Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Hospitals
MedPAC Comment on CMS's Proposed Rule on Inpatient Prospective Payment System for FY 2026
Comments on an April 30, 2025, Federal Register proposed rule revising the hospital inpatient and long-term care hospital (LTCH) prospective payment systems (PPS). Discusses proposals to update inpatient prospective payment systems (IPPS) payment rates, update wage index values and policies, modify the Transforming Episode Accountability Model (TEAM), and remove the proposed health-equity adjustment from the Hospital Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) Program.
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
view details
Comments on an April 30, 2025, Federal Register proposed rule revising the hospital inpatient and long-term care hospital (LTCH) prospective payment systems (PPS). Discusses proposals to update inpatient prospective payment systems (IPPS) payment rates, update wage index values and policies, modify the Transforming Episode Accountability Model (TEAM), and remove the proposed health-equity adjustment from the Hospital Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) Program.
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
view details
Preventing Medical Debt among Rural Residents: Example Programs from Hospitals in Minnesota and Montana
Highlights the ways some rural hospitals are working to reduce medical debt for their patients. Presents a number of strategies from hospitals in Minnesota and Montana that aim to reduce patient medical debts through financial assistance programs and cost-cutting measures. Features case-studies reviewing the structure of each hospital's debt reduction efforts.
Author(s): Katie Rydberg, Sushma Shankar, Mariana Tuttle, Carrie Henning-Smith
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
view details
Highlights the ways some rural hospitals are working to reduce medical debt for their patients. Presents a number of strategies from hospitals in Minnesota and Montana that aim to reduce patient medical debts through financial assistance programs and cost-cutting measures. Features case-studies reviewing the structure of each hospital's debt reduction efforts.
Author(s): Katie Rydberg, Sushma Shankar, Mariana Tuttle, Carrie Henning-Smith
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
view details
Associations Between Rural Hospital Closures and Acute and Post-Acute Care Access and Outcomes
Examines the impact of rural hospital closures on hospital and post-acute care (PAC) use and outcomes. Analyzes 32 rural hospital closures and county-level impacts on travel distances, lengths of stay at hospitals, hospital charges, PAC episodes, fall injuries and related mortality and hospitalizations, and population-level hospitalization and death rates. Includes descriptive statistics of 2014-2018 rural hospital closure status.
Author(s): Geoffrey J. Hoffman, Jinkyung Ha, Zhaohui Fan, Jun Li
Citation: Health Services Research, 60(3), e14426
Date: 06/2025
view details
Examines the impact of rural hospital closures on hospital and post-acute care (PAC) use and outcomes. Analyzes 32 rural hospital closures and county-level impacts on travel distances, lengths of stay at hospitals, hospital charges, PAC episodes, fall injuries and related mortality and hospitalizations, and population-level hospitalization and death rates. Includes descriptive statistics of 2014-2018 rural hospital closure status.
Author(s): Geoffrey J. Hoffman, Jinkyung Ha, Zhaohui Fan, Jun Li
Citation: Health Services Research, 60(3), e14426
Date: 06/2025
view details
Obstetric Care in Rural Critical Access Hospitals: A Domestic Application of the World Health Organization Emergency Obstetric Care Framework in Rural Communities
Examines emergency obstetric readiness in rural Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) that do not have obstetric units. Reports on facility assessments in Montana utilizing the World Health Organization (WHO) Emergency Obstetric Care (EmOC) framework to assess CAHs for emergency obstetric care readiness.
Author(s): Annie L. Glover, Diane Brown, Carly Holman, Megan Nelson
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(2), e70037
Date: 05/2025
view details
Examines emergency obstetric readiness in rural Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) that do not have obstetric units. Reports on facility assessments in Montana utilizing the World Health Organization (WHO) Emergency Obstetric Care (EmOC) framework to assess CAHs for emergency obstetric care readiness.
Author(s): Annie L. Glover, Diane Brown, Carly Holman, Megan Nelson
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(2), e70037
Date: 05/2025
view details
Wait Times for Medical Appointments among Adults Age 50 and Older
Reports on wait times and distance to healthcare services in rural and urban communities, utilizing data from a February 2025 survey of 1,012 adults age 50 or older. Breaks down data by level of rurality, type of facility, and type of care provided.
Additional links: Annotated Questionnaire
Author(s): Teresa A. Keenan
Date: 05/2025
Sponsoring organization: AARP
view details
Reports on wait times and distance to healthcare services in rural and urban communities, utilizing data from a February 2025 survey of 1,012 adults age 50 or older. Breaks down data by level of rurality, type of facility, and type of care provided.
