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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by State: State-by-state

Rural Hospital Mergers from 2005 through 2016
Examines the number of mergers of rural hospitals across the U.S. from 2005-2016. Looks at the effect of mergers and acquisitions on rural healthcare.
Author(s): Dunc Williams Jr., Sharita R. Thomas, Hilda A. Howard, George H. Pink
Date: 08/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Update: Independently Owned Pharmacy Closures in Rural America, 2003-2018
Provides updated information on independently owned rural pharmacy closures from 2003 to 2018. Includes state-level data on rural pharmacy closures. Builds on past publications from RUPRI regarding rural pharmacy closures.
Author(s): Abiodun Salako, Fred Ullrich, Keith J. Mueller
Date: 07/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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The Opioid Epidemic: National Trends in Opioid-Related Overdose Deaths from 2000 to 2016
Details the rates of death caused by opioid overdoses throughout the U.S. from 2000-2016. Compares deaths caused by heroin and non-heroin opioids, as well as death rates in nonmetro, small/medium metro, and large metro areas. Companion Brief details overdose rates by state.
Additional links: The Opioid Epidemic: State Trends in Opioid-Related Overdose Deaths from 2000 to 2016
Author(s): Colin Planalp, Megan Lahr
Date: 06/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: State Health Access Data Assistance Center
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Obesity Prevalence Among Adults Living in Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Counties — United States, 2016
Reports on obesity prevalence among adults in metropolitan and nonmetropolitan counties based on 2016 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data. Includes metro/nonmetro data by age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, income, and employment status. Also provides state-by-state data on obesity prevalence in metro and nonmetro counties.
Author(s): Elizabeth A. Lundeen, Sohyun Park, Liping Pan, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 67(23), 653-658
Date: 06/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Prescribing Practices of Rural Physicians Waivered to Prescribe Buprenorphine
Highlights a study on the prescribing practices of rural physicians with buprenorphine waivers, which allowed them to provide medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid used disorder. Findings are based on surveys of all rural physicians with a Drug Enforcement Administration prescription waiver. Breaks down data by physician specialty, practice type, and waiver type, among other factors.
Author(s): Holly A. Andrilla, Cynthia Coulthard, Davis G. Patterson
Citation: American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 54(6) S3, S208-S214
Date: 06/2018
Type: Document
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What Unites and Divides Urban, Suburban and Rural Communities
Report highlights different outcomes and opinions of people in rural, suburban, and urban communities on a number of topics, including demographic shifts, urgent problems, and life satisfaction, among others. Features demographic data, a county level breakdown, and a case study highlighting a rural, suburban, and urban county.
Additional links: Full Report
Author(s): Kim Parker, Juliana Horowitz, Anna Brown, et al.
Date: 05/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Pew Charitable Trusts
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A Compass for Families: Head Start in Rural America
Report details the importance of Head Start programs to rural communities. Discusses the services Head Start provides for rural families, such as child care, connection to health services, and transportation, among others. Features county-level data and rural-urban comparisons.
Author(s): Rasheed Malik, Leila Schochet
Date: 04/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Center for American Progress
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2018 County Health Rankings Key Findings Report
Provides information on county-level health disparities by analyzing health factors and outcomes throughout the U.S. Covers low birthweight, residential segregation, child poverty, teen births, and more. Includes key findings and steps communities can take to improve health outcomes.
Date: 03/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: County Health Rankings & Roadmaps
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The Geographic Variation in the Cost of the Opioid Crisis
Presents a study on the economic costs of the opioid crisis across the nation. Features state-by-state and county-level data on the monetary burden of opioid abuse on communities.
Author(s): Alex Brill, Scott Ganz
Date: 03/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: American Enterprise Institute
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Geographic Variation in the 2016 Profitability of Urban and Rural Hospitals
Findings brief describing differences in profitability of Critical Access Hospitals, other rural hospitals, and urban Prospective Payment Systems hospitals, with breakdowns by census region, census division, and state.
Author(s): George H. Pink, Kristie Thompson, H. Ann Howard, Mark Holmes
Date: 03/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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