Arizona Rural Hospital Flexibility Program

The Center for Rural Health coordinates the state’s Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program (Flex Program).

Download AzFLEX Fast Facts

​​​The AZ Flex goals focus on the following areas:

  • Improve the quality of rural health care.
  • Improve AZ-CAH financial and operational performance.
  • Support health system development and community engagement.
  • Enable CAH status to interested and eligible rural hospitals

AzFLEX CONTACTS

Jill Bullock, AzCRH Associate Director
bullock1@arizona.edu

Joyce Hospodar, Senior Advisor, Rural Programs
hospodar@arizona.edu

Bryna Koch, Research Program Administrator​
brynak@arizona.edu

Daniel Derksen, MD, Director, Principal Investigator
dderksen@arizona.edu

Map of AZ Critical Access Hospitals, Rural Health Clinics and FQHCs

Click on map to enlarge.

Paul Akmajian

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Arizona Rural Hospital Flexibility Program (AzFlex) – In 1999, the Center for Rural Health initiated the AzFlex Program, with funding from HRSA’s Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program. Today, 15 rural Arizona hospitals have federal Critical Access Hospital (CAH) designation.

CAHs have less than 25 inpatient beds, are 35 miles or more from another facility, staff a 24-hour/7days per week Emergency Department, and maintain acute care status by averaging less than 96 hours for an inpatient stay. Medicare reimburses CAHs on a reasonable cost basis for inpatient and outpatient services. Enhanced reimbursement through Medicare and state funding (such as the Arizona CAH Pool), help sustain crucial safety net services in rural communities.

AzFlex offers support and technical assistance to CAHs in core areas including:

  • Performance and Quality Improvement
  • Operational and Financial Improvement
  • Population Health Management and Emergency Medical Services Integration

Critical Access Hospital (CAH)

A Critical Access Hospital is a rural acute care hospital consisting of no more than 25 inpatient beds. The Critical Access Hospital must not exceed a ninety-six (96) hour length of stay and will have agreements, contracts or affiliations for transfer and services. Critical Access Hospitals must also be located more than a 35-mile drive from any other hospital or CAH (in mountainous terrain or in areas with only secondary roads available, the mileage criterion is 15 miles).

Becoming a CAH

For additional information on what a CAH is and on how to be designated as one please go to: Becoming a CAH Manual

Arizona Critical Access Hospitals

Learn more about our 15 existing CAHs (i.e., contact information, designation date, hospital profile and affiliated emergency services) and visit their websites:

A Rural Health Clinic (RHC) is a primary healthcare clinic located in a non-urbanized area that has been shown to have a shortage of healthcare services or healthcare providers, and has been certified as a Rural Health Clinic under Medicare. The greatest benefit of the program is cost-based (enhanced) reimbursement from Medicare and Medicaid. In 1977, Congress passed the Rural Health Clinic Act, or Public Law 95-210, to address the lack of access to primary medical care in rural communities and to assist with the financial challenges faced by rural healthcare facilities. In addition, this law focused on increasing the utilization of mid-level practitioners in underserved areas.

Becoming a RHC

A revised Arizona Rural Health Clinic Designation Manual will be available soon.

Compliance and Regulatory Priorities for Rural Health Clinics Recording by Kate Hill

https://arizona.zoom.us/rec/share/ZFgmGF2CObDjn61qZMXhASjtx3_tPUWLwLsf-eLpi-Xlf3Sca_1dzrD5GCKcYxVF.dLxjeWi8rHFWGGDB 

Critical Access Hospital (CAH) Affiliated Rural Health Clinics in Arizona:

