Healthcare Access in Rural Communities – Resources
Selected recent or important resources focusing on Healthcare Access in Rural Communities.
Community Healers: How Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority Leads in Health and Wellness
Discusses how the Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority (CIHA) addresses the health needs of its community, by integrating Cherokee culture and Western medical care as a way to improve community health. Documents CIHA's work in promoting relationships between federal and state entities and Native Nations.
Author(s): Hailey A. Baker, Mariana Tuttle, Katy Backes Kozhimannil
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Discusses how the Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority (CIHA) addresses the health needs of its community, by integrating Cherokee culture and Western medical care as a way to improve community health. Documents CIHA's work in promoting relationships between federal and state entities and Native Nations.
Author(s): Hailey A. Baker, Mariana Tuttle, Katy Backes Kozhimannil
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Availability of Higher-Level Neonatal Care Services in Rural US Counties, 2010-2022
Policy brief showing changes in availability of higher-level neonatal care in rural counties from 2010 to 2022, and how this availability differs by rural county type. Features statistics with breakdowns by all rural, micropolitan, and noncore areas.
Author(s): Katy Backes Kozhimannil, Emily C. Sheffield, Julia D. Interrante, et al.
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Policy brief showing changes in availability of higher-level neonatal care in rural counties from 2010 to 2022, and how this availability differs by rural county type. Features statistics with breakdowns by all rural, micropolitan, and noncore areas.
Author(s): Katy Backes Kozhimannil, Emily C. Sheffield, Julia D. Interrante, et al.
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Travel Time to Treating Facility and Mortality in Men With Prostate Cancer
Examines the association between longer travel time to treatment and survival among prostate cancer patients. Uses data from a survey of 159,943 patients from Hawaii, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Ohio, Utah, and Washington. Features statistics with breakdowns by two levels of population density.
Author(s): Stephan M. Korn, Filippo Dagnino, Danesha Daniels, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 8(12), e2546812
Date: 12/2025
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Examines the association between longer travel time to treatment and survival among prostate cancer patients. Uses data from a survey of 159,943 patients from Hawaii, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Ohio, Utah, and Washington. Features statistics with breakdowns by two levels of population density.
Author(s): Stephan M. Korn, Filippo Dagnino, Danesha Daniels, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 8(12), e2546812
Date: 12/2025
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Reimbursement and Policy Considerations of Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) in Rural Family Medicine
Examines the current Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) reimbursement landscape, challenges, and opportunities for improvement in rural primary care and emergency departments. Includes a section on financial differences between providing POCUS in Critical Access Hospitals and in Rural Health Clinics.
Author(s): Kylie Long, Geoffrey Bocobo, Andrew Goldsmith
Citation: The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, 38(6), 967-973
Date: 11/2025
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Examines the current Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) reimbursement landscape, challenges, and opportunities for improvement in rural primary care and emergency departments. Includes a section on financial differences between providing POCUS in Critical Access Hospitals and in Rural Health Clinics.
Author(s): Kylie Long, Geoffrey Bocobo, Andrew Goldsmith
Citation: The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, 38(6), 967-973
Date: 11/2025
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Current and Maximum Acceptable Travel Times to Primary Care Among US Older Adults
Explores the threshold of travel time at which it becomes a barrier to primary care access and for which groups. Uses data from a study conducted in February 2025 of adults age 50 and older. Features demographics and statistics with breakdowns by urban, suburban, and rural or other areas.
Author(s): Tabasa Ozawa, Ying Liu, Soeren Mattke
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 8(11), e2545280
Date: 11/2025
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Explores the threshold of travel time at which it becomes a barrier to primary care access and for which groups. Uses data from a study conducted in February 2025 of adults age 50 and older. Features demographics and statistics with breakdowns by urban, suburban, and rural or other areas.
Author(s): Tabasa Ozawa, Ying Liu, Soeren Mattke
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 8(11), e2545280
Date: 11/2025
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Rural/Urban Differences among American Indian/Alaska Native Peoples in Health Care Access and Outcomes, 2019–2023
Compares health outcomes and healthcare utilization metrics for American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) rural and urban residents using 2019-2023 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) data. Discusses the impact of various sociodemographic factors and the Indian Health Service (IHS) on study findings.
