Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Hospitals
Fast Facts: U.S. Rural Hospitals, 2023
Infographic presenting data on rural hospitals using the American Hospital Association's Annual Survey Database for fiscal years 2017 through 2021. Includes information on the declining number of community hospitals nationwide and data on rural community hospitals by ownership type and number of beds.
Date: 12/2023
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Infographic presenting data on rural hospitals using the American Hospital Association's Annual Survey Database for fiscal years 2017 through 2021. Includes information on the declining number of community hospitals nationwide and data on rural community hospitals by ownership type and number of beds.
Date: 12/2023
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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December 2023 MedPAC Meeting Transcript
Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) December 2023 meeting. Covers payment adequacy and updates for physician and other health professional services, hospital inpatient and outpatient services, hospice services, outpatient dialysis services, ambulatory surgical center services, skilled nursing facilities, skilled nursing facility services, home health services, and inpatient rehabilitation facility services. Includes rural references throughout.
Date: 12/2023
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) December 2023 meeting. Covers payment adequacy and updates for physician and other health professional services, hospital inpatient and outpatient services, hospice services, outpatient dialysis services, ambulatory surgical center services, skilled nursing facilities, skilled nursing facility services, home health services, and inpatient rehabilitation facility services. Includes rural references throughout.
Date: 12/2023
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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A National Staffing Emergency in Rural Health Care
Podcast episode featuring a discussion with three rural hospital executives from Colorado, Wisconsin, and Michigan regarding workforce shortages in rural hospitals. Describes factors driving workforce challenges; recruitment, onboarding, and retention strategies; approaches to introducing healthcare careers to youth and the community; and the role of technology in meeting healthcare needs.
Date: 12/2023
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Podcast episode featuring a discussion with three rural hospital executives from Colorado, Wisconsin, and Michigan regarding workforce shortages in rural hospitals. Describes factors driving workforce challenges; recruitment, onboarding, and retention strategies; approaches to introducing healthcare careers to youth and the community; and the role of technology in meeting healthcare needs.
Date: 12/2023
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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2023 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
Provides a comprehensive summary and data analysis of healthcare quality and access in the U.S. Addresses access to healthcare, patient safety, person-centered care, care coordination, effective treatment, healthy living, and care affordability. Focuses on the impact of COVID-19 on healthcare and healthcare systems.
Date: 12/2023
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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Provides a comprehensive summary and data analysis of healthcare quality and access in the U.S. Addresses access to healthcare, patient safety, person-centered care, care coordination, effective treatment, healthy living, and care affordability. Focuses on the impact of COVID-19 on healthcare and healthcare systems.
Date: 12/2023
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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Housing Shortages Are Making Recruitment and Retention Even More Challenging for Some Rural Healthcare Providers
Provides an overview of rural housing shortages and affordability concerns. Explains the impact of housing issues on the rural healthcare workforce. Features a housing development program involving a Critical Access Hospital in Colorado and an Oregon hotel conversion that combines units for healthcare workers and supportive housing.
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 12/2023
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Provides an overview of rural housing shortages and affordability concerns. Explains the impact of housing issues on the rural healthcare workforce. Features a housing development program involving a Critical Access Hospital in Colorado and an Oregon hotel conversion that combines units for healthcare workers and supportive housing.
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 12/2023
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Hospitals' Electronic Access to Information Needed to Treat COVID-19
Explores acute care hospitals' ability to access electronic access to information necessary to treat COVID-19 patients in 2021. Examines differences in information availability by hospital characteristics, including rurality and Critical Access Hospital (CAH) status, and engagement in interoperable exchange.
Author(s): Chelsea Richwine, Jordan Everson, Vaishali Patel
Citation: JAMIA Open, 6(4)
Date: 12/2023
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Explores acute care hospitals' ability to access electronic access to information necessary to treat COVID-19 patients in 2021. Examines differences in information availability by hospital characteristics, including rurality and Critical Access Hospital (CAH) status, and engagement in interoperable exchange.
Author(s): Chelsea Richwine, Jordan Everson, Vaishali Patel
Citation: JAMIA Open, 6(4)
Date: 12/2023
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Medicare Advantage in Rural Areas: Implications for Hospital Sustainability
Explores the relationship between Medicare Advantage (MA) penetration levels in rural areas and acute care hospital financial distress and closure between 2008 and 2019. Analyzes data from Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) State Inpatient Databases from 14 states to describe rural acute care hospitals with low and high MA penetration.
Author(s): Rachel Mosher Henke, Kathryn R. Fingar, Lan Liang, H. Joanna Jiang
Citation: American Journal of Managed Care, 29(11), 594–600
Date: 11/2023
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Explores the relationship between Medicare Advantage (MA) penetration levels in rural areas and acute care hospital financial distress and closure between 2008 and 2019. Analyzes data from Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) State Inpatient Databases from 14 states to describe rural acute care hospitals with low and high MA penetration.
Author(s): Rachel Mosher Henke, Kathryn R. Fingar, Lan Liang, H. Joanna Jiang
Citation: American Journal of Managed Care, 29(11), 594–600
Date: 11/2023
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Fast Facts: Arizona State Office of Rural Health Program (AzSORH)
Highlights the mission and activities of the Arizona Center for Rural Health and associated programs including the State Office of Rural Health, Arizona Rural Hospital Flexibility Program (AzFlex), the Arizona Small Hospital Improvement Program, Rural Health Professions Program, Project SHARE, and AHEAD AZ. Activities include workforce development, assistance to rural hospitals and clinics, COVID-19 mitigation and prevention, and more.
Date: 11/2023
Sponsoring organization: Arizona Center for Rural Health
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Highlights the mission and activities of the Arizona Center for Rural Health and associated programs including the State Office of Rural Health, Arizona Rural Hospital Flexibility Program (AzFlex), the Arizona Small Hospital Improvement Program, Rural Health Professions Program, Project SHARE, and AHEAD AZ. Activities include workforce development, assistance to rural hospitals and clinics, COVID-19 mitigation and prevention, and more.
Date: 11/2023
Sponsoring organization: Arizona Center for Rural Health
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A Tool for Rural Health Care in Nebraska: The Rural Emergency Hospital Designation
Research brief discussing rural hospitals' service needs in Nebraska and the potential impact of the Rural Emergency Hospital designation on those services.
Author(s): Jillian Linster
Date: 11/2023
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Affairs
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Research brief discussing rural hospitals' service needs in Nebraska and the potential impact of the Rural Emergency Hospital designation on those services.
Author(s): Jillian Linster
Date: 11/2023
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Affairs
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2022 National and State Healthcare-Associated Infections Progress Report
Examines progress on reducing healthcare-associated infection rates for 6 types of infections in Acute Care Hospitals, Critical Access Hospitals, Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities, and Long-term Acute Care Hospitals. Compares observed versus expected infection rates using 2015 baseline data. Includes national and state data tables on infection-specific standardized infection ratios (SIRs) and standardized utilization ratios (SURs) for each facility type.
Date: 11/2023
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Examines progress on reducing healthcare-associated infection rates for 6 types of infections in Acute Care Hospitals, Critical Access Hospitals, Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities, and Long-term Acute Care Hospitals. Compares observed versus expected infection rates using 2015 baseline data. Includes national and state data tables on infection-specific standardized infection ratios (SIRs) and standardized utilization ratios (SURs) for each facility type.
Date: 11/2023
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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