Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Hospitals
New Design Opens the Door to Improved Patient Care at Midwest Medical Center
Profiles the Midwest Medical Center, a hospital in rural Illinois. Discusses the building's remodel and collaboration with the USDA Rural Development Community Facilities program.
Author(s): Andrea Imel
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: USDA Rural Development
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Profiles the Midwest Medical Center, a hospital in rural Illinois. Discusses the building's remodel and collaboration with the USDA Rural Development Community Facilities program.
Author(s): Andrea Imel
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: USDA Rural Development
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2010-2022 County-Level Hospital-Based Obstetric Care Status
County-level dataset containing the county Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) code, state, and indicator of whether each county had hospital-based obstetrics care in years 2010-2022. Available for download as an XLS file.
Author(s): J.D. Interrante, E.C. Sheffield, K.B. Kozhimannil
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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County-level dataset containing the county Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) code, state, and indicator of whether each county had hospital-based obstetrics care in years 2010-2022. Available for download as an XLS file.
Author(s): J.D. Interrante, E.C. Sheffield, K.B. Kozhimannil
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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MedPAC Data Book: Health Care Spending and the Medicare Program, 2025
Provides an overview of Medicare spending and highlights data on Medicare beneficiary demographics, dual-eligible beneficiaries, quality of care provided through the Medicare program, and other payer liability. Examines settings of care, including rural-specific provider sites, as they relate to spending, access to care, and profit margins. Compares rural and urban beneficiaries and providers throughout. Chart 6-2 addresses rural hospital closures and Rural Emergency Hospital conversions.
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Provides an overview of Medicare spending and highlights data on Medicare beneficiary demographics, dual-eligible beneficiaries, quality of care provided through the Medicare program, and other payer liability. Examines settings of care, including rural-specific provider sites, as they relate to spending, access to care, and profit margins. Compares rural and urban beneficiaries and providers throughout. Chart 6-2 addresses rural hospital closures and Rural Emergency Hospital conversions.
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Electronic Public Health Reporting Among Non-Federal Acute Care Hospitals, 2024
Data brief examining public health reporting among acute care hospitals, including rural hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), in 2024 using data from the the 2024 American Hospital Association (AHA) Information Technology (IT) supplement. Presents data on the mean number of public health reporting types completed by hospital size, CAH status, rural/urban location, and independent/system affiliation. Describes challenges hospitals face with electronic public health reporting and electronic health information, such as lack of capacity to exchange electronically, interface issues, and differing vocabulary standards. Appendix Table A1 presents data on the methods used to submit data electronically across four data streams - immunization registry, syndromic surveillance, electronic lab reporting, and electronic case reporting - by hospital characteristics.
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy/Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology
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Data brief examining public health reporting among acute care hospitals, including rural hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), in 2024 using data from the the 2024 American Hospital Association (AHA) Information Technology (IT) supplement. Presents data on the mean number of public health reporting types completed by hospital size, CAH status, rural/urban location, and independent/system affiliation. Describes challenges hospitals face with electronic public health reporting and electronic health information, such as lack of capacity to exchange electronically, interface issues, and differing vocabulary standards. Appendix Table A1 presents data on the methods used to submit data electronically across four data streams - immunization registry, syndromic surveillance, electronic lab reporting, and electronic case reporting - by hospital characteristics.
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy/Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology
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Location of Critical Access Hospitals
U.S. map showing Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs). Updated quarterly.
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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U.S. map showing Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs). Updated quarterly.
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Accessing Funding for Capital Projects in Rural Healthcare
Policy paper intended to provide information and inspire action, by enhancing current funding programs, removing barriers, directing more capital toward rural healthcare, and exploring new solutions. Features statistics on USDA community facilities loans and USDA healthcare guaranteed loans as a percentage of all USDA guaranteed loans.
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organizations: National Rural Health Resource Center, Stroudwater Associates
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Policy paper intended to provide information and inspire action, by enhancing current funding programs, removing barriers, directing more capital toward rural healthcare, and exploring new solutions. Features statistics on USDA community facilities loans and USDA healthcare guaranteed loans as a percentage of all USDA guaranteed loans.
