Rural Health
Resources by Type: Document
Hospice Visit Patterns Across Patient Demographic and Clinical Characteristics
Examines visit patterns among Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 and older enrolled in hospice, to help establish or evaluate benchmark visit standards, quality measures, care delivery practices, and workforce planning. Features statistics on characteristics of Medicare hospice enrollees from 2016-2021, with breakdowns by urban, large rural, small rural, and isolated small rural location.
Author(s): Lauren J. Hunt, Joanne Spetz, Siqi Gan, et al.
Citation: Health Affairs Scholar, 4(10), qxag271
Date: 10/2026
view details
Examines visit patterns among Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 and older enrolled in hospice, to help establish or evaluate benchmark visit standards, quality measures, care delivery practices, and workforce planning. Features statistics on characteristics of Medicare hospice enrollees from 2016-2021, with breakdowns by urban, large rural, small rural, and isolated small rural location.
Author(s): Lauren J. Hunt, Joanne Spetz, Siqi Gan, et al.
Citation: Health Affairs Scholar, 4(10), qxag271
Date: 10/2026
view details
Strategies for Addressing California's Rural Behavioral Health Workforce Shortages
Issue brief discussing behavioral health workforce shortages in rural California and identifying state policy and healthcare delivery strategies to support workforce supply and improve behavioral health access in the state. Covers topics including expanded behavioral health availability in primary care settings, use of community health workers and telehealth to expand service availability, workforce development, recruitment and retention, and more. The associated planning guide provides guidance on planning and implementing behavioral health workforce strategies at the community level.
Additional links: Planning Guide
Author(s): Rachel Davis
Date: 10/2026
Sponsoring organization: Healthforce Center at UCSF
view details
Issue brief discussing behavioral health workforce shortages in rural California and identifying state policy and healthcare delivery strategies to support workforce supply and improve behavioral health access in the state. Covers topics including expanded behavioral health availability in primary care settings, use of community health workers and telehealth to expand service availability, workforce development, recruitment and retention, and more. The associated planning guide provides guidance on planning and implementing behavioral health workforce strategies at the community level.
Additional links: Planning Guide
Author(s): Rachel Davis
Date: 10/2026
Sponsoring organization: Healthforce Center at UCSF
view details
Rural Health Transformation Program State Programmatic Snapshots: 2026 Release
Provides an overview of each state's Rural Health Transformation Program initiatives and focus areas, as well as policy action commitments outlined in states' applications.
Date: 10/2026
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
view details
Provides an overview of each state's Rural Health Transformation Program initiatives and focus areas, as well as policy action commitments outlined in states' applications.
Date: 10/2026
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
view details
Women's Health in Pennsylvania
Provides information on demographic makeup of Pennsylvania women as of 2025. Includes statistics on number of births in Pennsylvania from 1990-2025 and number of breast cancer diagnoses in 2023, with breakdowns by urban and rural areas. Also features a county-level map with fertility rates from 2021-2025.
Date: 10/2026
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
view details
Provides information on demographic makeup of Pennsylvania women as of 2025. Includes statistics on number of births in Pennsylvania from 1990-2025 and number of breast cancer diagnoses in 2023, with breakdowns by urban and rural areas. Also features a county-level map with fertility rates from 2021-2025.
Date: 10/2026
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
view details
Food Hardship and Nutrition Insecurity in Rural Areas with Access to Non-Congregate Summer Meals
Examines food insecurity, food hardship, and nutrition insecurity in rural communities with access to the 2025 non-congregate summer meals option (SUN Meals To-Go). Provides data on household food hardship by income levels, nutrition insecurity by income levels, and barriers to nutrition security.
Date: 10/2026
Sponsoring organizations: Mathematica, No Kid Hungry
view details
Examines food insecurity, food hardship, and nutrition insecurity in rural communities with access to the 2025 non-congregate summer meals option (SUN Meals To-Go). Provides data on household food hardship by income levels, nutrition insecurity by income levels, and barriers to nutrition security.
