Small Rural Hospital Improvement Program (SHIP)

Primary Care and Rural Health

Missouri's Office of Rural Health (MORH), Small Rural Hospital Improvement Program (SHIP), provides supportive services to small rural hospitals. The program assists small rural hospitals in financial viability, helps to improve the quality of care provided in rural communities, promotes the overall health of rural communities and positively impacts the economy of the communities in which the facilities operate. The SHIP program provides funding for purposes of Quality Improvement (QI), compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and pays for costs related to implementation of prospective payment systems (PPS). These funds are provided by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) through a competitive grant process and disbursed by the Department of Health and Senior Services.