Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Specialty care
AACOM 2025 Osteopathic Medical Education Impact Report
Assesses how osteopathic colleges contribute to the physician workforce, focusing on geographic distribution and medical specialties of alumni. Evaluates the extent to which graduates serve rural and underserved areas, and fill specialty needs. Mentions rural throughout.
Date: 12/2026
Sponsoring organization: American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine
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Assesses how osteopathic colleges contribute to the physician workforce, focusing on geographic distribution and medical specialties of alumni. Evaluates the extent to which graduates serve rural and underserved areas, and fill specialty needs. Mentions rural throughout.
Date: 12/2026
Sponsoring organization: American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine
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Care Delivery Transformation Case Study: Dartmouth Health Connected Care Program
Profiles the Dartmouth Health Connected Care Program, which supports specialty care delivery via telehealth-based partnerships with rural hospitals in New Hampshire and Vermont. Highlights the Connected Care Program's reach, outcomes, and lessons learned.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Profiles the Dartmouth Health Connected Care Program, which supports specialty care delivery via telehealth-based partnerships with rural hospitals in New Hampshire and Vermont. Highlights the Connected Care Program's reach, outcomes, and lessons learned.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Overcoming Geographic Barriers: Enhancing Pediatric Subspecialty Access for Rural Families
Presents a case study of a rural family facing continued geographic challenges to accessing specialty care for their infant's histiocytic syndrome. Identifies individual, interpersonal, organizational, community, and policy-level challenges and suggests policy approaches to address rural access disparities.
Author(s): Preston Simmons, Leah Beck, Eleanor Young, Laura Brower, Meghan Fanta
Citation: Hospital Pediatrics, e2024008150
Date: 02/2026
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Presents a case study of a rural family facing continued geographic challenges to accessing specialty care for their infant's histiocytic syndrome. Identifies individual, interpersonal, organizational, community, and policy-level challenges and suggests policy approaches to address rural access disparities.
Author(s): Preston Simmons, Leah Beck, Eleanor Young, Laura Brower, Meghan Fanta
Citation: Hospital Pediatrics, e2024008150
Date: 02/2026
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Simulation on Wheels: How Mobile Training Is Saving Lives in Rural Iowa
Podcast episode that discusses Simulation in Motion-Iowa (SIM-IA), a mobile clinical education program that provides rural hospitals and emergency medical service (EMS) professionals training experience in healthcare emergencies. Discusses the importance of SIM-IA in rural healthcare education to promote quality and patient safety in EMS and trauma situations.
Author(s): Tom Haederle, Jacinda Bunch, Tina Eden
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Podcast episode that discusses Simulation in Motion-Iowa (SIM-IA), a mobile clinical education program that provides rural hospitals and emergency medical service (EMS) professionals training experience in healthcare emergencies. Discusses the importance of SIM-IA in rural healthcare education to promote quality and patient safety in EMS and trauma situations.
Author(s): Tom Haederle, Jacinda Bunch, Tina Eden
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Patient, Facility, and Community Determinants of Timely Follow up after Abnormal Screening Mammograms in Appalachia: A Multilevel Analysis
Examines the impact of community, patient, and facility characteristics on mammogram screening access, mammogram recall, and biopsy rates in 5 Appalachian states. Utilizes 2016-2018 Medicare claims data from breast imaging organizations to analyze characteristics of mammogram care, providing sociodemographic breakdowns and metro versus rural comparisons.
Author(s): Roger T. Anderson, Marianne M. Hillemeier, Jennifer A. Harvey, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 42(1), e70104
Date: 01/2026
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Examines the impact of community, patient, and facility characteristics on mammogram screening access, mammogram recall, and biopsy rates in 5 Appalachian states. Utilizes 2016-2018 Medicare claims data from breast imaging organizations to analyze characteristics of mammogram care, providing sociodemographic breakdowns and metro versus rural comparisons.
Author(s): Roger T. Anderson, Marianne M. Hillemeier, Jennifer A. Harvey, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 42(1), e70104
Date: 01/2026
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Report to the 2026 Legislature: Annual Report on Findings from the Hawai'i Physician Workforce Assessment Project
Reports on Hawaii physician workforce characteristics and shortages by county and specialty. Summarizes activities to support the physician workforce, including recruitment, rural training, and mentoring programming. Offers data on shortages by specialty and by county, as well as physician supply and demand data.
