Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Healthcare facilities
Medicare Waiver Expiration & Telehealth FAQs
Provides answers to frequently asked questions regarding the expiration of Medicare telehealth waivers on September 30, 2025. Covers in-person visit requirements, billing procedures, and the applicability of policies across different care settings, including Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs).
Additional links: Chart: Telehealth Medicare Post-September 30, 2025
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: Center for Connected Health Policy: The National Telehealth Policy Resource Center
view details
Provides answers to frequently asked questions regarding the expiration of Medicare telehealth waivers on September 30, 2025. Covers in-person visit requirements, billing procedures, and the applicability of policies across different care settings, including Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs).
Additional links: Chart: Telehealth Medicare Post-September 30, 2025
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: Center for Connected Health Policy: The National Telehealth Policy Resource Center
view details
How States Can Boost Behavioral Health Services in Rural Communities
Explores ways state officials can utilize federal funds to increase mental health and substance use treatment for rural communities. Highlights strategies for increasing access to behavioral health services in rural communities that can be funded through the Rural Health Transformation (RHT) Program.
Author(s): Alexandra Duncan, Kristen Mizzi Angelone
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: Pew Research Center
view details
Explores ways state officials can utilize federal funds to increase mental health and substance use treatment for rural communities. Highlights strategies for increasing access to behavioral health services in rural communities that can be funded through the Rural Health Transformation (RHT) Program.
Author(s): Alexandra Duncan, Kristen Mizzi Angelone
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: Pew Research Center
view details
Pennsylvania Common Procedures Report 2024
Provides information about the performance and utilization of Pennsylvania hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers for spinal fusion, total hip replacement, and total knee replacement, using data from October 2023 through September 2024. Includes hospitalization rates for each procedure by urban and rural areas, among other breakdowns.
Additional links: Summary and Highlights
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council
view details
Provides information about the performance and utilization of Pennsylvania hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers for spinal fusion, total hip replacement, and total knee replacement, using data from October 2023 through September 2024. Includes hospitalization rates for each procedure by urban and rural areas, among other breakdowns.
Additional links: Summary and Highlights
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council
view details
Georgia Counties Offering CON-Authorized Obstetrical (OB) Services
County-level map showing the location of obstetrical (OB) services authorized by Georgia's Certificate of Need (CON) program. Features shadings showing rural and urban counties with OB facilities, and counties containing Critical Access Hospitals with OB facilities.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Georgia State Office of Rural Health
view details
County-level map showing the location of obstetrical (OB) services authorized by Georgia's Certificate of Need (CON) program. Features shadings showing rural and urban counties with OB facilities, and counties containing Critical Access Hospitals with OB facilities.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Georgia State Office of Rural Health
view details
Community Health Centers and Rural Health: Essential Access, Enduring Challenges
Discusses the role community health centers (CHCs) play in delivering primary care in rural areas. Describes the challenges rural CHCs face and strategies to stabilize and strengthen these facilities. Includes data on the rural CHC workforce and the percentage of all CHC patients served by a rural CHC by state. Compares healthcare quality, the percent of medical and mental health visits that were virtual, and the percent of patients with select chronic conditions by rural and urban location.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organizations: National Association of Community Health Centers, WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
view details
Discusses the role community health centers (CHCs) play in delivering primary care in rural areas. Describes the challenges rural CHCs face and strategies to stabilize and strengthen these facilities. Includes data on the rural CHC workforce and the percentage of all CHC patients served by a rural CHC by state. Compares healthcare quality, the percent of medical and mental health visits that were virtual, and the percent of patients with select chronic conditions by rural and urban location.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organizations: National Association of Community Health Centers, WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
view details
Rural/Urban Disparities in the Availability of Diabetes Prevention Programs in US Hospitals
Examines access to Diabetes Prevention Programs (DPPs) by geographic and socioeconomic variables. Analyzes DPPs in 3,204 general medical hospitals according to sociodemographic variables such as food environment, insurance rates, income, and more, as well as hospital characteristics, such as ownership type, geographic region, and county location of metro, micro, or noncore.
Author(s): Allyson Hughes, Shyamkumar Sriram, Berkeley Franz, Cory Cronin
Citation: Journal of Primary Care & Community Health, 16
Date: 09/2025
view details
Examines access to Diabetes Prevention Programs (DPPs) by geographic and socioeconomic variables. Analyzes DPPs in 3,204 general medical hospitals according to sociodemographic variables such as food environment, insurance rates, income, and more, as well as hospital characteristics, such as ownership type, geographic region, and county location of metro, micro, or noncore.
