Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Access
Unfairness Toward Rural Beneficiaries in Medicare's Hierarchical Conditions Categories Score
Evaluates the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Hierarchical Condition Category (HCC) to determine its usefulness in accurately predicting risk for rural and urban patients. Assesses rural and urban risk by mortality rates and compares findings with HCC's measure of spending to identify risk. Discusses implications of findings related to reimbursement rates, healthcare access, social determinants of health, and Medicare Advantage enrollment. Offers potential solutions to address study findings.
Author(s): Ravi B. Parikh, Kristin A. Linn, Junning Liang, et al
Citation: Health Affairs Scholar, 3(9)
Date: 09/2025
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Evaluates the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Hierarchical Condition Category (HCC) to determine its usefulness in accurately predicting risk for rural and urban patients. Assesses rural and urban risk by mortality rates and compares findings with HCC's measure of spending to identify risk. Discusses implications of findings related to reimbursement rates, healthcare access, social determinants of health, and Medicare Advantage enrollment. Offers potential solutions to address study findings.
Author(s): Ravi B. Parikh, Kristin A. Linn, Junning Liang, et al
Citation: Health Affairs Scholar, 3(9)
Date: 09/2025
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Beyond the Clinic Walls: Exploring the Potential of Mobile Health
Explores the use mobile health services to increase access to care and highlights opportunities to close evidence gaps. Summarizes the research on mobile health delivery in primary, specialty, and emergency care. Discusses rural concerns including for breast cancer screening, dentistry, acute stroke response, behavioral crisis interventions, and community paramedicine.
Additional links: Executive Summary
Author(s): Maanasa Kona, Julia Burleson, Leila Sullivan
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Center on Health Insurance Reforms, Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy
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Explores the use mobile health services to increase access to care and highlights opportunities to close evidence gaps. Summarizes the research on mobile health delivery in primary, specialty, and emergency care. Discusses rural concerns including for breast cancer screening, dentistry, acute stroke response, behavioral crisis interventions, and community paramedicine.
Additional links: Executive Summary
Author(s): Maanasa Kona, Julia Burleson, Leila Sullivan
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Center on Health Insurance Reforms, Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy
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Maternal Health in Utah: Risk Factors, Workforce Gaps, and Access to Care
Describes the state of maternal healthcare in Utah including outcomes, mortality, risk factors, health status, access to hospitals, and workforce shortages. Offers county-level data and discusses rural throughout.
Author(s): Melanie Beagley
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, Utah Department of Health and Human Services, Utah Office of Primary Care and Rural Health
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Describes the state of maternal healthcare in Utah including outcomes, mortality, risk factors, health status, access to hospitals, and workforce shortages. Offers county-level data and discusses rural throughout.
Author(s): Melanie Beagley
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, Utah Department of Health and Human Services, Utah Office of Primary Care and Rural Health
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Assessing Populations with Access to National Cancer Institute-Funded Sites Using Local Distance-Based Service Areas
Examines variations in travel distance to sites funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) demographic group. Includes data on access to NCI-funded cancer care and participation in clinical trials by rurality, income level, region, and more.
Author(s): Sharon P. Shriver, Liora Sahar, Vanhvilai L. Douangchai Wills, Devon V. Adams, Mark E. Fleury
Citation: Journal of Clinical and Translational Science, 9(1), e218
Date: 09/2025
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Examines variations in travel distance to sites funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) demographic group. Includes data on access to NCI-funded cancer care and participation in clinical trials by rurality, income level, region, and more.