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organization: Hawaii and Pacific Basin Area Health Education Centers
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Reports on Hawaii physician workforce characteristics and shortages by county and specialty. Summarizes activities to support the physician workforce, including recruitment, rural training, and mentoring programming. Offers data on shortages by specialty and by county, as well as physician supply and demand data.
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organization: Hawaii and Pacific Basin Area Health Education Centers
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December 2025 MedPAC Meeting Transcript
Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) December 2025 meeting. Covers payment adequacy and updates for physician and other health professional services, hospital inpatient and outpatient services, Rural Emergency Hospitals (REHs), post-acute care, skilled nursing facility services, inpatient rehabilitation facility services, home health services, hospice services, and outpatient dialysis services. Includes discussions on improving Medicare payment approaches and mandated reports on the impact of recent changes to the home health prospective payment system and an assessment of the Medicare ground ambulance data collection system.
Additional links: Assessing Payment Adequacy and Updating Payments: Hospital Inpatient and Outpatient Services; Mandated Report on Rural Emergency Hospitals; And Update on Site-neutral Payments - Presentation Slides, Mandated Report: Assessment of the Medicare Ground Ambulance Data Collection System - Presentation Slides
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) December 2025 meeting. Covers payment adequacy and updates for physician and other health professional services, hospital inpatient and outpatient services, Rural Emergency Hospitals (REHs), post-acute care, skilled nursing facility services, inpatient rehabilitation facility services, home health services, hospice services, and outpatient dialysis services. Includes discussions on improving Medicare payment approaches and mandated reports on the impact of recent changes to the home health prospective payment system and an assessment of the Medicare ground ambulance data collection system.
Additional links: Assessing Payment Adequacy and Updating Payments: Hospital Inpatient and Outpatient Services; Mandated Report on Rural Emergency Hospitals; And Update on Site-neutral Payments - Presentation Slides, Mandated Report: Assessment of the Medicare Ground Ambulance Data Collection System - Presentation Slides
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Who is Performing Routine Screening Endoscopy in Kansas Rural Communities
Examines the types of healthcare practitioners who perform endoscopic screening procedures in rural communities in Kansas. Utilizes survey data from 542 practicing physicians and provides information on their demographics, medical specialty, confidence in performing endoscopic procedures, and more.
Author(s): Todd T. Savolt, Jared Reyes, Siman Antar, Kyle Vincent
Citation: American Journal of Surgery, 250, 116511
Date: 12/2025
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Examines the types of healthcare practitioners who perform endoscopic screening procedures in rural communities in Kansas. Utilizes survey data from 542 practicing physicians and provides information on their demographics, medical specialty, confidence in performing endoscopic procedures, and more.
Author(s): Todd T. Savolt, Jared Reyes, Siman Antar, Kyle Vincent
Citation: American Journal of Surgery, 250, 116511
Date: 12/2025
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What to Ask (About) a Hospital
Describes payment and financial considerations for hospitals as it relates to the hospital's organizational structure, type of care provided, location, patient population, training programs, and alternative payment models. Discusses rural considerations throughout with a close analysis in Section 6: How a Hospital's Location Matters.
Author(s): Christine H. Monahan, Kennah Watts, Julia Burleson, Rachel Swindle, Ariel Winter
Date: 11/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Blood Cancer United, Georgetown University's Center on Health Insurance Reforms (CHIR)
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Describes payment and financial considerations for hospitals as it relates to the hospital's organizational structure, type of care provided, location, patient population, training programs, and alternative payment models. Discusses rural considerations throughout with a close analysis in Section 6: How a Hospital's Location Matters.
Author(s): Christine H. Monahan, Kennah Watts, Julia Burleson, Rachel Swindle, Ariel Winter
Date: 11/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Blood Cancer United, Georgetown University's Center on Health Insurance Reforms (CHIR)
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A New Rural Blueprint: Strategic Partnerships That Keep Care Local
Discusses the Wisconsin High Value Network (WHVN), a clinically integrated network (CIN) focused on value-based care arrangements, data sharing, and quality improvement initiatives. Describes WHVN's strategic partnerships, governance, specialty care network, and more.
Date: 11/2025
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Discusses the Wisconsin High Value Network (WHVN), a clinically integrated network (CIN) focused on value-based care arrangements, data sharing, and quality improvement initiatives. Describes WHVN's strategic partnerships, governance, specialty care network, and more.
Date: 11/2025
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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