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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Hospitals

Financial Performance of Rural and Urban Hospitals in the Medicare Shared Savings Program
Presents financial performance trends of hospitals that participated in Medicare's Shared Savings Program (SSP) from 2011-2018. Compares trends in 6 financial outcomes between SSP and non-SSP hospitals, and differences in these trends among rural and urban hospitals.
Author(s): Huang Huang, Xi Zhu, Fred Ullrich, A. Clinton MacKinney, Keith Mueller
Date: 09/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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Palliative Care Challenges and Solutions in Rural U.S. Communities
Policy brief describing the availability of palliative care (PC) services in rural communities compared with urban areas, and identifying novel solutions for providing PC to rural areas. Features statistics including sociodemographic characteristics of urban and rural counties with and without hospitals offering PC as of 2020, and availability of PC in rural hospitals and health systems as of 2022-2023, with breakdowns by large rural, small rural, and isolated rural areas.
Author(s): Natalia V. Oster, Laura-Mae Baldwin, Pat Justis, et al.
Date: 09/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Where and What Separates Rural from Urban Hospital Closures?
A brief report that compares characteristics of rural and metro hospital closures. Utilizes 2010-2021 American Hospital Association Annual Survey data to examine rural versus metro hospital closures by hospital bed size, hospital type, accreditation status, location in Medicaid expansion state, and more.
Author(s): Sara D. Turbow, Jennifer Lom, Mohammed K. Ali
Citation: Journal of Hospital Medicine, 19(9), 812-815
Date: 09/2024
Type: Document
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Small Rural Hospital and Clinic Finance 101
Provides a manual with introductory information on healthcare facility finances and payment for state Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility (Flex) Program personnel, Critical Access Hospital (CAH) staff and board members, small rural prospective payment system (PPS) hospitals, and provider-based rural health clinics (RHC).
Date: 09/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Resource Center
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Rurality and Patients' Hospital Experience: A Multisite Analysis from a US Healthcare System
Explores the relationship between the patient experience at a Midwestern hospital system and patients' rurality of residence using data from completed Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) surveys between 2016 and 2019. Analyzes data for global, composite, and individual HCAHPS measures by hospital and patient characteristics.
Author(s): Iman Fawad, Karen M. Fischer, Hanieh Sadat Tabatabaei Yeganeh, et al.
Citation: PLoS One, 19(8), e0308564
Date: 08/2024
Type: Document
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Georgia State Office of Rural Health (SORH) Flex Grant: 2024 Health Equity Improvement Project Playbook
Presents health equity plans developed by 28 Georgia Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs). Contains information on goals, partnerships, priority populations, data use, and other aspects of health equity planning and implementation.
Date: 08/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Alliant Health Solutions, Georgia State Office of Rural Health
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Evolving the Landscape: Texas State Hospitals Long-Range Planning Report
Reports on the current status of Texas state hospitals, identifies factors affecting future demand for services, and describes strategies to maximize state hospital use, efficiency, and effectiveness. See PDF pages 21-23 for discussion of rural access to mental health services and rural mental health workforce shortages.
Date: 08/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Texas Health and Human Services
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2024 Wisconsin Health Care Quality Report: Data-Driven Excellence - Enhancing Health Outcomes through Quality Measures
Provides information on healthcare quality in Wisconsin, focusing on data reporting, comparative state and national quality performance measures, quality improvement initiatives and projects, and more. Includes discussion of the Rural Health & Substance Use Support Program (RHeSUS) and naloxone distribution in emergency departments.
Date: 08/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Wisconsin Hospital Association
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Research Insights: How Do Ransomware Attacks Impact Rural Hospitals?
Provides an overview of a study regarding the likelihood of ransomware attacks on, and the degree to which such attacks result in operational disruptions at, urban and rural hospitals. Describes how the findings of this study can inform cybersecurity regulations and protocols in rural settings.
Date: 08/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Institute for Health Care Management Foundation
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Illinois Small & Rural Backgrounder
Provides an overview of rural hospitals in Illinois, with a focus on hospital characteristics, patient demographics, financial information, and healthcare workforce. Includes state map showing location and type of rural hospital.
Date: 08/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Illinois Health and Hospital Association
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