Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Emergency department and urgent care services
Buprenorphine Dispensed by Pharmacies and Administered in Emergency Departments in Urban and Rural Areas — United States, 2019–2025
Reports on how the provision of buprenorphine in pharmacies and emergency departments varied by rural or urban area between 2019 and 2025. Includes rural and urban data comparisons on the frequency of dispensing or administering buprenorphine, dosing, prescribing, availability, and more, including year-by-year comparisons.
Author(s): Gery P. Guy Jr., Yijie Chen, Kun Zhang, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 75(33), 522-528
Date: 08/2026
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
view details
Reports on how the provision of buprenorphine in pharmacies and emergency departments varied by rural or urban area between 2019 and 2025. Includes rural and urban data comparisons on the frequency of dispensing or administering buprenorphine, dosing, prescribing, availability, and more, including year-by-year comparisons.
Author(s): Gery P. Guy Jr., Yijie Chen, Kun Zhang, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 75(33), 522-528
Date: 08/2026
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
view details
Bridging Gaps in Acute Care Access for Rural Veterans: The Reach and Impact of VA's Virtual Emergency and Urgent Care Programs
Examines how the Veterans Health Administration's (VA) tele-emergency care (TEC) and virtual care visits (VCV) programs influenced short-term care utilization, mortality and other health outcomes, and costs among rural veterans, using Jan 2022-Sept 2024 national call center data linked with VA administrative and community care records.
Author(s): Anita A. Vashi, Linda Diem Tran, Tracy Urech, Allison Engstrom Buggaveeti, Liam Rose
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 42(3), e70197
Date: 08/2026
view details
Examines how the Veterans Health Administration's (VA) tele-emergency care (TEC) and virtual care visits (VCV) programs influenced short-term care utilization, mortality and other health outcomes, and costs among rural veterans, using Jan 2022-Sept 2024 national call center data linked with VA administrative and community care records.
Author(s): Anita A. Vashi, Linda Diem Tran, Tracy Urech, Allison Engstrom Buggaveeti, Liam Rose
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 42(3), e70197
Date: 08/2026
view details
Florida Designated Trauma Centers
Map showing locations of Level I, Level II, and pediatric trauma centers in Florida, with shadings showing the 25-mile buffer around each center.
Date: 07/2026
Sponsoring organization: Florida Health
view details
Map showing locations of Level I, Level II, and pediatric trauma centers in Florida, with shadings showing the 25-mile buffer around each center.
Date: 07/2026
Sponsoring organization: Florida Health
view details
A Twelve-Year Retrospective Analysis of a Journey Towards Rural Level I Trauma Center Verification
Discusses the goals, implementation strategies, and challenges of a rural trauma center in Montana which became an ACS Level I Trauma Center in 2023. Includes data on 8,947 trauma activations between 2011 and 2022, discussing quality of care, patient volume, and program infrastructure in a rural setting.
Author(s): Lanny C. Orr, Alexa Peterson, Tessa C. Savell, et al.
Citation: Open Access Emergency Medicine, 18, 618725
Date: 07/2026
view details
Discusses the goals, implementation strategies, and challenges of a rural trauma center in Montana which became an ACS Level I Trauma Center in 2023. Includes data on 8,947 trauma activations between 2011 and 2022, discussing quality of care, patient volume, and program infrastructure in a rural setting.
Author(s): Lanny C. Orr, Alexa Peterson, Tessa C. Savell, et al.
Citation: Open Access Emergency Medicine, 18, 618725
Date: 07/2026
view details
Geographic Variation in Blood Transfusion among TRICARE Beneficiaries
Explores the geographic variations in blood distribution and transfusion practices using the U.S. Military Health System's TRICARE insurance database. Breaks down data by age, sex, and whether beneficiaries received care in rural or urban areas, among other measures.
Author(s): Avery A. Thompson, Mahima Jain, Tanujit Dey, et al.
Citation: Transfusion, 66(7), 1326-1335
Date: 07/2026
view details
Explores the geographic variations in blood distribution and transfusion practices using the U.S. Military Health System's TRICARE insurance database. Breaks down data by age, sex, and whether beneficiaries received care in rural or urban areas, among other measures.
Author(s): Avery A. Thompson, Mahima Jain, Tanujit Dey, et al.