  • Banner Health Clinic-Page | 601 N. Navajo Drive | Page AZ |Navajo County | Banner Page Hospital
  • Benson Hospital Corporation | 688 W. 4th Street Suite B | Benson, AZ | Cochise County | Benson Hospital 
  • Benson Healthcare San Pedro | 890 W. 4th St. | Benson, AZ | Cochise County | Benson Hospital
  • Bouse Medical Clinic | 44031 E. Plomose Road, Box 866 | Bouse, AZ | La Paz County | La Paz Regional Hospital 
  • Cobre Valley Family Practice | 5994 S. Hospital Drive | Globe, AZ | Gila County | Cobre Valley Regional Medical Center 
  • Cobre Valley Red Rock Clinic | 5990 S. Hospital Dr. | Globe, AZ | Gila County | Cobre Valley Regional Medical Center
  • Cobre Valley Surgical Services  | 5880 S. Hospital Drive |Globe, AZ | Gila County | Cobre Valley Regional Medical Center
  • Community Hospital Association, Inc | 523 Rose Lane | Wickenburg, AZ | Maricopa County | Wickenburg Community Hospital 
  • Community Hospital Association, Inc | 26750 B South Santa Fe Road | Congress, AZ | Yavapai County | Wickenburg Community Hospital 
  • Community Hospital Association, Inc | 32919 N. Center Street, Suite B | Wittmann, AZ | Apache County | Wickenburg Community Hospital 
  • Copper Queen Community Hospital-Bisbee RHC | 7 Bisbee Road | Bisbee, AZ | Cochise County | Copper Queen Community Hospital 
  • Copper Queen Community Hospital-Douglas RHC | 100 E. 5th Street | Douglas, AZ | Cochise County | Copper Queen Community Hospital 
  • Copper Queen Community Hospital-Palominas Hereford Rural RHC  | 10534 E. Highway 92 | Palominas, AZ | Cochise County | Copper Queen Community Hospital 
  • Copper Queen Community Hospital-Tombstone Rural RHC  | 7 North San Diego St. | Tombstone, AZ | Cochise County | Copper Queen Community Hospital 
  • Greasewood Clinic | PO Box 457, Highway 264 | Ganado, AZ | Apache County | Sage Memorial Hospital
  • ​Kearny Clinic| 100 Tilbury Drive | Kearny, AZ | Pinal County | Cobre Valley Regional Medical Center  
  • La Paz Medical Services | 150 E. Tyson Road | Quartzsite, AZ | La Paz County | La Paz Regional Hospital 
  • Little Colorado Physicians Office | 200 E. Lee Street | Winslow, AZ | Navajo County | Little Colorado Medical Center 
  • Parker Walk In Clinic | 601 Riverside Dr. Suite 4 | Parker, AZ | La Paz | La Paz Regional Hospital
  • Pleasant Valley Community Medical Center | 124 N. Tewksbury Boulevard | Young, AZ | Gila County | Cobre Valley Regional Medical Center
  • River Health Clinic | 1200 W. Mohave Rd. | Parker, AZ | La Paz County | La Paz Regional Hospital 
  • Sage Outpatient Clinic | PO Box 457, Highway 264 | Ganado, AZ | Apache County | Sage Memorial Hospital 
  • Sulphur Springs Medical Center | 900 W. Scott | Willcox, AZ | Cochise County | Northern Cochise Community Hospital 
  • Sunsites Medical Clinic | 233 N. Frontage Road | Pearce, AZ | Cochise County | Northern Cochise Community Hospital 
  • Superior Clinic | 1134 W. US Highway 60 |Superior, AZ | Pinal County | Cobre Valley Regional Medical Center 
  • Tonto Basin Clinic | 186 E. Stephens Way | Tonto Basin, AZ | Gila County | Cobre Valley Regional Medical Center
  • Tri-Valley Medical Center | 39726 Harquahala Road | Salome, AZ | La Paz County | La Paz Regional Medical Center 
  • White Mountain Communities Hospital, INC. | 114 S. Mountain Avenue | Springerville, AZ | Apache County | White Mountain Regional Medical Center 

Other Arizona Rural Health Clinics

  • Copper Mountain Clinic | 2250 W. 16th Street | Safford, AZ | Graham County
  • Gila Valley Clinic PC | 1680 S. 20th Avenue | Safford, AZ | Grahman County 
  • Parker Medical Center, LTD | 905 South Fiesta Ave. | Parker, AZ | La Paz County
  • Ponderosa Family Care | 127 Main St. Ste D | Payson, AZ | Gila County
  • San Luis Urgent Care | 1233 N. Main Street, Suite 1A | San Luis, AZ | Yuma County 
  • San Luis Walk-in Clinic, Inc. | 950 E. Main Street, Building B | Somerton, AZ |  Yuma County
  • San Luis Walk-In Clinic, Inc. - Family & Adult Center | 1896 E. Babbit Lane | San Luis, AZ | Yuma County
  • San Luis Walk-In Clinic, Inc. - Urgent Care & Family Center | 214 W. Main Street | Somerton, AZ | Yuma County
  • Summit Healthcare Medical Associates, LLC | 2352 Quarter Horse Trail | Overgaard, AZ | Navajo County
  • Summit Healthcare Medical Associates, LLC | 5171 S. Cub Lake Road, Suite B230 |Show Low, AZ | Navajo County

Information about our new Quality Network. Access archives of the Quality Network materials, including those from Year 1 (2010) and Year 2 (2011) of the infection Prevention Collaborative.

Learn more about our operational/financial improvement initiatives and events.

Learn more about AZ Flex Program's support to EMS and rural hospital Emergency Departments.

  • Level IV Trauma Center Designation
  • Rural Trauma Team Development Trainings
  • Partnership with ADHS, Bureau of EMS and Trauma Systems

Repository of Flex related resources.

AZ Flex Events

An archive of all AZ Flex sponsored events with meeting information, agendas and materials. Includes links to webinar recordings when available.

Archive of headlines and news announcements related to CAHs and RHCs.

View all