Pennsylvania Resources
Pennsylvania Office of Rural Health Strategic Plan, 2024-2027
Three-year plan of action for the Pennsylvania Office of Rural Health. Features areas of focus including strengthening of rural health care delivery systems, community and population health, areas of unmet need, advocacy, continuing education, and expansion of infrastructure.
Date: 2024
Sponsoring organization: Pennsylvania Office of Rural Health
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Three-year plan of action for the Pennsylvania Office of Rural Health. Features areas of focus including strengthening of rural health care delivery systems, community and population health, areas of unmet need, advocacy, continuing education, and expansion of infrastructure.
Date: 2024
Sponsoring organization: Pennsylvania Office of Rural Health
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Pennsylvania Oral Health Basic Screening Survey: 2021-2022 Oral Health Basic Screening Survey of Third-Graders
Provides a comprehensive overview of the oral health status of third-grade Pennsylvania children. Features statistics including treated and untreated decay, dental sealants, and urgent need for care, with breakdowns by urban and rural areas.
Date: 10/2023
Sponsoring organization: Pennsylvania Department of Health
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Provides a comprehensive overview of the oral health status of third-grade Pennsylvania children. Features statistics including treated and untreated decay, dental sealants, and urgent need for care, with breakdowns by urban and rural areas.
Date: 10/2023
Sponsoring organization: Pennsylvania Department of Health
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Pennsylvania Population Projections 2050: A First Look
Report projecting county-level population changes for Pennsylvania through 2050. Discusses the aging population and the implications for rural healthcare, workforce, and more.
Date: 10/2023
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
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Report projecting county-level population changes for Pennsylvania through 2050. Discusses the aging population and the implications for rural healthcare, workforce, and more.
Date: 10/2023
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
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The Pennsylvania Rural Health Model (PARHM): Third Annual Evaluation Report
Evaluates the third performance year of the Pennsylvania Rural Health Model (PARHM), an initiative designed to test if global budgets can help rural hospitals improve their financial viability, provide flexibility to meet locally defined community health needs, and reduce overall healthcare spending. Provides an overview of the model and describes the implementation experience of participating hospitals and payers. Presents a descriptive quantitative assessment of financial performance, spending and utilization, access to care, and quality of care outcomes from 2016, the model's baseline, through 2021. Includes three case studies discussing three themes: the recruitment and retention of system-affiliated hospitals, engagement and coordination with community organizations and providers, and exploring service line changes.
Additional links: Appendix, Findings at a Glance
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, NORC at the University of Chicago
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Evaluates the third performance year of the Pennsylvania Rural Health Model (PARHM), an initiative designed to test if global budgets can help rural hospitals improve their financial viability, provide flexibility to meet locally defined community health needs, and reduce overall healthcare spending. Provides an overview of the model and describes the implementation experience of participating hospitals and payers. Presents a descriptive quantitative assessment of financial performance, spending and utilization, access to care, and quality of care outcomes from 2016, the model's baseline, through 2021. Includes three case studies discussing three themes: the recruitment and retention of system-affiliated hospitals, engagement and coordination with community organizations and providers, and exploring service line changes.
Additional links: Appendix, Findings at a Glance
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, NORC at the University of Chicago
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The State of Our Health: A Statewide Health Assessment of Pennsylvania, August 2023 Update
Identifies specific health challenges in Pennsylvania and indicates where the largest improvements can be made. Features sections on social determinants of health, access to care, substance use, chronic diseases, mental health, maternal and infant health, injury and violence prevention, infectious diseases and immunization, Health Professional Shortage Areas, and environmental health. Includes references to rural throughout.
Date: 08/2023
Sponsoring organization: Pennsylvania Department of Health
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Identifies specific health challenges in Pennsylvania and indicates where the largest improvements can be made. Features sections on social determinants of health, access to care, substance use, chronic diseases, mental health, maternal and infant health, injury and violence prevention, infectious diseases and immunization, Health Professional Shortage Areas, and environmental health. Includes references to rural throughout.
Date: 08/2023
Sponsoring organization: Pennsylvania Department of Health
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Pennsylvania Summer Food Service Program Sites, by Rural and Urban County
County-level map showing locations of USDA Summer Food Service Program meal sites, with shadings indicating rural or urban counties.