Citation: Transfusion, 66(7), 1326-1335
Date: 07/2026
view details
Rural Pediatric Readiness: Improving Emergency Care for Kids
Features rural providers in Texas and Wyoming working to improve their ability to provide quality emergency care to pediatric patients, as well as a pediatric readiness training program in Georgia.
Author(s): Allee Mead
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 07/2026
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
view details
Features rural providers in Texas and Wyoming working to improve their ability to provide quality emergency care to pediatric patients, as well as a pediatric readiness training program in Georgia.
Author(s): Allee Mead
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 07/2026
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
view details
Hospital Closures Increase Emergency Care Travel Time: Rural-Urban Disparities
Examines the relationship between travel time to emergency care and hospital closures. Utilizes data from 2012-2023 hospital closures in Texas and analyzes 6,883 census tracts according to travel time to the nearest and second nearest emergency department (ED), with additional breakdowns by population characteristics and geographic categories of metro, micro, small town, or rural.
Author(s): Huiwen Zheng, Scott Horel, Christine Crudo Blackburn
Citation: INQUIRY: The Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision, and Financing, 63
Date: 06/2026
view details
Examines the relationship between travel time to emergency care and hospital closures. Utilizes data from 2012-2023 hospital closures in Texas and analyzes 6,883 census tracts according to travel time to the nearest and second nearest emergency department (ED), with additional breakdowns by population characteristics and geographic categories of metro, micro, small town, or rural.
Author(s): Huiwen Zheng, Scott Horel, Christine Crudo Blackburn
Citation: INQUIRY: The Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision, and Financing, 63
Date: 06/2026
view details
When Ambulances Wait at the Emergency Department: Hospital Factors and Offload times in California
Analyzes ambulance patient offload time (APOT) between emergency medical services (EMS) and 310 emergency departments (ED) in California in 2022 to determine associations with hospital characteristics including rurality and number of ED treatment stations. The study data precedes a 2023 state law establishing statewide standards for APOT and so aims to offer baseline metrics for understanding policy impact.
Author(s): Esmeralda Melgoza, Madeline Fedmeier, Crystal Chen, Hiram Beltrán-Sánchez, Renee Y. Hsia
Citation: Health Affairs Scholar, 4(5)
Date: 05/2026
view details
Analyzes ambulance patient offload time (APOT) between emergency medical services (EMS) and 310 emergency departments (ED) in California in 2022 to determine associations with hospital characteristics including rurality and number of ED treatment stations. The study data precedes a 2023 state law establishing statewide standards for APOT and so aims to offer baseline metrics for understanding policy impact.
Author(s): Esmeralda Melgoza, Madeline Fedmeier, Crystal Chen, Hiram Beltrán-Sánchez, Renee Y. Hsia
Citation: Health Affairs Scholar, 4(5)
Date: 05/2026
view details
Urgent Care Center and Retail Health Clinic Use: United States, 2024
Examines 2024 urgent care center and retail health clinic use in the United States by age and urbanization of large central metropolitan, large fringe metropolitan, medium and small metropolitan, or nonmetropolitan.
Author(s): Robin A. Cohen, Elizabeth M. Briones
Date: 05/2026
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
view details
Examines 2024 urgent care center and retail health clinic use in the United States by age and urbanization of large central metropolitan, large fringe metropolitan, medium and small metropolitan, or nonmetropolitan.
Author(s): Robin A. Cohen, Elizabeth M. Briones
Date: 05/2026
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
view details
Differential Impact of the Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) Program on Veterans Affairs Healthcare Utilization and Costs among Rural and Urban Veterans Experiencing Housing Instability
Presents a study examining differences in the impact of the VA's Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program on both healthcare utilization and costs for rural and urban veterans experiencing housing instability. Breaks down data by inpatient, outpatient, and emergency department utilization and costs for rural and urban, and SSVF and non-SSVF cohorts.
Author(s): Minkyoung Yoo, Alec B. Chapman, Ying Suo, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 42(2), e70167
Date: 05/2026
view details
Presents a study examining differences in the impact of the VA's Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program on both healthcare utilization and costs for rural and urban veterans experiencing housing instability. Breaks down data by inpatient, outpatient, and emergency department utilization and costs for rural and urban, and SSVF and non-SSVF cohorts.
Author(s): Minkyoung Yoo, Alec B. Chapman, Ying Suo, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 42(2), e70167
Date: 05/2026
view details