Author(s): Katy Backes Kozhimannil, Hailey A. Baker, Julia D. Interrante, Kyle X. Hill, Melissa L. Walls
Citation: Journal of Community Health, 2025
Date: 11/2025
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Compares health outcomes and healthcare utilization metrics for American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) rural and urban residents using 2019-2023 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) data. Discusses the impact of various sociodemographic factors and the Indian Health Service (IHS) on study findings.
Author(s): Katy Backes Kozhimannil, Hailey A. Baker, Julia D. Interrante, Kyle X. Hill, Melissa L. Walls
Citation: Journal of Community Health, 2025
Date: 11/2025
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Positive Outliers: How Some Rural Communities Maintain Access to Labor and Delivery Services
Explores healthcare providers' approaches to ensuring maternal care access in rural Texas, Oklahoma, Alabama, and Mississippi. Provides case studies on the role of rural hospitals and clinics in providing labor and delivery services, discusses financial and logistical challenges faced by providers, and details funding, policy, and service delivery strategies supporting continued access.
Author(s): Sarah Klein, Molly Castle Work
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Bassett Research Institute, Commonwealth Fund
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Explores healthcare providers' approaches to ensuring maternal care access in rural Texas, Oklahoma, Alabama, and Mississippi. Provides case studies on the role of rural hospitals and clinics in providing labor and delivery services, discusses financial and logistical challenges faced by providers, and details funding, policy, and service delivery strategies supporting continued access.
Author(s): Sarah Klein, Molly Castle Work
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Bassett Research Institute, Commonwealth Fund
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Greater Physician Supply Associated with Lower Mortality in Rural Counties: A 23-Year County-Level Longitudinal Observational Study
Examines the relationship between increasing the primary care physician supply in rural areas and corresponding mortality rates. Provides data from a study conducted between 1992-2014 and analyzes rural versus urban trends in mortality rates and physician supply. Discusses rural healthcare practitioner workforce needs, rural versus urban healthcare disparities, and access to care.
Author(s): Nasim B. Ferdows, Cyrus Kosar, Orestis Panagiotou, Momotazur Rahman
Citation: INQUIRY: The Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision, and Financing, 62
Date: 10/2025
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Examines the relationship between increasing the primary care physician supply in rural areas and corresponding mortality rates. Provides data from a study conducted between 1992-2014 and analyzes rural versus urban trends in mortality rates and physician supply. Discusses rural healthcare practitioner workforce needs, rural versus urban healthcare disparities, and access to care.
Author(s): Nasim B. Ferdows, Cyrus Kosar, Orestis Panagiotou, Momotazur Rahman
Citation: INQUIRY: The Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision, and Financing, 62
Date: 10/2025
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Many Medicare Advantage and Medicaid Managed Care Plans Have Limited Behavioral Health Provider Networks and Inactive Providers
Examines the availability of behavioral health providers in selected Medicare Advantage (MA) and Medicaid managed care networks in 2023. Analyzes provider network lists and MA and Medicaid encounter data for four MA and two Medicaid managed care plans from 10 selected urban and rural counties across five states. Describes the proportion of the behavioral health workforce in each county included in the plans' networks. Discusses the extent to which managed care plans had inactive providers in their network and why these providers did not deliver services to enrollees. Includes data on the percentage of inactive providers in rural and urban counties. Offers recommendations to monitor and improve the accuracy of provider networks.
Additional links: Report Highlights
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Examines the availability of behavioral health providers in selected Medicare Advantage (MA) and Medicaid managed care networks in 2023. Analyzes provider network lists and MA and Medicaid encounter data for four MA and two Medicaid managed care plans from 10 selected urban and rural counties across five states. Describes the proportion of the behavioral health workforce in each county included in the plans' networks. Discusses the extent to which managed care plans had inactive providers in their network and why these providers did not deliver services to enrollees. Includes data on the percentage of inactive providers in rural and urban counties. Offers recommendations to monitor and improve the accuracy of provider networks.
Additional links: Report Highlights
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Investing in Primary Care: The Nurse Practitioner Will See You Now
Describes opportunities to support advancement of preparation and growth for nurse practitioners (NPs) to meet the population's primary care needs. Explores the importance of NPs in rural and underserved communities, and Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Author(s): Jessica McCann, Margaret Flinter
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: Milbank Memorial Fund
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Describes opportunities to support advancement of preparation and growth for nurse practitioners (NPs) to meet the population's primary care needs. Explores the importance of NPs in rural and underserved communities, and Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Author(s): Jessica McCann, Margaret Flinter
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: Milbank Memorial Fund
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Last Updated: 3/9/2026