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organizations: National Rural Health Resource Center, Stroudwater Associates
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The Impact of High Hospital Fixed-Cost Ratios on Rural Populations
Explores how rurality relates to hospital cost structures as categorized by Urban Influence Codes (UICs). Describes the characteristics of hospitals at different fixed-to-total-cost ratio levels, the demographics associated with hospitals at different ratio levels, and the share of nonmetropolitan hospitals that have Critical Access Hospital (CAH) or Low-Volume Hospital (LVH) designations. Discusses how findings could be used to refine hospital payment policies.
Author(s): Abigail Barker, Eliot Jost, Timothy McBride, Keith Mueller
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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Explores how rurality relates to hospital cost structures as categorized by Urban Influence Codes (UICs). Describes the characteristics of hospitals at different fixed-to-total-cost ratio levels, the demographics associated with hospitals at different ratio levels, and the share of nonmetropolitan hospitals that have Critical Access Hospital (CAH) or Low-Volume Hospital (LVH) designations. Discusses how findings could be used to refine hospital payment policies.
Author(s): Abigail Barker, Eliot Jost, Timothy McBride, Keith Mueller
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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MBQIP Quality Measures National Annual Report - 2023
Summarizes quality measure reporting rates and performance among Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) in 2023. Presents data on the four Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Project (MBQIP) domains: patient safety/inpatient, outpatient, patient engagement, and care transitions.
Author(s): Megan Lahr, Alyssa Furukawa, Madeleine Pick, Robert Barclay
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Summarizes quality measure reporting rates and performance among Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) in 2023. Presents data on the four Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Project (MBQIP) domains: patient safety/inpatient, outpatient, patient engagement, and care transitions.
Author(s): Megan Lahr, Alyssa Furukawa, Madeleine Pick, Robert Barclay
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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CAHMPAS Technical Bulletin: Revised Benchmarks and Data Exclusion Rules
Describes a review of 12 Critical Access Hospital Measurement and Performance Assessment System (CAHMPAS) benchmarks to reflect current operating conditions. Details which benchmarks were revised, unchanged, discontinued, or added. Also discusses revisions to the data exclusion rules to improve data quality.
Author(s): Aditya R. Pillutla, Kristie W. Thompson, George Pink, Kristin L. Reiter
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Describes a review of 12 Critical Access Hospital Measurement and Performance Assessment System (CAHMPAS) benchmarks to reflect current operating conditions. Details which benchmarks were revised, unchanged, discontinued, or added. Also discusses revisions to the data exclusion rules to improve data quality.
Author(s): Aditya R. Pillutla, Kristie W. Thompson, George Pink, Kristin L. Reiter
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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MedPAC Report to the Congress: Medicare and the Health Care Delivery System, June 2025
Evaluates Medicare payment issues and provides recommendations to the U.S. Congress. Covers proposed reforms to the physician fee schedule updates and the accuracy of relative payment rates; supplemental benefits in Medicare Advantage; home healthcare use among Medicare Advantage enrollees; Part D prescription drug plans for beneficiaries in fee-for-service Medicare and Medicare Advantage; Medicare beneficiaries in nursing homes; the inclusion of rural providers in current Medicare fee-for-service quality reporting programs; and recommendations related to reducing beneficiary cost sharing for outpatient services at Critical Access Hospitals. Includes rural references throughout.
Additional links: Executive Summary
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Evaluates Medicare payment issues and provides recommendations to the U.S. Congress. Covers proposed reforms to the physician fee schedule updates and the accuracy of relative payment rates; supplemental benefits in Medicare Advantage; home healthcare use among Medicare Advantage enrollees; Part D prescription drug plans for beneficiaries in fee-for-service Medicare and Medicare Advantage; Medicare beneficiaries in nursing homes; the inclusion of rural providers in current Medicare fee-for-service quality reporting programs; and recommendations related to reducing beneficiary cost sharing for outpatient services at Critical Access Hospitals. Includes rural references throughout.
Additional links: Executive Summary
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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