Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Closures of healthcare facilities and services
The Importance of Long-Term Services and Supports to a High-Performance Rural Health System: Demographic, Policy and Economic Challenges
Explores the potential impact of The One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025 (HR 1) on sustaining long-term services and supports (LTSS) in rural areas as an important element of a high performing rural health system. Describes how the policy landscape affecting LTSS in rural America is undergoing changes in population characteristics, healthcare resources, and financing. Discusses the potential impact of federal policy changes on rural LTSS.
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
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Explores the potential impact of The One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025 (HR 1) on sustaining long-term services and supports (LTSS) in rural areas as an important element of a high performing rural health system. Describes how the policy landscape affecting LTSS in rural America is undergoing changes in population characteristics, healthcare resources, and financing. Discusses the potential impact of federal policy changes on rural LTSS.
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
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From Closure to Comeback: A Rural ICU Is Reborn
A podcast episode examining how rural hospitals can utilize technology and partnerships to provide local healthcare access to residents. Provides a discussion between CEOs of hospitals focusing on the reopening of an intensive care unit (ICU) at a Critical Access Hospital (CAH).
Author(s): Tom Haederle, Marc Boom, Mark Boucot
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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A podcast episode examining how rural hospitals can utilize technology and partnerships to provide local healthcare access to residents. Provides a discussion between CEOs of hospitals focusing on the reopening of an intensive care unit (ICU) at a Critical Access Hospital (CAH).
Author(s): Tom Haederle, Marc Boom, Mark Boucot
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Chartis Center for Rural Health Research & Resources for the 2026 National Rural Health Association's Rural Health Policy Institute Conference
Offers research and analysis of the stability of the rural healthcare safety net. Includes 2026 Rural State of the State, and presentation slides on this report from the 2026 National Rural Health Association Policy Institute. Provides links to national and state data tables showing the financial impact of federal policies on rural hospitals.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Chartis Center for Rural Health
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Offers research and analysis of the stability of the rural healthcare safety net. Includes 2026 Rural State of the State, and presentation slides on this report from the 2026 National Rural Health Association Policy Institute. Provides links to national and state data tables showing the financial impact of federal policies on rural hospitals.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Chartis Center for Rural Health
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Rural Healthcare Challenges Deepen as the Rural Health Transformation Program Ramps Up
Examines the impact of the Rural Health Transformation (RHT) program and the ongoing issues of rural hospital closures and financial losses, Medicaid policy, workforce shortages, diminishing access to rural healthcare services, and more. Discusses themes in state RHT applications and how they plan to utilize RHT funding.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Chartis Center for Rural Health
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Examines the impact of the Rural Health Transformation (RHT) program and the ongoing issues of rural hospital closures and financial losses, Medicaid policy, workforce shortages, diminishing access to rural healthcare services, and more. Discusses themes in state RHT applications and how they plan to utilize RHT funding.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Chartis Center for Rural Health
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Bridging the Gap: A Mixed-Methods Evaluation of a New Rural Maternity Care Center Amid Nationwide Closures
Examines healthcare quality and access following the reopening of a maternity care center at a Critical Access Hospital (CAH) in a rural community that experienced a maternity unit closure. Includes data comparisons of rural maternity care center (MCC) versus suburban tertiary care center patient demographics, delivery outcomes, and patient experiences. Discusses policy efforts to improve access to rural maternal health.
Author(s): Kathryn Wouk, Ellen Chetwynd, Emily C. Sheffield, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 23(1),102
Date: 01/2026
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Examines healthcare quality and access following the reopening of a maternity care center at a Critical Access Hospital (CAH) in a rural community that experienced a maternity unit closure. Includes data comparisons of rural maternity care center (MCC) versus suburban tertiary care center patient demographics, delivery outcomes, and patient experiences. Discusses policy efforts to improve access to rural maternal health.
