1. (a) The University of Alabama at Birmingham shall establish the Alabama Rural Hospital Resource Center.
2. (b) The purpose of the resource center is to facilitate access to high quality care for rural Alabamians and improve their health by increasing the viability and capabilities of eligible hospitals at no or minimal cost to those hospitals.

3. (c) For the purposes of this section, the following terms shall have the following meanings:

   1. (1) ELIGIBLE HOSPITAL. A nonprofit or public rural hospital.
   2. (2) RESOURCE CENTER. The Rural Hospital Resource Center of the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

   3. (3) RURAL. Located in one of the following:

      1. a. An area designated as a shortage area as defined in 42 C.F.R. § 491.5(c) and (d); or
      2. b. A rural area as defined by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy.

4. (d) The resource center shall do all of the following:

   1. (1) Hire necessary staff that is inclusive and reflects the racial, gender, geographic, urban, rural, and economic diversity of the state.

   2. (2) Annually submit a report to the Legislature, State Finance Director, and Medicaid Commissioner regarding the effectiveness of the resource center. The report shall include all of the following:

      1. a. The financial improvement of participating hospitals.
      2. b. Satisfaction survey results from the management team and board of directors of each participating hospital.
      3. c. Improvements in the quality of participating hospitals.
      4. d. Improvements in access to care.
      5. e. Improvements in health status.
   3. (3) Establish a rural administrative residency program by working with the Graduate Program in Health Administration of the University of Alabama at Birmingham and pursuing funding for administrative residents who wish to work in rural health care.

5. (e) The resource center may provide support to participating eligible hospitals in all of the following areas:

   1. (1) Compliance.
   2. (2) Coding.
   3. (3) Purchasing and supply chain.
   4. (4) Quality.
   5. (5) Strategic planning.
   6. (6) Provider recruitment.
   7. (7) Cost report.
   8. (8) Insurance.
   9. (9) Any other area that furthers the purpose of the resource center.
6. (f) The obligations imposed by this section shall not be implemented within the University of Alabama at Birmingham until formally approved by the University of Alabama at Birmingham and sufficient funds for the purposes set forth in this section are provided through the Governor or appropriated by the Legislature, and thereafter shall only be implemented to the extent that funds are appropriated.

(Act 2018-394, §§1,2.)