Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Statistics and data
The Integrated Vulnerability Measure a Novel Financial Distress Index for US Hospitals
Tests the effectiveness of the integrated vulnerability measure (IVM) in identifying hospitals at risk of experiencing financial distress within 2 years. Discusses using IVM in decision-making and compares IVM to other distress indicators.
Author(s): Julianna Bernadi, Paul Ursino, Kevin Gormley, et al.
Citation: Health Affairs Scholar, 4(9)
Date: 09/2026
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Tests the effectiveness of the integrated vulnerability measure (IVM) in identifying hospitals at risk of experiencing financial distress within 2 years. Discusses using IVM in decision-making and compares IVM to other distress indicators.
Author(s): Julianna Bernadi, Paul Ursino, Kevin Gormley, et al.
Citation: Health Affairs Scholar, 4(9)
Date: 09/2026
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Tribal Water Infrastructure: Opportunities Exist to Improve Federal Assistance
Provides an overview of federal roles in tribal water infrastructure projects. Examines the extent to which the Indian Health Service (IHS) can fund water infrastructure for homes and buildings in a tribal community. Explores opportunities to streamline application processes and administrative requirements when IHS collaborates with other federal agencies. Describes the limited financial capacity some tribes have to operate and maintain their water infrastructure, and the potential effects of IHS providing financial assistance for these purposes. Presents recommendations for Congress and federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Provides an overview of federal roles in tribal water infrastructure projects. Examines the extent to which the Indian Health Service (IHS) can fund water infrastructure for homes and buildings in a tribal community. Explores opportunities to streamline application processes and administrative requirements when IHS collaborates with other federal agencies. Describes the limited financial capacity some tribes have to operate and maintain their water infrastructure, and the potential effects of IHS providing financial assistance for these purposes. Presents recommendations for Congress and federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Dashboard: Arkansas Rural Health Transformation Program Year 1 Awards
Interactive dashboard displaying funding awarded under the Arkansas Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) to sub-grantees by initiative, recipient, and funded project. Includes summaries of project descriptions.
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: Arkansas Center for Health Improvement
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Interactive dashboard displaying funding awarded under the Arkansas Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) to sub-grantees by initiative, recipient, and funded project. Includes summaries of project descriptions.
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: Arkansas Center for Health Improvement
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Geographic Disparities in Access to Broadband, Ambulance Services, and Health Care and Implications for Telehealth
Explores the degree to which populated areas, including rural areas, lack the sufficient broadband infrastructure needed to support telehealth services, referred to as broadband deserts. Presents data on the number and percentage of rural residents who live in broadband deserts. Describes the intersection of broadband deserts with areas with limited access to prehospital ambulance services (ambulance deserts) and hospitals and clinics (healthcare deserts) by state.
Author(s): Celia Jewell, Heidi O'Connor, Thomas E. Griffin, et al.
Citation: JAMA Health Forum, 7(9), e263290
Date: 09/2026
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Explores the degree to which populated areas, including rural areas, lack the sufficient broadband infrastructure needed to support telehealth services, referred to as broadband deserts. Presents data on the number and percentage of rural residents who live in broadband deserts. Describes the intersection of broadband deserts with areas with limited access to prehospital ambulance services (ambulance deserts) and hospitals and clinics (healthcare deserts) by state.
Author(s): Celia Jewell, Heidi O'Connor, Thomas E. Griffin, et al.
Citation: JAMA Health Forum, 7(9), e263290
Date: 09/2026
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A Closer Look at the $50 Billion Rural Health Transformation Program
Provides an overview of the Rural Health Transformation Program, including the structure of the program, how funding can be used, how funding is distributed across and within states, and more. Includes data on the first year of RHTP funding awarded by state and by measure of state need.
Author(s): Zachary Levinson, Scott Hulver
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Provides an overview of the Rural Health Transformation Program, including the structure of the program, how funding can be used, how funding is distributed across and within states, and more. Includes data on the first year of RHTP funding awarded by state and by measure of state need.
