Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Healthcare facilities
Oregon Rural Hospitals
County-level map of Oregon identifying the location of rural hospitals including Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), non-CAHs, and Sole Community Hospitals.
Date: 04/2026
Sponsoring organization: Oregon Office of Rural Health
view details
County-level map of Oregon identifying the location of rural hospitals including Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), non-CAHs, and Sole Community Hospitals.
Date: 04/2026
Sponsoring organization: Oregon Office of Rural Health
view details
North Dakota Critical Access Hospitals/Rural Emergency Hospital & Referral Centers
Map of North Dakota showing delineated counties with Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), Rural Emergency Hospitals (REHs), and referral centers.
Date: 04/2026
Sponsoring organization: University of North Dakota Center for Rural Health
view details
Map of North Dakota showing delineated counties with Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), Rural Emergency Hospitals (REHs), and referral centers.
Date: 04/2026
Sponsoring organization: University of North Dakota Center for Rural Health
view details
North Dakota Rural Health Clinics, 2026
Map of North Dakota showing Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and their locations. Also includes information on RHC ownership.
Date: 04/2026
Sponsoring organization: University of North Dakota Center for Rural Health
view details
Map of North Dakota showing Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and their locations. Also includes information on RHC ownership.
Date: 04/2026
Sponsoring organization: University of North Dakota Center for Rural Health
view details
CAH Financial Indicators Report: Summary of Indicator Medians by State
Presents state and national median values of 30 financial indicators included in the Critical Access Hospital Measurement and Performance Assessment System (CAHMPAS). Provides an overview of each measurement and reports median values by state. Indicators represent seven areas of financial performance: profitability, liquidity, capital structure, revenue, cost, utilization, and other.
Date: 04/2026
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
view details
Presents state and national median values of 30 financial indicators included in the Critical Access Hospital Measurement and Performance Assessment System (CAHMPAS). Provides an overview of each measurement and reports median values by state. Indicators represent seven areas of financial performance: profitability, liquidity, capital structure, revenue, cost, utilization, and other.
Date: 04/2026
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
view details
Transforming Rural Health: Strategies from the Field - Workforce Development
A brief providing strategies for addressing rural healthcare workforce shortages. Discusses how healthcare facilities can use workforce pathways and other training and education programs to improve workforce availability.
Date: 04/2026
Sponsoring organization: Georgia Health Policy Center
view details
A brief providing strategies for addressing rural healthcare workforce shortages. Discusses how healthcare facilities can use workforce pathways and other training and education programs to improve workforce availability.
Date: 04/2026
Sponsoring organization: Georgia Health Policy Center
view details
MedPAC Comment on CMS's Proposed Rule on Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility for FY 2027
Comments on an April 6, 2026, Federal Register proposed rule addressing updates to the prospective payment system for inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs) for fiscal year 2026. Includes comments on the potential creation of an IRF-specific wage index and refinements to the IRF payment system, such as changes to IRF patient clinical classification. Includes rural considerations throughout.
Date: 04/2026
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
view details
Comments on an April 6, 2026, Federal Register proposed rule addressing updates to the prospective payment system for inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs) for fiscal year 2026. Includes comments on the potential creation of an IRF-specific wage index and refinements to the IRF payment system, such as changes to IRF patient clinical classification. Includes rural considerations throughout.
Date: 04/2026
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
view details
Medicare Payment for Rural or Geographically Isolated Hospitals, 2026
Displays data on Medicare payment adjustments for Sole Community Hospitals, Medicare-Dependent Hospitals, Low-Volume Hospitals, and Critical Access Hospitals. Includes information on the number of qualifying hospitals by state and eligibility criteria.
Date: 04/2026
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
view details
Displays data on Medicare payment adjustments for Sole Community Hospitals, Medicare-Dependent Hospitals, Low-Volume Hospitals, and Critical Access Hospitals. Includes information on the number of qualifying hospitals by state and eligibility criteria.
Date: 04/2026
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
view details
National Association of Rural Health Clinics 2026 Policy Survey Report
Summarizes results of a 2026 national survey of Rural Health Clinics (RHCs). Presents data on the average payer mix, telehealth use and management trends, Medicare Advantage (MA) contracts and reimbursement rates compared to traditional Medicare rates, value-based care participation, challenges, and more.
Date: 04/2026
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Rural Health Clinics
view details
Summarizes results of a 2026 national survey of Rural Health Clinics (RHCs). Presents data on the average payer mix, telehealth use and management trends, Medicare Advantage (MA) contracts and reimbursement rates compared to traditional Medicare rates, value-based care participation, challenges, and more.
Date: 04/2026
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Rural Health Clinics
view details
Geographic Variation in Average Salary Expense Among Rural Hospitals Nationwide, 2018–2022
Examines the change in hospital wages between 2018–2019 and 2021–2022, with a focus on the geographic variation in these changes among Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and rural Prospective Payment System (PPS) hospitals. Describes the variation in average salary expense per full-time equivalent (FTE) employee for rural hospitals from 2018 to 2022. Appendices include the median salary expense per FTE of rural hospitals each year by U.S. Census region, state Medicaid expansion status, Core-Based Statistical Area (CBSA), Frontier and Remote Area (FAR) code, and by state.
Date: 04/2026
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
view details
Examines the change in hospital wages between 2018–2019 and 2021–2022, with a focus on the geographic variation in these changes among Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and rural Prospective Payment System (PPS) hospitals. Describes the variation in average salary expense per full-time equivalent (FTE) employee for rural hospitals from 2018 to 2022. Appendices include the median salary expense per FTE of rural hospitals each year by U.S. Census region, state Medicaid expansion status, Core-Based Statistical Area (CBSA), Frontier and Remote Area (FAR) code, and by state.
Date: 04/2026
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
view details
Medicare Wage Index Trends in Rural and Urban Hospitals Before and During the Low Wage Index Policy, 2018–2022
Provides an overview of the wage index and its role in hospital reimbursement and financial stability. Describes the pattern of wage index values for rural and urban prospective payment system (PPS) hospitals from 2018 to 2022. Explores the impact of the low-wage index policy (LWIP), which was implemented in fiscal year 2020, and the potential implications of its discontinuation in fiscal year 2025.
Author(s): Saleema Karim, George Pink, Kristie Thompson, Mark Holmes
Date: 04/2026
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
view details
Provides an overview of the wage index and its role in hospital reimbursement and financial stability. Describes the pattern of wage index values for rural and urban prospective payment system (PPS) hospitals from 2018 to 2022. Explores the impact of the low-wage index policy (LWIP), which was implemented in fiscal year 2020, and the potential implications of its discontinuation in fiscal year 2025.
Author(s): Saleema Karim, George Pink, Kristie Thompson, Mark Holmes
Date: 04/2026
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
view details