Author(s): Sharon P. Shriver, Liora Sahar, Vanhvilai L. Douangchai Wills, Devon V. Adams, Mark E. Fleury
Citation: Journal of Clinical and Translational Science, 9(1), e218
Date: 09/2025
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Georgia Counties Offering CON-Authorized Obstetrical (OB) Services
County-level map showing the location of obstetrical (OB) services authorized by Georgia's Certificate of Need (CON) program. Features shadings showing rural and urban counties with OB facilities, and counties containing Critical Access Hospitals with OB facilities.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Georgia State Office of Rural Health
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County-level map showing the location of obstetrical (OB) services authorized by Georgia's Certificate of Need (CON) program. Features shadings showing rural and urban counties with OB facilities, and counties containing Critical Access Hospitals with OB facilities.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Georgia State Office of Rural Health
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More Physician Assistants and Nurse Practitioners in Rural Pennsylvania Than a Decade Ago
Fact sheet describing the increase in number of rural physician assistants (PAs) and nurse practitioners (NPs) in Pennsylvania from 2013 to 2023. Features demographics and statistics with breakdowns by urban and rural areas, and a county-level map showing numbers of PAs and NPs as of 2023, with shadings showing urban and rural counties.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
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Fact sheet describing the increase in number of rural physician assistants (PAs) and nurse practitioners (NPs) in Pennsylvania from 2013 to 2023. Features demographics and statistics with breakdowns by urban and rural areas, and a county-level map showing numbers of PAs and NPs as of 2023, with shadings showing urban and rural counties.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
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The Landscape of Mental Health and Financial Support for Midwest Farmers
A recorded webinar that discusses the farm crisis of the 2010s and how it impacted farmers in the Midwest. Presents research on individual and contextual determinants that correlate with farmer mental and financial health and help-seeking behaviors. Provides information on mental health programming, rural mental healthcare access, and policy strategies to support farmers.
Author(s): Florence Becot, Carrie Henning-Smith, Andrea Bjornestad, Sarah Ruszkowski
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: North Central Regional Center for Rural Development
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A recorded webinar that discusses the farm crisis of the 2010s and how it impacted farmers in the Midwest. Presents research on individual and contextual determinants that correlate with farmer mental and financial health and help-seeking behaviors. Provides information on mental health programming, rural mental healthcare access, and policy strategies to support farmers.
Author(s): Florence Becot, Carrie Henning-Smith, Andrea Bjornestad, Sarah Ruszkowski
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: North Central Regional Center for Rural Development
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The South Carolina Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist Workforce - 2022
Self-reported information about certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) actively employed as nurses in South Carolina, as part of the biennial license renewal process ending on April 30, 2022. Features demographics and statistics including change in the size of the South Carolina CRNA workforce from 2012-2022 with breakdowns by 3 levels of population density, and a county-level map showing locations of active CRNAs as of 2022, which shadings showing rural and urban counties.
Author(s): Cate Campbell, K. Gaul
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: South Carolina Area Health Education Consortium
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Self-reported information about certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) actively employed as nurses in South Carolina, as part of the biennial license renewal process ending on April 30, 2022. Features demographics and statistics including change in the size of the South Carolina CRNA workforce from 2012-2022 with breakdowns by 3 levels of population density, and a county-level map showing locations of active CRNAs as of 2022, which shadings showing rural and urban counties.
Author(s): Cate Campbell, K. Gaul
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: South Carolina Area Health Education Consortium
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Partnering for Progress: Enhancing Mental Health Crisis Response in Rural North Carolina Through Faith-based Training
Discusses strategies for rural communities to enhance mental health crisis response by partnering with and training local organizations. Explores several programs providing faith-based mental health training to rural clergy in North Carolina. Compares data for rural Rockingham County to the state as a whole.
Author(s): Sarah Grenon, Mallory Bejster, Marty Roberts, et al.
Citation: Progress in Community Health Partnerships: Research, Education, and Action, 19(3), 317-325
Date: 09/2025
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Discusses strategies for rural communities to enhance mental health crisis response by partnering with and training local organizations. Explores several programs providing faith-based mental health training to rural clergy in North Carolina. Compares data for rural Rockingham County to the state as a whole.
Author(s): Sarah Grenon, Mallory Bejster, Marty Roberts, et al.
Citation: Progress in Community Health Partnerships: Research, Education, and Action, 19(3), 317-325
Date: 09/2025
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Colorectal Cancer Survival Disparities in Persistent Poverty Areas
Presents a study exploring the effect of living in a persistent poverty census tract on colorectal cancer (CRC) survival rates in both rural and urban locations. Breaks down data by demographic characteristics, treatment type, and tumor location, among other measures. Draws data from 2013-2019 cancer registry and 2013-2021 death records.
Author(s): Peter DelNero, Mario Schootman, Cheng Peng, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(3), e70045
Date: 09/2025
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Presents a study exploring the effect of living in a persistent poverty census tract on colorectal cancer (CRC) survival rates in both rural and urban locations. Breaks down data by demographic characteristics, treatment type, and tumor location, among other measures. Draws data from 2013-2019 cancer registry and 2013-2021 death records.
Author(s): Peter DelNero, Mario Schootman, Cheng Peng, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(3), e70045
Date: 09/2025
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