Montana Rural Hospital Flexibility Program &
the Performance Improvement Network

The Montana Rural Hospital Flexibility (Flex) Program provides funding to spur quality and performance improvement activities, stabilize rural hospital finance and integrate population health and emergency medical services (EMS) into existing health care systems. The program encourages the development of cooperative systems of care in rural areas to increase efficiencies. Forty-eight of Montana’s critical access hospitals benefit from the program and participate in the Performance Improvement Network (PIN), which facilitates the sharing of resources related to meeting these goals.

Mission

The mission of the Montana Rural Healthcare Performance Improvement Network is to develop and provide a collaborative support system which will enable small rural hospitals to have the ability to deliver quality care and achieve customer satisfaction.

Top

Montana Rural Healthcare Performance Improvement Network (PIN) Guiding Principles:

  1. The founding purpose of the Montana Rural Healthcare Performance Improvement Network is to assist Critical Access Hospitals in achieving compliance with the Medicare Quality Assurance Conditions of Participation.
  2. Membership in the PIN is open to any Montana rural hospital with 25 beds or less. Network services may be purchased by other rural hospitals.
  3. Involvement in PIN activities by individual hospitals is entirely voluntary but full participation is encouraged.
  4. Performance improvement activities will be determined by the needs and wants of network members.
  5. Support and services provided by the PIN to small rural hospitals will encourage participant self-sufficiency to the greatest degree possible thus minimizing the need for outside consultants/support on a continuing basis.
  6. Network services and activities will be developed and offered to all PIN participants as desired and allowed by funding resources.
  7. Funding for PIN activities will initially be covered as part of the Montana Rural Hospital Flexibility Grant award. Additional funding sources may be required for PIN services and may include, but are not limited to, assessments to participating facilities, additional grant resources or other funding options as determined appropriate by the PIN Advisory Board.
Top

This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of an award totaling $928,510 with 0% financed with non-governmental sources. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by MT DPHHS, Montana Health Research & Education Foundation (MHREF), HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government.

The content available on this website may include educational materials, documents, media, and other resources submitted or posted by third-party users. All such materials remain the intellectual property of their respective authors or owners.

The website host does not review, verify, endorse, or guarantee the accuracy, ownership, or lawfulness of any third-party materials posted on this site. The host assumes no responsibility or liability for any infringement, misuse, or unauthorized distribution of intellectual property by users or contributors.

By accessing or using this website, you agree that the host shall not be held liable for any claims, damages, losses, or disputes arising from the posting, sharing, or use of user-submitted educational materials. Users are solely responsible for ensuring that they have the rights and permissions necessary to upload or distribute any content they provide.

Phone: (406) 442-1911

Fax: (406) 443-3894

2625 Winne Avenue

Helena, MT 59601

Montana Performance Improvement Network © 2026