Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Healthcare needs and services
February 2025 MACPAC Meeting Transcript
Transcript from the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission's (MACPAC) February 2025 meeting. Covers transitions of care for children and youth with special healthcare needs (CYSHCN), hospital non-disproportionate share hospital supplemental payments and directed payment targeting, improving access to medications for opioid use disorder, healthcare access for children in foster care, and more. Includes rural references throughout.
Additional links: Hospital Non-DSH Supplemental Payment and Directed Payment Targeting Analyses
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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Transcript from the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission's (MACPAC) February 2025 meeting. Covers transitions of care for children and youth with special healthcare needs (CYSHCN), hospital non-disproportionate share hospital supplemental payments and directed payment targeting, improving access to medications for opioid use disorder, healthcare access for children in foster care, and more. Includes rural references throughout.
Additional links: Hospital Non-DSH Supplemental Payment and Directed Payment Targeting Analyses
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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Rural Health Disparities and Differences in Definitions of Rurality
Examines health disparities and differences in healthcare characteristics between rural and nonrural counties using data from the 2023 County Health Rankings and 2021-2022 Area Health Resources Files. Compares community health and healthcare characteristics by two county-level urban-rural classification systems: Rural-Urban Continuum Codes (RUCC) and Core Based Statistical Areas (CBSAs). Explores the degree to which four county-level classification systems - RUCC, CBSA, the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) Urban-Rural Classification Scheme for Counties, and Urban Influence Codes (UIC) - agree regarding which counties are designated as rural.
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organizations: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, NORC at the University of Chicago
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Examines health disparities and differences in healthcare characteristics between rural and nonrural counties using data from the 2023 County Health Rankings and 2021-2022 Area Health Resources Files. Compares community health and healthcare characteristics by two county-level urban-rural classification systems: Rural-Urban Continuum Codes (RUCC) and Core Based Statistical Areas (CBSAs). Explores the degree to which four county-level classification systems - RUCC, CBSA, the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) Urban-Rural Classification Scheme for Counties, and Urban Influence Codes (UIC) - agree regarding which counties are designated as rural.
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organizations: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, NORC at the University of Chicago
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Exploring Access to Critical Health Services for Older Adults in Rural America from 1990 to 2020
Analyzes Area Health Resource Files to evaluate access to healthcare facilities and services between 1990 and 2020 using Rural-Urban Continuum Codes (RUCC). Discusses healthcare access disparities between urban and rural areas and the growth of the older adult population in rural communities.
Author(s): Elizabeth A. Bambury, Alexis A. Merdjanoff, Joshua T. Fergen, J. Tom Mueller
Citation: The Journal of Rural Health, 41(1), e70004
Date: 02/2025
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Analyzes Area Health Resource Files to evaluate access to healthcare facilities and services between 1990 and 2020 using Rural-Urban Continuum Codes (RUCC). Discusses healthcare access disparities between urban and rural areas and the growth of the older adult population in rural communities.
Author(s): Elizabeth A. Bambury, Alexis A. Merdjanoff, Joshua T. Fergen, J. Tom Mueller
Citation: The Journal of Rural Health, 41(1), e70004
Date: 02/2025
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2024-2025 Pre-Rulemaking Measure Review (PRMR): Recommendations Report
Reviews the 41 pre-rulemaking quality measures the Battelle's Partnership for Quality Measurement (PQM) considered during the 2024-2025 Pre-Rulemaking Measure Review (PRMR) cycle. Discusses measures for clinician, hospital, and post-acute care/long-term care programs. Includes rural references and considerations throughout.
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: Partnership for Quality Measurement
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Reviews the 41 pre-rulemaking quality measures the Battelle's Partnership for Quality Measurement (PQM) considered during the 2024-2025 Pre-Rulemaking Measure Review (PRMR) cycle. Discusses measures for clinician, hospital, and post-acute care/long-term care programs. Includes rural references and considerations throughout.
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: Partnership for Quality Measurement
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Trends in Emergency Department, Primary Care, and Behavioral Health Use for Pediatric Mental Health Conditions in Virginia Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Examines the relationship between access to primary and behavioral care and pediatric emergency department (ED) visits. Utilizes 2016-2021 data from the Virginia All-Payers Claims Database to analyze pediatric ED visits, mental health ED visits, ED visits for suicidality, and 2016 versus 2021 ED visits by various sociodemographic factors, including rural location.
Author(s): Jennifer L. Gilbert, Bergen B. Nelson, Jacqueline Britz, et al.
