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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by State: Pennsylvania

The Pennsylvania Rural Health Model (PARHM): Fourth Annual Evaluation Report
Evaluates the fourth performance year of the Pennsylvania Rural Health Model (PARHM), an initiative designed to test if global budgets can help rural hospitals improve their financial viability, provide flexibility to meet locally defined community health needs, and reduce overall healthcare spending. Provides an overview of the model and describes the implementation experience of participating hospitals and payers. Presents a descriptive quantitative assessment of financial performance, spending and utilization, access to care, and quality of care outcomes from 2016, the model's baseline, through 2022. Includes three case studies discussing three themes: experiences with global budget reconciliation, behavioral health transformation, and interactions and alignment between PARHM and other value-based care programs.
Additional links: Appendix, Findings at a Glance
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, NORC at the University of Chicago
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Caring for Pennsylvanians with Dementia and Related Disorders: An Analysis of Needs and Capacity in Rural Areas, 2024 to 2034
Examines potential demand for care of people living with Alzheimer's disease or a related disorder (ADRD) in rural Pennsylvania. Features county-level maps showing numbers of various types of care facilities and their capacity, and statistics including projections of the population aged 65+ and rate of increase from 2020 to 2040, age-adjusted mortality rate from ADRD, projections of number of ADRD cases by 2040, and impact of smoking and obesity on ADRD, with breakdowns by county.
Author(s): Dara P. Bourassa, Sara A. Grove
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
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Comparing Models That Integrate Obstetric Care and WIC on Improved Program Enrollment During Pregnancy: A Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial
A study protocol that outlines the potential impact of linking women who are receiving obstetric care directly with the Women, Infants, and Children's (WIC) Program. Discusses plans to recruit 240 low-income, rural, pregnant patients from Pennsylvania and analyze WIC usage, social determinants of health, health status, and more.
Author(s): Kirstie M. Herb Neff, Kelsey Brandt, Alex R. Chang, et al.
Citation: BMC Public Health, 24, 3393
Date: 12/2024
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Impact of the Affordable Care Act on Access to Accredited Facilities for Cancer Treatment
Examines access to cancer care at accredited hospitals in Pennsylvania due to expanded coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Analyzes patient characteristics before and after ACA implementation, with breakdowns according to sex, age, race/ethnicity, area deprivation, and urban, large town, small town, or rural location, among other characteristics. Provides commentary on ACA impacts for patients in nonurban areas.
Author(s): Lindsay M. Sabik, Youngmin Kwon, Coleman Drake, et al.
Citation: Health Services Research, 59(6)
Date: 12/2024
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Roadblocks to Reporting: Examining Barriers that Deter Domestic Violence Victim-Survivors from Reporting to Law Enforcement in Rural Communities of Pennsylvania
Explores the lack of reporting from victim-survivors and the barriers they might face when reporting domestic violence and intimate partner violence to law enforcement. Highlights how barriers might differ among rural and urban Pennsylvanians, and how this might impact their ability to access services or resources from local victim service agencies.
Additional links: Executive Summary
Author(s): Emily R. Strohacker
Date: 11/2024
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
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Demographic Profile of Pennsylvania Rural Families
Factsheet describing demographic changes among rural Pennsylvania families, using data from the 2012 and 2022 American Community Surveys. Features statistics with breakdowns by ethnicity, types of families, income range, percent of employed people, home values and monthly rent, and a state-level map showing percent change in the number of families in U.S states from 2012 to 2022.
Date: 11/2024
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
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Community Responses and Adaptations Following the Closure of a Rural Pharmacy and Primary Care Facility
Uses interviews with 26 community members to identify the impact of a pharmacy and primary healthcare facility closure in a rural Pennsylvania community. Discusses challenges for vulnerable populations, distance to care, social networks, delayed treatment, emergency medical services, alternative medicine, and more.
Author(s): Hazel Velasco Palacios, Kristina Brant, Danielle Rhubart, Jorden Jackson
Citation: Journal of Rural Health 41(2), e12896
Date: 11/2024
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FY 2024: HRSA's Rural Health Grants – Pennsylvania Fact Sheet
HRSA Federal Office of Rural Health Policy investments in Pennsylvania in Fiscal Year 2024. Lists grant recipients, award amounts, award recipient locations, and congressional district.
Date: 11/2024
Sponsoring organization: Federal Office of Rural Health Policy
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Rural Reticence to Inform Physicians of Cannabis Use
Examines stigma in the healthcare system related to cannabis use and how this impacts reporting of use to providers in rural areas. Utilizes survey data from 1,045 adult Pennsylvanians and includes rural versus urban data breakdowns according to cannabidiol (CBD) use, marijuana use, and choice to inform provider about use.
Author(s): Daniel J. Mallinson, Timothy J. Servinsky
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(2)
Date: 09/2024
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Exploring the State of Value-Based Care
Slides presented to the South Dakota Rural Health Equity Summit on September 5, 2024. Provides an overview of value-based care and payment models and progress toward value-based care models. Describes potential strategies state agencies and organizations may use to assist rural healthcare organizations to deliver value-based care and receive value-based payments. Highlights state-level engagements to advance rural value-based care and payment in North Dakota and Pennsylvania.
Author(s): Karla Weng
Date: 09/2024
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Value
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