Additional links: Annotated Questionnaire
Author(s): Teresa A. Keenan
Date: 05/2025
Sponsoring organization: AARP
view details
Ohio Rural Hospitals Form Clinically Integrated Network
Discusses the Ohio High-Value Network (OHVN), a clinically integrated network that supports rural health and serves 26 hospitals in Ohio and West Virginia. Focuses on collaboration related to clinical initiatives, operational best practices, and reducing costs and administrative burdens.
Date: 05/2025
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
view details
Discusses the Ohio High-Value Network (OHVN), a clinically integrated network that supports rural health and serves 26 hospitals in Ohio and West Virginia. Focuses on collaboration related to clinical initiatives, operational best practices, and reducing costs and administrative burdens.
Date: 05/2025
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
view details
Impact of Hospital Closure on Rural Communities: A Qualitative Study
Examines the impact of rural hospital closure on access to care, and identifies ways that rural communities adapt to hospital closures. Utilizes interview excerpts from 25 informants examining themes related to pre-closure conditions, impacts on communities and health systems, and actions by communities, states, health systems, and emergency medical services.
Author(s): Redwan Bin Abdul Baten, Mina Shrestha, Fred Ullrich, Whitney Zahnd, Keith J. Mueller
Date: 05/2025
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
view details
Examines the impact of rural hospital closure on access to care, and identifies ways that rural communities adapt to hospital closures. Utilizes interview excerpts from 25 informants examining themes related to pre-closure conditions, impacts on communities and health systems, and actions by communities, states, health systems, and emergency medical services.
Author(s): Redwan Bin Abdul Baten, Mina Shrestha, Fred Ullrich, Whitney Zahnd, Keith J. Mueller
Date: 05/2025
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
view details
Emergency Department Boarding, Inpatient Census, and Interhospital Transfer Acceptances
Examines hospital crowding by analyzing associations between emergency department (ED) boarding and inpatient census with interhospital transfer (IHT) acceptances. Utilizes 2019-2023 data from an academic, level I trauma center in a southwestern state to compare urban and rural transfer requests and if the requests were accepted or denied.
Author(s): Margaret Greenwood-Ericksen, Neil Kamdar, Kjirsten Swenson, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 8(5)
Date: 05/2025
view details
Examines hospital crowding by analyzing associations between emergency department (ED) boarding and inpatient census with interhospital transfer (IHT) acceptances. Utilizes 2019-2023 data from an academic, level I trauma center in a southwestern state to compare urban and rural transfer requests and if the requests were accepted or denied.
Author(s): Margaret Greenwood-Ericksen, Neil Kamdar, Kjirsten Swenson, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 8(5)
Date: 05/2025
view details
The Burden of Violence to U.S. Hospitals: A Comprehensive Assessment of Financial Costs and Other Impacts of Workplace and Community Violence
Explores the impacts of violence within hospitals and communities on hospitals' finances, staff satisfaction and productivity, staff retention and recruitment, psychological impacts, and legal and ethical concerns. Includes information on prevalence of violence in rural areas and estimated damage to infrastructure and equipment at rural hospitals.
Date: 05/2025
Sponsoring organizations: American Hospital Association, University of Washington Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center
view details
Explores the impacts of violence within hospitals and communities on hospitals' finances, staff satisfaction and productivity, staff retention and recruitment, psychological impacts, and legal and ethical concerns. Includes information on prevalence of violence in rural areas and estimated damage to infrastructure and equipment at rural hospitals.
Date: 05/2025
Sponsoring organizations: American Hospital Association, University of Washington Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center
view details
Access to Maternity Care in Pennsylvania: Labor and Delivery Services
Fact sheet providing an overview of access to maternity care in rural Pennsylvania. Features county-level maps showing locations of hospitals with a labor and delivery unit as of 2025, and locations of general acute care hospitals, with shadings showing counties with no labor and delivery unit and those with at least one unit. Includes statistics on numbers of OB/GYNs and certified nurse midwives per 10,000 females of childbearing age, with breakdowns by urban and rural areas.
Date: 05/2025
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
view details
Fact sheet providing an overview of access to maternity care in rural Pennsylvania. Features county-level maps showing locations of hospitals with a labor and delivery unit as of 2025, and locations of general acute care hospitals, with shadings showing counties with no labor and delivery unit and those with at least one unit. Includes statistics on numbers of OB/GYNs and certified nurse midwives per 10,000 females of childbearing age, with breakdowns by urban and rural areas.
Date: 05/2025
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
view details