Citation: BMC Primary Care, 26, 54
Date: 02/2025
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Examines the relationship between access to primary and behavioral care and pediatric emergency department (ED) visits. Utilizes 2016-2021 data from the Virginia All-Payers Claims Database to analyze pediatric ED visits, mental health ED visits, ED visits for suicidality, and 2016 versus 2021 ED visits by various sociodemographic factors, including rural location.
Author(s): Jennifer L. Gilbert, Bergen B. Nelson, Jacqueline Britz, et al.
Citation: BMC Primary Care, 26, 54
Date: 02/2025
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Developing an Intergroup Dialogue Curriculum to Improve Mental Health System Capacity for Farmers and Agricultural Communities
Describes the development of an intergroup dialogue curriculum between faith leaders and rural behavioral health providers to promote increased participation by agricultural communities in the behavioral healthcare system. Discusses next steps to pilot-test the curriculum in rural and agricultural communities.
Author(s): Annie J. Keeney, Morgan Valley, Cheryl Beseler, Lorann Stallones
Citation: Journal of Agromedicine, 30(3), 430-435
Date: 02/2025
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Describes the development of an intergroup dialogue curriculum between faith leaders and rural behavioral health providers to promote increased participation by agricultural communities in the behavioral healthcare system. Discusses next steps to pilot-test the curriculum in rural and agricultural communities.
Author(s): Annie J. Keeney, Morgan Valley, Cheryl Beseler, Lorann Stallones
Citation: Journal of Agromedicine, 30(3), 430-435
Date: 02/2025
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2024 Indiana Physician Workforce Data Report
Provides an overview of the physician workforce in Indiana. Includes information on license renewals, demographics and education of actively practicing physicians, practice characteristics, and physician specialties such as primary care, obstetrics, pediatrics, psychiatry, and more. Provides county-level data on geographic distribution of physicians and Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs).
Author(s): Yan Ge, Sierra Vaughn
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: Bowen Center for Health Workforce Research and Policy
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Provides an overview of the physician workforce in Indiana. Includes information on license renewals, demographics and education of actively practicing physicians, practice characteristics, and physician specialties such as primary care, obstetrics, pediatrics, psychiatry, and more. Provides county-level data on geographic distribution of physicians and Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs).
Author(s): Yan Ge, Sierra Vaughn
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: Bowen Center for Health Workforce Research and Policy
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Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N1) Virus Infection of Indoor Domestic Cats Within Dairy Industry Worker Households — Michigan, May 2024
Reports on two ill domestic cats infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5N1) virus that lived in homes of dairy workers but had no known direct exposure to farms impacted by HPAI A(H5N1).
Author(s): Ramya Naraharisetti, Meghan Weinberg, Becky Stoddard, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 74(5);61-65
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Reports on two ill domestic cats infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5N1) virus that lived in homes of dairy workers but had no known direct exposure to farms impacted by HPAI A(H5N1).
Author(s): Ramya Naraharisetti, Meghan Weinberg, Becky Stoddard, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 74(5);61-65
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Key Facts About Hospitals
Presents information and data on hospitals and hospital spending. Covers national hospital spending, the hospital industry, use of hospital care, out-of-pocket spending and medical debt, hospital finances, and more. Includes a section on rural hospitals, which describes the prevalence of rural hospitals, rural hospital characteristics, discharges by payer, profit margins, and openings and closings of rural hospitals.
Author(s): Zachary Levinson, Scott Hulver, Jamie Godwin, Tricia Neuman
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Presents information and data on hospitals and hospital spending. Covers national hospital spending, the hospital industry, use of hospital care, out-of-pocket spending and medical debt, hospital finances, and more. Includes a section on rural hospitals, which describes the prevalence of rural hospitals, rural hospital characteristics, discharges by payer, profit margins, and openings and closings of rural hospitals.
Author(s): Zachary Levinson, Scott Hulver, Jamie Godwin, Tricia Neuman
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Maternity Care in California: An Environmental Scan
Examines factors affecting declining hospital-based maternity care services in California and identifies approaches to increase access and quality of care. Includes discussion of rural hospital closures and rural quality of care challenges, and highlights rural program models in California and Alaska.
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: California Hospital Association
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Examines factors affecting declining hospital-based maternity care services in California and identifies approaches to increase access and quality of care. Includes discussion of rural hospital closures and rural quality of care challenges, and highlights rural program models in California and Alaska.
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: California Hospital Association
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