SHIP (Small Rural Hospital Improvement Program)

The Office of Rural Health Policy's Small Rural Hospital Improvement (SHIP) Grant Program provides funding to small rural hospitals to help them do any or all of the following: 1) pay for costs related to the implementation of PPS, 2) comply with provisions of HIPAA and 3) reduce medical errors and support quality improvement.

History

The Small Rural Hospital Improvement Program (SHIP) Grant was first authorized by the Balanced Budget Refinement Act of 1999 under Section 1820 (g)(3) of the Social Security Act. The initial purpose was to help small rural hospitals meet the costs of implementing data systems required to meet requirements of the Medicare Prospective Payment System (PPS). Funding for this program was first provided by the Labor/HHS Appropriations Act for FY 2002 in which conference report language expanded the purpose of this grant program to also help small rural hospitals comply with provisions of Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996, reduce medical errors and support quality improvement (QI). Visit http://ruralhealth.hrsa.gov/ship.htm for more information on SHIP at the federal level. The Center for Rural Health, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences receives and administers the SHIP grant.

Staff

• Miller, Marlene (PI)
• Lennon, Christine

Funder

• Office of Rural Health Policy, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.