Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Rural-urban differences
Highlights from 2026 U.S. Cancer Statistics
Highlights age-adjusted data on cancer incidence using U.S. Cancer Statistics data. Includes rural-urban comparisons, including rural and urban cancer incidence breakdowns by demographic group.
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Highlights age-adjusted data on cancer incidence using U.S. Cancer Statistics data. Includes rural-urban comparisons, including rural and urban cancer incidence breakdowns by demographic group.
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Hospital Closures Increase Emergency Care Travel Time: Rural-Urban Disparities
Examines the relationship between travel time to emergency care and hospital closures. Utilizes data from 2012-2023 hospital closures in Texas and analyzes 6,883 census tracts according to travel time to the nearest and second nearest emergency department (ED), with additional breakdowns by population characteristics and geographic categories of metro, micro, small town, or rural.
Author(s): Huiwen Zheng, Scott Horel, Christine Crudo Blackburn
Citation: INQUIRY: The Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision, and Financing, 63
Date: 06/2026
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Examines the relationship between travel time to emergency care and hospital closures. Utilizes data from 2012-2023 hospital closures in Texas and analyzes 6,883 census tracts according to travel time to the nearest and second nearest emergency department (ED), with additional breakdowns by population characteristics and geographic categories of metro, micro, small town, or rural.
Author(s): Huiwen Zheng, Scott Horel, Christine Crudo Blackburn
Citation: INQUIRY: The Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision, and Financing, 63
Date: 06/2026
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Virginia Rural Primary Care Workforce
Offers maps and tables of the primary care workforce distribution in Virginia in 2025. Includes county-level data and rural and urban comparisons.
Author(s): S.C. Woolcock, C.H.A. Andrilla, L.A. Garberson, J.M. Graves
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Offers maps and tables of the primary care workforce distribution in Virginia in 2025. Includes county-level data and rural and urban comparisons.
Author(s): S.C. Woolcock, C.H.A. Andrilla, L.A. Garberson, J.M. Graves
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Virginia Rural Behavioral Health Workforce
Offers maps and tables of the supply and distribution of behavioral health clinicians in Virginia in 2025. Includes county-level data and rural and urban comparisons.
Author(s): S.C. Woolcock, C.H.A. Andrilla, L.A. Garberson, J.M. Graves
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Offers maps and tables of the supply and distribution of behavioral health clinicians in Virginia in 2025. Includes county-level data and rural and urban comparisons.
Author(s): S.C. Woolcock, C.H.A. Andrilla, L.A. Garberson, J.M. Graves
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Virginia Rural Obstetrical Workforce
Offers maps and tables of the obstetricians and advanced practice midwives workforce distribution in Virginia in 2025. Includes county-level data and rural and urban comparisons.
Author(s): S.C. Woolcock, C.H.A. Andrilla, L.A. Garberson, J.M. Graves
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Offers maps and tables of the obstetricians and advanced practice midwives workforce distribution in Virginia in 2025. Includes county-level data and rural and urban comparisons.
Author(s): S.C. Woolcock, C.H.A. Andrilla, L.A. Garberson, J.M. Graves
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Texas Rural Behavioral Health Workforce
Offers maps and tables of the supply and distribution of behavioral health clinicians in Texas in 2025. Includes county-level data and rural and urban comparisons.
Author(s): S.C. Woolcock, C.H.A. Andrilla, L.A. Garberson, J.M. Graves
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Offers maps and tables of the supply and distribution of behavioral health clinicians in Texas in 2025. Includes county-level data and rural and urban comparisons.
Author(s): S.C. Woolcock, C.H.A. Andrilla, L.A. Garberson, J.M. Graves
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Texas Rural Primary Care Workforce
Offers maps and tables of the primary care workforce distribution in Texas in 2025. Includes county-level data and rural and urban comparisons.
Author(s): S.C. Woolcock, C.H.A. Andrilla, L.A. Garberson, J.M. Graves
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Offers maps and tables of the primary care workforce distribution in Texas in 2025. Includes county-level data and rural and urban comparisons.
Author(s): S.C. Woolcock, C.H.A. Andrilla, L.A. Garberson, J.M. Graves
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Marriage and Family Therapist and Mental Health Counselor Workforces in Rural America Under New Medicare Reimbursement Policy
Describes how Medicare reimbursement expanded to cover marriage and family therapists (MFTs) and mental health counselors (MHCs) in January 2024. Examines the change in Medicare-enrolled MFTs and MHCs between the third quarter (Q3) of 2023 and fourth quarter (Q4) of 2024. Presents findings from semi-structured interviews with rural health system and mental health organization leaders regarding practice arrangements, the perceived impacts of MFT and MHC reimbursement, barriers to serving rural Medicare beneficiaries, and considerations for future policies.
Author(s): Janessa M. Graves, Natalia V. Oster, Lisa A. Garberson, Davis G. Patterson, C. Holly A. Andrilla
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Describes how Medicare reimbursement expanded to cover marriage and family therapists (MFTs) and mental health counselors (MHCs) in January 2024. Examines the change in Medicare-enrolled MFTs and MHCs between the third quarter (Q3) of 2023 and fourth quarter (Q4) of 2024. Presents findings from semi-structured interviews with rural health system and mental health organization leaders regarding practice arrangements, the perceived impacts of MFT and MHC reimbursement, barriers to serving rural Medicare beneficiaries, and considerations for future policies.
Author(s): Janessa M. Graves, Natalia V. Oster, Lisa A. Garberson, Davis G. Patterson, C. Holly A. Andrilla
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Texas Rural Obstetrical Workforce
Offers maps and tables of the obstetricians and advanced practice midwives workforce distribution in Texas in 2025. Includes county-level data and rural and urban comparisons.
Author(s): S.C. Woolcock, C.H.A. Andrilla, L.A. Garberson, J.M. Graves
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Offers maps and tables of the obstetricians and advanced practice midwives workforce distribution in Texas in 2025. Includes county-level data and rural and urban comparisons.
Author(s): S.C. Woolcock, C.H.A. Andrilla, L.A. Garberson, J.M. Graves
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Medicare Hospice: Action Needed to Pay More Efficiently for Routine Home Care
Describes the frequency and characteristics of routine home care visits in 2024 for Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in hospice since 2022 who died or were discharged alive in 2024. Compares estimated per-visit Medicare payment rates for routine home care across hospices with the highest and lowest number of visits per week and to home health per-visit rates. Includes information on the average number of visits per week by rural and urban hospice providers. Offers recommendations to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services regarding revisions to the hospice payment system.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Describes the frequency and characteristics of routine home care visits in 2024 for Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in hospice since 2022 who died or were discharged alive in 2024. Compares estimated per-visit Medicare payment rates for routine home care across hospices with the highest and lowest number of visits per week and to home health per-visit rates. Includes information on the average number of visits per week by rural and urban hospice providers. Offers recommendations to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services regarding revisions to the hospice payment system.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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