Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Hospitals
Geographic Disparities in Access to Broadband, Ambulance Services, and Health Care and Implications for Telehealth
Explores the degree to which populated areas, including rural areas, lack the sufficient broadband infrastructure needed to support telehealth services, referred to as broadband deserts. Presents data on the number and percentage of rural residents who live in broadband deserts. Describes the intersection of broadband deserts with areas with limited access to prehospital ambulance services (ambulance deserts) and hospitals and clinics (healthcare deserts) by state.
Author(s): Celia Jewell, Heidi O'Connor, Thomas E. Griffin, et al.
Citation: JAMA Health Forum, 7(9), e263290
Date: 09/2026
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Explores the degree to which populated areas, including rural areas, lack the sufficient broadband infrastructure needed to support telehealth services, referred to as broadband deserts. Presents data on the number and percentage of rural residents who live in broadband deserts. Describes the intersection of broadband deserts with areas with limited access to prehospital ambulance services (ambulance deserts) and hospitals and clinics (healthcare deserts) by state.
Author(s): Celia Jewell, Heidi O'Connor, Thomas E. Griffin, et al.
Citation: JAMA Health Forum, 7(9), e263290
Date: 09/2026
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Rural Hospitals: Policy and Infrastructure Opportunities in the Rural Health Transformation Program
Describes state Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) initiatives and investments intended to support rural hospital stability. Covers policies to stabilize rural hospitals through operational modernization, shared services, and targeted technical assistance; regionalization and hub-and-spoke care models; care delivery transformation; maternal and perinatal healthcare access; health information technology advances and interoperability; and more.
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Describes state Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) initiatives and investments intended to support rural hospital stability. Covers policies to stabilize rural hospitals through operational modernization, shared services, and targeted technical assistance; regionalization and hub-and-spoke care models; care delivery transformation; maternal and perinatal healthcare access; health information technology advances and interoperability; and more.
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Urban and Rural Hospital Closures in Georgia, 2022-2024
Results of a study examining postclosure changes in discharge volume, charges, and length of stay at hospitals within 35 miles of a hospital closure in Georgia from 2022-2024. Includes statistics on characteristics of discharges from hospitals that remained open, as well as outcomes associated with a closure, with breakdowns by urban and rural areas.
Author(s): Sara D. Turbow, Kajal Patel, Young-Rock Hong, Jennifer Lom, Mohammed K. Ali
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 9(9), e2635085
Date: 09/2026
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Results of a study examining postclosure changes in discharge volume, charges, and length of stay at hospitals within 35 miles of a hospital closure in Georgia from 2022-2024. Includes statistics on characteristics of discharges from hospitals that remained open, as well as outcomes associated with a closure, with breakdowns by urban and rural areas.
Author(s): Sara D. Turbow, Kajal Patel, Young-Rock Hong, Jennifer Lom, Mohammed K. Ali
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 9(9), e2635085
Date: 09/2026
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Numerous Overlapping Programs Add Complexity, Unpredictability to Rural Hospital Finances
Analyzes payments between 1997 and 2024 to 2,942 rural hospitals participating in at least one Medicare-specific payment program, including the Sole Community Hospital, Medicare-Dependent Hospital, Critical Access Hospital, or Low-Volume Hospital programs. Discusses the impact of the programs and policy changes throughout the study period on hospital finances.
Author(s): Carolyn San Soucie, Michael E. Chernew, Benjamin D. Sommers
Citation: Health Affairs Scholar, 4(9)
Date: 09/2026
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Analyzes payments between 1997 and 2024 to 2,942 rural hospitals participating in at least one Medicare-specific payment program, including the Sole Community Hospital, Medicare-Dependent Hospital, Critical Access Hospital, or Low-Volume Hospital programs. Discusses the impact of the programs and policy changes throughout the study period on hospital finances.
Author(s): Carolyn San Soucie, Michael E. Chernew, Benjamin D. Sommers
Citation: Health Affairs Scholar, 4(9)
Date: 09/2026
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Risk Factors for Loss of Hospital-Based Obstetric Care in Rural and Urban Hospitals
Examines factors associated with loss of obstetric services in hospitals. Analyzes 3,108 rural and urban hospitals in 2010 and then again in 2023 to observe rates of unit or hospital closure. Includes breakdown of hospital characteristics such as distance to nearest obstetric hospital, birth volume, hospital ownership, county unemployment, and more.
Author(s): Julia D. Interrante, Caitlin Carroll, Kevan O'Hanlon, Emily C. Sheffield, Katy B. Kozhimannil
Citation: JAMA Health Forum, 7(9), e263122
Date: 09/2026
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Examines factors associated with loss of obstetric services in hospitals. Analyzes 3,108 rural and urban hospitals in 2010 and then again in 2023 to observe rates of unit or hospital closure. Includes breakdown of hospital characteristics such as distance to nearest obstetric hospital, birth volume, hospital ownership, county unemployment, and more.