Date: 06/2023
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
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County-level map showing locations of USDA Summer Food Service Program meal sites, with shadings indicating rural or urban counties.
Date: 06/2023
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
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Reversing Population Decline in Rural Pennsylvania
Explores the factors that attract or discourage people from relocating to and staying in rural areas, and how those factors align with existing population shrinkage strategies in rural communities. Discusses the importance of access to healthcare when people make decisions about living in rural or urban areas.
Author(s): Bing Ran, Joseph Hafer
Date: 06/2023
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
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Explores the factors that attract or discourage people from relocating to and staying in rural areas, and how those factors align with existing population shrinkage strategies in rural communities. Discusses the importance of access to healthcare when people make decisions about living in rural or urban areas.
Author(s): Bing Ran, Joseph Hafer
Date: 06/2023
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
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Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Cancer Patients in Western Pennsylvania: Rural–Urban Disparities
Examines the impact of COVID-19 and related concerns on cancer patients in rural and urban areas of Pennsylvania. Analyzes a sample of 1,980 patient surveys from August-December 2020 and March 2021 by patient perception of pandemic-related distress, cancer care, COVID-19 impact on personal health, and more. Includes rural versus urban data on COVID-19 concerns related to cancer care as well as demographic breakdowns.
Author(s): Kathryn Demanelis, Margaret Rosenzweig, Linda B. Robertson, et al.
Citation: Cancer Causes Control, 34(7), 595-609
Date: 05/2023
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Examines the impact of COVID-19 and related concerns on cancer patients in rural and urban areas of Pennsylvania. Analyzes a sample of 1,980 patient surveys from August-December 2020 and March 2021 by patient perception of pandemic-related distress, cancer care, COVID-19 impact on personal health, and more. Includes rural versus urban data on COVID-19 concerns related to cancer care as well as demographic breakdowns.
Author(s): Kathryn Demanelis, Margaret Rosenzweig, Linda B. Robertson, et al.
Citation: Cancer Causes Control, 34(7), 595-609
Date: 05/2023
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Barriers to Rural Health Care From the Provider Perspective
Results of a study using data from interviews with 20 healthcare providers in rural areas of western Pennsylvania. Explores barriers to care, including cost and insurance, geographic dispersion, and provider shortage and burnout. Offers strategies for improvement, including use of telehealth, mobile clinics, and increased use of advanced practice providers.
Author(s): Avinash Maganty, Mary E. Byrnes, Megan Hamm, et al.
Citation: Rural and Remote Health, 23(2), 7769
Date: 05/2023
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Results of a study using data from interviews with 20 healthcare providers in rural areas of western Pennsylvania. Explores barriers to care, including cost and insurance, geographic dispersion, and provider shortage and burnout. Offers strategies for improvement, including use of telehealth, mobile clinics, and increased use of advanced practice providers.
Author(s): Avinash Maganty, Mary E. Byrnes, Megan Hamm, et al.
Citation: Rural and Remote Health, 23(2), 7769
Date: 05/2023
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Drug Overdoses in Rural and Urban Pennsylvania: A Progress Report
Assesses the change in the number of reported overdoses in rural and urban Pennsylvania from 2018 to 2022, using data from the Pennsylvania State Police's Overdose Information Network. Features a county-level map showing reported overdoses per 100,000 residents in 2022, and includes statistics on ages of rural overdose victims and overdose survival rates, percentages of overdose victims receiving naloxone, and post-naloxone actions, with breakdowns by urban or rural area.
Date: 03/2023
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
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Assesses the change in the number of reported overdoses in rural and urban Pennsylvania from 2018 to 2022, using data from the Pennsylvania State Police's Overdose Information Network. Features a county-level map showing reported overdoses per 100,000 residents in 2022, and includes statistics on ages of rural overdose victims and overdose survival rates, percentages of overdose victims receiving naloxone, and post-naloxone actions, with breakdowns by urban or rural area.
Date: 03/2023
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
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Additional resources are available. See a full list of Pennsylvania Resources.
Last Updated: 10/16/2025