Date: 10/2026
Sponsoring organizations: Mathematica, No Kid Hungry
view details
Rural Health Transformation Program Planned State Initiatives: Budget Period 1
Presents an overview of initiatives planned by states as part of the Rural Health Transformation Program organized across eight categories: population health, workforce, payment and service models, health system innovation, accessible care, technology, disease prevention and care, and health promotion.
Date: 10/2026
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
view details
Presents an overview of initiatives planned by states as part of the Rural Health Transformation Program organized across eight categories: population health, workforce, payment and service models, health system innovation, accessible care, technology, disease prevention and care, and health promotion.
Date: 10/2026
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
view details
Rural Emergency Hospital Revenue Cycle: Building a Strong Billing Foundation
Describes essential elements of Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) revenue cycle readiness. Covers post-conversion REH enrollment and compliance; outpatient claim, coding, and documentation accuracy; and collaboration across the revenue cycle.
Date: 10/2026
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Redesign Center
view details
Describes essential elements of Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) revenue cycle readiness. Covers post-conversion REH enrollment and compliance; outpatient claim, coding, and documentation accuracy; and collaboration across the revenue cycle.
Date: 10/2026
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Redesign Center
view details
Rural Versus Urban Distribution of Obstetrics and Gynecology Residency Training and Associated Rural Community Characteristics
Examines location of OB/GYN residency program training sites and the community's associated sociodemographic characteristics and healthcare workforce supply. Utilizes 2023-2024 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) data to provide a map showing OB/GYN training site distribution across the U.S. as well as 2022-2023 Area Health Resource File data to analyze healthcare access characteristics of rural communities with or without OB/GYN residency program training sites. Discusses challenges in providing rural-focused opportunities during graduate medical education (GME) rotations and the related impact on maternity care shortages.
Author(s): Ryan Spencer, Mukesh Adhikari, Lori Rodefeld, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 42(4), e70231
Date: 10/2026
view details
Examines location of OB/GYN residency program training sites and the community's associated sociodemographic characteristics and healthcare workforce supply. Utilizes 2023-2024 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) data to provide a map showing OB/GYN training site distribution across the U.S. as well as 2022-2023 Area Health Resource File data to analyze healthcare access characteristics of rural communities with or without OB/GYN residency program training sites. Discusses challenges in providing rural-focused opportunities during graduate medical education (GME) rotations and the related impact on maternity care shortages.
Author(s): Ryan Spencer, Mukesh Adhikari, Lori Rodefeld, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 42(4), e70231
Date: 10/2026
view details
Characteristics of Women Ages 40–60 with Menopausal Symptoms: United States, 2025
Offers data on women between 40 and 60 experiencing menopausal symptoms including demographics, educational attainment, treatment, and 4 levels of urbanization.
Author(s): Anjel Vahratian, Janine A. Clayton
Date: 10/2026
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
view details
Offers data on women between 40 and 60 experiencing menopausal symptoms including demographics, educational attainment, treatment, and 4 levels of urbanization.
Author(s): Anjel Vahratian, Janine A. Clayton
Date: 10/2026
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
view details
Rural Cardiovascular Health in Missouri: Needs, Care Gaps, and Resources for a More Connected System
Discusses the importance of cardiovascular risk to rural health in Missouri, and provides suggestions for improving rural cardiovascular disease prevention, treatment, and recovery via state policy, Rural Health Transformation initiatives, and facility-level service delivery improvements.
Author(s): Adnan I. Qureshi, Hatem Tolba, Muhammad Shah Miran, Muhammad Shakir, Camilo R. Gomez
Citation: Missouri Medicine, 123(5), 449-456
Date: 10/2026
view details
Discusses the importance of cardiovascular risk to rural health in Missouri, and provides suggestions for improving rural cardiovascular disease prevention, treatment, and recovery via state policy, Rural Health Transformation initiatives, and facility-level service delivery improvements.
Author(s): Adnan I. Qureshi, Hatem Tolba, Muhammad Shah Miran, Muhammad Shakir, Camilo R. Gomez
Citation: Missouri Medicine, 123(5), 449-456
Date: 10/2026
view details