Author(s): Zachary Levinson, Scott Hulver
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Wireless Substitution: Early Release of Estimates from the National Health Interview Survey, July-December 2025
Provides data on households that rely on wireless telephones rather than landlines. Includes data on the percent of adults who live in wireless-only households and have their own wireless telephone, as well as data on phoneless adults. Provides data for nonmetropolitan compared to metropolitan areas.
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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Provides data on households that rely on wireless telephones rather than landlines. Includes data on the percent of adults who live in wireless-only households and have their own wireless telephone, as well as data on phoneless adults. Provides data for nonmetropolitan compared to metropolitan areas.
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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Rural–Urban and Appalachian Disparities in Geographic Access to Colonoscopy and Screening Prevalence Across the Contiguous US
Results of a study comparing access to colonoscopy providers. Features statistics on diagnostic/therapeutic procedures and screening procedures, with breakdowns by rural and urban areas and Appalachian and non-Appalachian areas and by type of colonoscopy provider.
Author(s): Sima Namin, R. Eric Heidel, Martin Whiteside, et al.
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 23
Date: 09/2026
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Results of a study comparing access to colonoscopy providers. Features statistics on diagnostic/therapeutic procedures and screening procedures, with breakdowns by rural and urban areas and Appalachian and non-Appalachian areas and by type of colonoscopy provider.
Author(s): Sima Namin, R. Eric Heidel, Martin Whiteside, et al.
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 23
Date: 09/2026
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Transportation Walking Among US Adults With and Without Transportation Insecurity, 2022 National Health Interview Survey
Reports on a study describing transportation walking among adults with and without transportation insecurity, using data on 25,889 adults. Features demographics and statistics with breakdowns by metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas.
Author(s): Graycie Soto, Miriam E. Van Dyke, Jasmine Y. Nakayama, et al.
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 23
Date: 09/2026
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Reports on a study describing transportation walking among adults with and without transportation insecurity, using data on 25,889 adults. Features demographics and statistics with breakdowns by metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas.
Author(s): Graycie Soto, Miriam E. Van Dyke, Jasmine Y. Nakayama, et al.
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 23
Date: 09/2026
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Urban and Rural Hospital Closures in Georgia, 2022-2024
Results of a study examining postclosure changes in discharge volume, charges, and length of stay at hospitals within 35 miles of a hospital closure in Georgia from 2022-2024. Includes statistics on characteristics of discharges from hospitals that remained open, as well as outcomes associated with a closure, with breakdowns by urban and rural areas.
Author(s): Sara D. Turbow, Kajal Patel, Young-Rock Hong, Jennifer Lom, Mohammed K. Ali
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 9(9), e2635085
Date: 09/2026
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Results of a study examining postclosure changes in discharge volume, charges, and length of stay at hospitals within 35 miles of a hospital closure in Georgia from 2022-2024. Includes statistics on characteristics of discharges from hospitals that remained open, as well as outcomes associated with a closure, with breakdowns by urban and rural areas.
Author(s): Sara D. Turbow, Kajal Patel, Young-Rock Hong, Jennifer Lom, Mohammed K. Ali
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 9(9), e2635085
Date: 09/2026
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Digital Health Readiness and Medicare Primary Care Spending: Nationwide County-Level Observational Analysis
Analyzes associations between county-level digitalization and Medicare primary care spending for Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) in 2,993 counties between 2017 and 2023 using the Digital Health Index. Discusses the differences when comparing within a county over time and between counties, as well as the impact on healthcare access and socioeconomic factors.
Author(s): Zhaoqiang Zhou, John Geracitano, Baiming Zou, Saif Khairat
Citation: Journal of Medical Internet Research, 28
Date: 09/2026
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Analyzes associations between county-level digitalization and Medicare primary care spending for Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) in 2,993 counties between 2017 and 2023 using the Digital Health Index. Discusses the differences when comparing within a county over time and between counties, as well as the impact on healthcare access and socioeconomic factors.
Author(s): Zhaoqiang Zhou, John Geracitano, Baiming Zou, Saif Khairat
Citation: Journal of Medical Internet Research, 28
Date: 09/2026
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