Author(s): Kathryn Wouk, Ellen Chetwynd, Emily C. Sheffield, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 23(1),102
Date: 01/2026
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Update: The Expanding Maternity Care Desert in Pennsylvania
Provides an overview of labor and delivery services in rural Pennsylvania and implications of limited access to maternity care. Features county-level maps showing locations of Pennsylvania hospitals with labor and delivery units and areas that are a 20-minute drive from a labor and delivery unit, as of 2026.
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
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Provides an overview of labor and delivery services in rural Pennsylvania and implications of limited access to maternity care. Features county-level maps showing locations of Pennsylvania hospitals with labor and delivery units and areas that are a 20-minute drive from a labor and delivery unit, as of 2026.
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
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"The Crux of the Community": A Qualitative Focus Group Study of the Impact of Community Pharmacy Closures in Colorado and Utah
Discusses themes identified in focus groups of pharmacy workforce that had experienced a community pharmacy closure in Colorado or Utah. Themes discussed include community impacts, pharmacy operations, job experience, and patient impact. Highlights rural considerations throughout.
Author(s): Michael J. DiStefano, Nai-Chia Chen, Carl V. Asche, Kelly E. Anderson, T. Joseph Mattingly, II
Citation: Journal of the American Pharmacists Association, 66(1)
Date: 01/2026
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Discusses themes identified in focus groups of pharmacy workforce that had experienced a community pharmacy closure in Colorado or Utah. Themes discussed include community impacts, pharmacy operations, job experience, and patient impact. Highlights rural considerations throughout.
Author(s): Michael J. DiStefano, Nai-Chia Chen, Carl V. Asche, Kelly E. Anderson, T. Joseph Mattingly, II
Citation: Journal of the American Pharmacists Association, 66(1)
Date: 01/2026
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Predictors of Rural Hospital Closures in the United States: A Systematic Review and Call for AI-Driven Early Warning Systems
Examines financial, workforce, policy, economic, market, and demographic factors related to rural hospital closures and the development of AI warning systems based on these factors. Analyzes studies, published between 2013-2024, on rural hospital closures to identify closure predictors and discusses the creation of tools that may assist in identifying hospital distress, allowing stakeholders to intervene in a timely way.
Author(s): Kiruthika Balakrishnan, Zhi Li, Hana E. Hinkle, et al.
Citation: BMC Health Services Research, 26, 86
Date: 12/2025
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Examines financial, workforce, policy, economic, market, and demographic factors related to rural hospital closures and the development of AI warning systems based on these factors. Analyzes studies, published between 2013-2024, on rural hospital closures to identify closure predictors and discusses the creation of tools that may assist in identifying hospital distress, allowing stakeholders to intervene in a timely way.
Author(s): Kiruthika Balakrishnan, Zhi Li, Hana E. Hinkle, et al.
Citation: BMC Health Services Research, 26, 86
Date: 12/2025
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2024 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
Provides a comprehensive summary and data analysis of healthcare quality and access in the U.S. Addresses access to healthcare, care affordability, healthy living, effective treatment, person-centered care, care coordination, and more.
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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Provides a comprehensive summary and data analysis of healthcare quality and access in the U.S. Addresses access to healthcare, care affordability, healthy living, effective treatment, person-centered care, care coordination, and more.
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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The State of Health in Tennessee 2025: Annual Report to the 114th Tennessee General Assembly
Assesses the health status of Tennesseans across the four areas of the State Health Plan Framework: A Healthy Start, A Healthy Life, a Healthy Environment, and a Healthy System of Care. Includes a section on social determinants of health and features statistics on various populations and aspects of healthcare, including rural hospital closures.
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organization: Tennessee Department of Health
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Assesses the health status of Tennesseans across the four areas of the State Health Plan Framework: A Healthy Start, A Healthy Life, a Healthy Environment, and a Healthy System of Care. Includes a section on social determinants of health and features statistics on various populations and aspects of healthcare, including rural hospital closures.
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organization: Tennessee Department of Health
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