Author(s): Allyson Hughes, Shyamkumar Sriram, Berkeley Franz, Cory Cronin
Citation: Journal of Primary Care & Community Health, 16
Date: 09/2025
view details
Creation of a Telehealth Addiction Consultation Service at a Rural Hospital: A Case Study
Details the implementation and evaluation of the Community Addiction Consult (CAC) service, which facilitated medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) treatment and provided other supports for hospital-based addiction care via telehealth consultations by community, non-hospital clinicians in rural Massachusetts. Highlights the significance of the CAC model as a support for improving access to hospital-based substance use disorder treatment in rural areas.
Author(s): Rachel Katz, Tiarra Fisher, Talia Singer-Clark, et al.
Citation: Addiction Science & Clinical Practice, 20, 76
Date: 09/2025
view details
Details the implementation and evaluation of the Community Addiction Consult (CAC) service, which facilitated medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) treatment and provided other supports for hospital-based addiction care via telehealth consultations by community, non-hospital clinicians in rural Massachusetts. Highlights the significance of the CAC model as a support for improving access to hospital-based substance use disorder treatment in rural areas.
Author(s): Rachel Katz, Tiarra Fisher, Talia Singer-Clark, et al.
Citation: Addiction Science & Clinical Practice, 20, 76
Date: 09/2025
view details
Comparing Guillain-Barré Syndrome Outcomes Between Rural and Urban Hospitals in the United States: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Examines the impact of rural versus urban location on patient outcomes for Guillain-Barré Syndrome-related hospitalizations, utilizing 2021 National Inpatient Sample data. Provides data on patient outcomes including mortality, length of stay, complications, and discharge disposition. Highlights differences in clinical factors and patient demographics influencing care in rural and urban settings.
Author(s): Anudeep Surendranath, Rahul Damani, Anushareddy Muddasani, Anupam Kumar Gupta
Citation: PLoS One, 20(9), e0333403
Date: 09/2025
view details
Examines the impact of rural versus urban location on patient outcomes for Guillain-Barré Syndrome-related hospitalizations, utilizing 2021 National Inpatient Sample data. Provides data on patient outcomes including mortality, length of stay, complications, and discharge disposition. Highlights differences in clinical factors and patient demographics influencing care in rural and urban settings.
Author(s): Anudeep Surendranath, Rahul Damani, Anushareddy Muddasani, Anupam Kumar Gupta
Citation: PLoS One, 20(9), e0333403
Date: 09/2025
view details
Supporting Rural Health Facilities
Discusses strategies pursued by states to strengthen the financial stability of rural hospitals and expand access to primary care, behavioral healthcare, and emergency care. Describes state policies related to technical assistance, financial stabilization grants, payment models, Rural Health Clinics (RHCs), health centers, Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs), and free-standing emergency departments.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Conference of State Legislatures
view details
Discusses strategies pursued by states to strengthen the financial stability of rural hospitals and expand access to primary care, behavioral healthcare, and emergency care. Describes state policies related to technical assistance, financial stabilization grants, payment models, Rural Health Clinics (RHCs), health centers, Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs), and free-standing emergency departments.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Conference of State Legislatures
view details
Rural-Urban Comparisons of Nursing Staff Turnover among Skilled Nursing Facilities
Results of a study assessing facility-level turnover rates for nursing personnel across levels of rurality and by region, using data from 14,986 facilities. Features statistics on turnover rates in 2022, with breakdowns by total nursing staff and registered nurses only, and by rural or urban areas. Also includes a county-level map showing average nursing staff turnover rates.
Author(s): Michael D. Wirth, Nick Yell, Peiyin Hung, Elizabeth Crouch
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: University of South Carolina Rural Health Research Center
view details
Results of a study assessing facility-level turnover rates for nursing personnel across levels of rurality and by region, using data from 14,986 facilities. Features statistics on turnover rates in 2022, with breakdowns by total nursing staff and registered nurses only, and by rural or urban areas. Also includes a county-level map showing average nursing staff turnover rates.
Author(s): Michael D. Wirth, Nick Yell, Peiyin Hung, Elizabeth Crouch
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: University of South Carolina Rural Health Research Center
view details