Author(s): Julia D. Interrante, Caitlin Carroll, Kevan O'Hanlon, Emily C. Sheffield, Katy B. Kozhimannil
Citation: JAMA Health Forum, 7(9), e263122
Date: 09/2026
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Medicare Advantage: Plan Options and Enrollment Trends in Arkansas
Explains how Medicare Advantage plans affect healthcare delivery, Medicare enrollment, and payment practices in Arkansas. Includes discussion of reimbursement challenges in rural hospitals.
Author(s): Jennifer Wessel, Chris Ray
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: Arkansas Center for Health Improvement
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Explains how Medicare Advantage plans affect healthcare delivery, Medicare enrollment, and payment practices in Arkansas. Includes discussion of reimbursement challenges in rural hospitals.
Author(s): Jennifer Wessel, Chris Ray
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: Arkansas Center for Health Improvement
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Tele-Hospitalist Services to Support the Opening of a New Rural Hospital
Describes a tele-hospitalist model designed to support the Medical University of South Carolina Health System (MUSC Health) Black River, a 25-bed rural hospital in South Carolina that opened in 2023. Examines the operational and clinical performance of MUSC Health Black River during its first six quarters of operation, including patient volume, payer mix, average daily census (ADC), 30-day readmissions, and more.
Author(s): Yotam Papo, Jillian Harvey, Dunc Williams Jr., et al.
Citation: Journal of Hospital Medicine, 21(9), 1075-1080
Date: 09/2026
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Describes a tele-hospitalist model designed to support the Medical University of South Carolina Health System (MUSC Health) Black River, a 25-bed rural hospital in South Carolina that opened in 2023. Examines the operational and clinical performance of MUSC Health Black River during its first six quarters of operation, including patient volume, payer mix, average daily census (ADC), 30-day readmissions, and more.
Author(s): Yotam Papo, Jillian Harvey, Dunc Williams Jr., et al.
Citation: Journal of Hospital Medicine, 21(9), 1075-1080
Date: 09/2026
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Annual Overview of Hospital-Level Changes in Obstetric Services Availability, 2010-2024
First annual report describing changes to the availability of obstetric services at short-term acute care hospitals. Examines the number of hospitals that lost obstetric services and the percentage of all hospitals without obstetric services between 2010 and 2024. Presents data on urban and rural hospitals by state and nationally.
Author(s): Julia D. Interrante, Kevan O'Hanlon, Emily C. Sheffield, Katy B. Kozhimannil
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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First annual report describing changes to the availability of obstetric services at short-term acute care hospitals. Examines the number of hospitals that lost obstetric services and the percentage of all hospitals without obstetric services between 2010 and 2024. Presents data on urban and rural hospitals by state and nationally.
Author(s): Julia D. Interrante, Kevan O'Hanlon, Emily C. Sheffield, Katy B. Kozhimannil
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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MedPAC Comment on CMS's Proposed Rule on the Payment Systems for Hospital Outpatient Departments and Ambulatory Surgical Centers for CY 2027
Comment on the July 7, 2026, Federal Register proposed rule revising the Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and Medicare Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) payment system for calendar year 2027. Includes considerations for expansion of site-neutral payments for imaging without contrast services under the OPPS, the continued use of the hospital market basket to update ASC payment rates, the reduction of OPPS payment rates for 340B-acquired drugs, and more.
Date: 08/2026
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Comment on the July 7, 2026, Federal Register proposed rule revising the Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and Medicare Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) payment system for calendar year 2027. Includes considerations for expansion of site-neutral payments for imaging without contrast services under the OPPS, the continued use of the hospital market basket to update ASC payment rates, the reduction of OPPS payment rates for 340B-acquired drugs, and more.
Date: 08/2026
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Availability of Rural Hospitals Providing Inpatient Maternity Care in Medicaid
Examines the availability of hospitals offering inpatient maternity care in rural areas to Medicaid enrollees. Describes the median drive time between rural hospitals and the next closest in-state hospital that provides inpatient maternity care to Medicaid enrollees by state. Includes data on the number of urban and rural hospitals providing these services in each state in 2023.
Author(s): Rhiannon Euhus, Brittni Frederiksen, Alice Burns
Date: 08/2026
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Examines the availability of hospitals offering inpatient maternity care in rural areas to Medicaid enrollees. Describes the median drive time between rural hospitals and the next closest in-state hospital that provides inpatient maternity care to Medicaid enrollees by state. Includes data on the number of urban and rural hospitals providing these services in each state in 2023.
Author(s): Rhiannon Euhus, Brittni Frederiksen, Alice Burns
Date: 08/2026
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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