no or minimal cost. It requires the center to hire staff, provide technical assistance, and help develop global payments, and to annually report on financial, quality, access, and health outcomes. It also starts a rural administrative residency program with UAB’s health administration program and pursues funding for residents. The center can assist participating hospitals in areas like compliance, coding, purchasing, quality, strategic planning, provider recruitment, cost reporting, and insurance, with priority given to those in the global budget model.

Who It Affects

• Eligible rural hospitals (nonprofit or public) in designated rural or shortage areas that would receive staffing support, technical assistance, and potential cost-free or low-cost improvements.
• Healthcare administrators, management teams, and boards of participating rural hospitals, as well as individuals in the rural administrative residency program who will work with the center and use its resources.

Key Provisions

• Establishment of the Alabama Rural Hospital Resource Center within the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
• Purpose to facilitate access to high-quality care and improve health by increasing hospital viability and capabilities at no or minimal cost.
• Definitions of Eligible Hospital (nonprofit or public rural hospital) and Rural (as defined by federal criteria).
• Center duties: hire staff; act as a resource to the Alabama Rural Hospital Global Budget Board; provide technical assistance and help develop global payments.
• Annual reporting requirement to the Legislature, State Finance Director, and Medicaid Commissioner detailing financial improvements, satisfaction, quality, access, and health outcomes.
• Creation of a rural administrative residency program in cooperation with UAB’s Graduate Program in Health Administration and funding efforts for resident positions.
• Scope of support areas: compliance, coding, purchasing and supply chain, quality, strategic planning, provider recruitment, cost reporting, insurance, and other areas that advance the center’s goals, with priority to global budget participants.
• Effective date: immediate upon passage and approval by the Governor.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

University of Alabama--Birmingham