Rural Health
Resources by State: California

Community Schools in Rural California: Leveraging Shared Resources in West Kern County
Discusses access challenges related to academic, social, and mental health supports in rural schools and provides a case study of a community school approach in California. Provides findings, lessons, collaborative strategies, and sustainability efforts from the West Kern Consortium for Full-Service Community Schools.
Author(s): Laura E. Hernández Emily Germain
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Learning Policy Institute
view details

Strengthening California's Primary Care Team Workforce: Data and Recommendations for Action
Reports on the state of California's primary care workforce and provides policy recommendations. Provides data and discussion on topics including workforce-related barriers to care, approaches to payment and reimbursement, workforce training, and support for service delivery models. Discusses rural and underserved areas throughout.
Additional links: Executive Summary, Summary of Policy Recommendations, Technical Appendix
Author(s): Diane Rittenhouse, Katie Coleman, Janet Coffman, et al.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: California Health Care Foundation
view details

Geographical Barriers to Surgical Treatment for Cataract among California Medicare Beneficiaries
Analyzes geographic factors associated with receipt of cataract surgery among California Medicare beneficiaries, using 2017 California Medicare Database claims data. Breaks down data by travel time or distance to care, rurality, and race or ethnicity.
Author(s): Karla Murillo, Ken Kitayama, Fei Yu, Victoria L. Tseng, Anne L. Coleman
Citation: Journal of Cataract & Refractive Surgery, 52(6), 544-550
Date: 01/2026
view details

Trauma and Emergency Surgical Care at Rural Emergency Hospital-Eligible Facilities: Interstate Variation and Policy Implications for Rural Health Systems
Explores trauma and emergency general surgery volumes at hospitals eligible to become Rural Emergency Hospitals (REHs). Analyzes 2021 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project data from California, Florida, Iowa, Maryland, and Wisconsin, to describe the volume of emergency general surgery and trauma care performed at REH-eligible hospitals. Examines the characteristics of the populations and communities served by hospitals eligible for REH designation compared with those served by REH-ineligible hospitals. Discusses the potential impact of converting to the REH designation on access to trauma and emergency general surgery.
Author(s): Nina M. Clark, Alexandra H. Hernandez, Cody L. Mullens, et al.
Citation: Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, 100(5), 768-776
Date: 01/2026
view details

Health Workforce Research Data Center: Annual Report to the Legislature, January 2026
Provides an overview of California's health workforce data, projections, demographics, education and employment trends, and more. Provides county-level data on healthcare occupations including behavioral health providers, nurses and advanced practice registered nurses, allied health professionals, and other clinicians.
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: California Department of Health Care Access and Information
view details

From "Rural Bypass" to Regional Capacity: Building CA Hub-and-Spoke Specialty Care
Details how the state of California is implementing a telehealth-based hub-and-spoke model connecting rural hospitals as specialty care providers with local clinics. Discusses implications for providers, including suggestions for Critical Access Hospitals, Rural Health Clinics, Federally Qualified Health Centers, and other rural facilities.
Author(s): Sylvia Trujillo, Emilia Ochoa-Ruiz
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: California Telehealth Resource Center
view details

Policy Brief: Teen Mental Health and School-Based Services in California
Presents data on rural and urban teen mental health and the availability of mental health services in schools in California, and provides recommendations for facilitating mental health service availability and use in schools. See Figure 12 within Full Report for additional data on health expenditures per student by level of rurality.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: Public Policy Institute of California
view details

Caregiver Perceptions of USDA Rural Non-Congregate Summer Meals for Children in California
Presents results of survey on the benefits, accessibility, and practicality of SUN Meals To-Go, a USDA rural non-congregate summer meal program, in California among caregivers of children who received services in the summer of 2024. Provides data and interview excerpts highlighting caregiver perspectives.
Author(s): Emily Patten, J. Mitchell Vaterlaus, Lori A. Spruance, et al.
Citation: Nutrients, 18(2), 270
Date: 01/2026
view details

Chain Reaction: Homegrown Programs Encourage Safe Biking in Rural Areas
Discusses the challenges rural areas may face in taking advantage of the health and other benefits of biking. Features a coalition that sponsors bike safety events in rural California, an Ohio library program for checking out bicycles, and bicycle advocacy work in rural Wisconsin.
Author(s): Gretel Kauffman
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
view details

Selected Rural Healthcare Facilities in California
Shows the state's Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), Rural Emergency Hospitals (REHs), and Rural Health Clinics (RHCs), as well as Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) sites and short term/PPS (Prospective Payment System) hospitals located in rural areas.
Additional links: California Rural Health Facility Table
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
view details