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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Healthcare facilities

Rural Emergency Hospital Conversion: Critical Factors for EMS Support
Policy position paper focused on emergency medical services (EMS) in communities with hospitals converting to Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) status. Outlines barriers to EMS delivery in rural areas including funding, workforce, and community engagement and support. Includes policy recommendations.
Author(s): Julie Bosak, Jed Hansen
Date: 02/2022
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Quality of Skilled Nursing Facilities Serving Rural Medicare Beneficiaries
Policy paper describing a study examining the quality of skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) that serve rural beneficiaries, based on ratings from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services star rating system. Features statistics including characteristics of SNFs, overall star ratings, and staff star ratings in 2018 by rural-serving status.
Date: 02/2022
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Ordering Over the Counter Tests from HRSA
Recording of a February 2022 webinar providing an overview of how Rural Health Clinics can enroll in a federal program to order COVID-19 self-testing supplies for distribution in their communities. Discusses how to order supplies and reporting requirements and answers frequently asked questions about the program. Part of the Rural Health Clinic Technical Assistance Series.
Additional links: Presentation Slides, Transcript
Date: 02/2022
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Rural Health Clinics
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Quantifying Rural Disparity in Healthcare Utilization in the United States: Analysis of a Large Midwestern Healthcare System
Analyzes patient utilization of rural versus urban outpatient clinics. Explores electronic health record data from 474,674 adult patients from June 2018 to March 2019 across variables such as age, sex, race, ethnicity, smoking status, and health status. Includes statistics and discussion of clinic utilization in relation to rural healthcare disparities.
Author(s): Akua Nuako, Jingxia Liu, Giang Pham, et al.
Citation: PLoS ONE, 17(2)
Date: 02/2022
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Medicaid and Counties: Understanding the Program and Why It Matters to Counties
Discusses the importance of Medicaid in county-level healthcare. Describes the role Medicaid plays in financing and delivering healthcare for children, the elderly, the disabled, and rural residents. Highlights the impact of COVID-19 on the Medicaid program and challenges for county governments.
Date: 02/2022
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Counties
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Critical Access Hospitals & Small Hospital Improvement Program Grantees in Oklahoma, 2022
Map of Oklahoma counties identifying the location of Critical Access Hospitals and Small Hospital Improvement Program Grantees.
Date: 02/2022
Sponsoring organization: Oklahoma State University Center for Rural Health
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The Problem Of The Color Line: Spatial Access To Hospital Services For Minoritized Racial And Ethnic Groups
Study examining healthcare access by race and geography, covering distances to hospital services for minoritized ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZTCAs). Discusses factors that lead to disparities in access for rural minority communities, including policy, rural hospital closures, and safety net program issues.
Additional links: Story Map: The Problem Of The Color Line
Author(s): Jan M. Eberth, Peiyin Hung, Gabriel A. Benavidez, et al.
Citation: Health Affairs, 41(2), 237-246
Date: 02/2022
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Pandemic Increases Pressure on Rural Hospitals & Communities: Vulnerability, Health Inequity and Staffing Crisis Amplified in Pandemic's Third Year
Examines the stability of the rural healthcare safety net. Discusses disparities between rural and urban communities and communities with hospitals vulnerable to closure. Describes the benefits of COVID-19 relief funding on rural hospitals and how scheduled reimbursement cuts and staffing shortages could impact hospitals' financial stability. Also discusses how staffing shortages impact access to obstetrics and chemotherapy care in rural areas.
Date: 02/2022
Sponsoring organization: Chartis Center for Rural Health
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Chartis Center for Rural Health Research & Resources for the 2022 National Rural Health Association's Rural Health Policy Institute Conference
Offers research and analysis of the stability of the rural healthcare safety net. Includes Pandemic Increases Pressure on Rural Hospitals & Communities: Vulnerability, Health Inequity and Staffing Crisis Amplified in Pandemic's Third Year and presentation slides on this report from the 2022 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: 02/2022
Sponsoring organization: Chartis Center for Rural Health
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CMS Bundled Payments for Care Improvement Advanced Model: Third Evaluation Report
Third annual report of the Bundled Payments for Care Improvement Advanced (BPCI Advanced) Model, which tests whether linking payments for a clinical episode of care can reduce Medicare expenditures while maintaining or improving quality of care. Explores the impact of BPCI Advanced on episode payments, utilization, and quality of care through Model Years 1 and 2, Medicare savings in Model Years 1 and 2, and how the COVID-19 pandemic affected BPCI Advanced participants through June 30, 2020.
Additional links: Appendices, Findings at a Glance
Author(s): The Lewin Group, Abt Associates, GDIT, Telligen
Date: 02/2022
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
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