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Rural Health
Resources by Type: Document

An Assessment of the Long-Term Care Workforce Services in the State of Washington Part 1: A Quantitative Analysis
Report to the Washington State legislature on the workforce challenges facing long-term care in the state. Explores long-term care quality measures and nurse turnover throughout the state. Provides a breakdown of rural facility data. Report is split into 2 parts.
Additional links: Part 2
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Workforce Studies
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South Carolina Health Professions Data Book
Provides information about the health status of South Carolina residents and the number of healthcare providers practicing in the state as of 2024, including a section with statistics for rural areas.
Author(s): Bo Fu, Ashlyn Chastain-Brown, Cate Campbell, et al.
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: South Carolina Area Health Education Consortium
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Sharing Resources and Working Together: The Rural Collaborative
Provides an overview of the Rural Collaborative, a network of 31 rural public hospitals across Washington state. Describes how the network helps participating hospitals maintain their independence by sharing resources and working together on shared services, peer learning, operational support, and preferred pricing. Discusses the network's history and members, network operations and priorities, and future plans.
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Value
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Assessing Access to Cardiologists and Endocrinologists in the Texas ACA Market
Uses secret shopper surveys to assess patient access to cardiologists and endocrinologists in the Texas Affordable Care Act marketplace. Includes breakdown of data by rurality of both patient and provider. Discusses appointment wait times and distance to care for rural patients.
Author(s): Simon F. Haeder, Yuqin Lou, Wendy Xu
Citation: Health Affairs Scholar, 4(4)
Date: 03/2026
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A Strategic Planning Guide for Rural Communities
Report outlines the importance of strategic planning in supporting the health of rural communities and highlights implementation challenges. Details the process of engaging community partners in the strategic planning process and explores methods for overcoming barriers.
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: Rural Communities Opioid Response Program - Technical Assistance
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Hunger Doesn't Take a Vacation: The Reach of Summer Meals
Examines utilization of federal summer nutrition programs for children in 2024. Provides statistics on summer meals and information on the impact of the Rural Non-Congregate Option legislation implemented in Summer 2024.
Author(s): K. Boone, C. Hayes
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: Food Research & Action Center
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NSDUH Short Report: Substance Use Disorder and Major Depressive Episode among Females
Report explores rates of substance use disorder (SUD) and major depressive episode (MDE) among women from 2022-2024. Breaks down data by a number of factors, such as demographic factors, adolescents versus adults, SUD/MDE severity, and rurality, among other measures.
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Increasing Access to Oral Health Care in Rural Communities
Describes strategies states are implementing to meet the oral health needs of their rural communities. Covers initiatives related to telehealth, expanding the dental workforce, medical-dental integration, as well as initiatives proposed as part of state Rural Health Transformation Program applications.
Author(s): Megan D'Alessandro, Katie Greene
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: National Academy for State Health Policy
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Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS): 2026 Merit-Based Incentive Payment (MIPS) Value Pathways (MVPs) Implementation Guide
Provides an overview of the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) Value Pathways (MVPs), a voluntary reporting option that can be used to meet MIPS reporting requirements for the 2026 performance year. Describes subgroup reporting, reporting requirements, scoring, performance feedback and public reporting, and how to register to report an MVP. Includes information on considerations and exceptions for small practices.
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
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Profiles of Non-Medical Drivers and Health Burden Associated With Care Seeking Among Rural Women
Examines social, demographic, and geographic determinants of health impacting women's health in 29 rural Texas counties. Analyzes survey data from 159 participants and provides data on health burden, health-related social needs, and geographic access to care.
Author(s): Elizabeth Ekren, Saksham Adhikari, Shadi Maleki, et al.
Citation: Journal of Primary Care & Community Health, 17
Date: 03/2026
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