Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Closures of healthcare facilities and services
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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Maternity Deserts: The Equality State's Growing Crisis
Highlights maternity healthcare deserts in Wyoming and nationally. Discusses the impact of labor and delivery department closures, maternal mortality and morbidity, and more on access to care. Notes opportunities to improve outcomes including increasing access to care, additional workforce training and facility protocols to improve healthcare quality, and promote networking opportunities to share knowledge. Offers policy recommendations based on report findings. Discusses rural throughout.
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: Wyoming Women's Action Network
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Highlights maternity healthcare deserts in Wyoming and nationally. Discusses the impact of labor and delivery department closures, maternal mortality and morbidity, and more on access to care. Notes opportunities to improve outcomes including increasing access to care, additional workforce training and facility protocols to improve healthcare quality, and promote networking opportunities to share knowledge. Offers policy recommendations based on report findings. Discusses rural throughout.
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: Wyoming Women's Action Network
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An Enhanced Method for Identifying Hospital-Based Obstetric Unit Status, Version 2 with Addendum
Results of a study using data from American Hospital Association annual surveys from 2010-2018 to conduct single- and multi-year assessments of obstetric unit status and to identify closures of obstetric units. Compares results obtained through the enhanced method with results of a survey sample of rural hospitals with obstetric units open at the time of the assessment and those with recently closed units. Addendum describes methodology updates since a previously published January 2022 report as well as additional findings using 2010-2023 data.
Additional links: An Enhanced Method for Identifying Hospital-Based Obstetric Unit Status (Version 1, 2022)
Author(s): Julia D. Interrante, Caitlin Carroll, Emily C. Sheffield, et al.
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Results of a study using data from American Hospital Association annual surveys from 2010-2018 to conduct single- and multi-year assessments of obstetric unit status and to identify closures of obstetric units. Compares results obtained through the enhanced method with results of a survey sample of rural hospitals with obstetric units open at the time of the assessment and those with recently closed units. Addendum describes methodology updates since a previously published January 2022 report as well as additional findings using 2010-2023 data.
Additional links: An Enhanced Method for Identifying Hospital-Based Obstetric Unit Status (Version 1, 2022)
Author(s): Julia D. Interrante, Caitlin Carroll, Emily C. Sheffield, et al.
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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The New Rural Emergency Hospital Designation Program: Will It Improve Access to Care for Rural Americans?
Discusses rural hospital closures and the potential impact of the Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) designation. Provides U.S. maps showing Medicaid Expansion states and rural hospital closures as well as data specific to REHs in Texas.
Author(s): Suzanne B. Daly, Wei You, Elizabeth I. Merwin
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(4)
Date: 10/2025
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Discusses rural hospital closures and the potential impact of the Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) designation. Provides U.S. maps showing Medicaid Expansion states and rural hospital closures as well as data specific to REHs in Texas.
Author(s): Suzanne B. Daly, Wei You, Elizabeth I. Merwin
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(4)
Date: 10/2025
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