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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Closures of healthcare facilities and services

A Rural Hospital Gets A Second Chance
Describes efforts undertaken in 2016 and 2017 to save an independent rural North Carolina hospital from closure, by affiliating with a larger healthcare system.
Author(s): Dana M. Weston
Citation: North Carolina Medical Journal, 79(6), 373-374
Date: 11/2018
Type: Document
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Rural Hospital Closures: Number and Characteristics of Affected Hospitals and Contributing Factors
Examines rural hospital closures from 2013-2017, including their financial health, hospital characteristics, and the impact on healthcare access. Compares data to 2008-2012 closures and discusses the implications for federal healthcare policies. Addresses the role of Medicare rural hospital designations, new healthcare delivery and payment models, and other rural Health and Human Services (HHS) programs. Identifies the number of rural hospitals that closed for each state.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 09/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Update: Independently Owned Pharmacy Closures in Rural America, 2003-2018
Provides updated information on independently owned rural pharmacy closures from 2003 to 2018. Includes state-level data on rural pharmacy closures. Builds on past publications from RUPRI regarding rural pharmacy closures.
Author(s): Abiodun Salako, Fred Ullrich, Keith J. Mueller
Date: 07/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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EMS Services in Rural America: Challenges and Opportunities
Policy brief describing challenges for rural EMS providers, including workforce shortages and inconsistent funding. Features statistics including percentage of potentially excess deaths for 5 leading causes of death, with breakdowns by metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and average EMS call time response and distribution of all-volunteer and all-paid staff EMS agencies, with breakdowns by 4 levels of population density. Discusses effects of the opioid crisis and Critical Access Hospital closures on provision of EMS services.
Author(s): Nikki King, Marcus Pigman, Sarah Huling, Brian Hanson
Date: 05/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Rural Health Care in America: Challenges and Opportunities
Presents the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance full committee hearing on improving rural healthcare across the country. Addresses access to emergency services, rural hospital financial challenges and closures, Accountable Care Organizations, and regulatory and workforce challenges. Features testimonies from representatives of the NC Rural Health Research Program Sheps Center for Health Services Research, the RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis, San Luis Valley Health, UnityPoint Health, and Geisinger Health.
Additional links: Statement by James E. Mathews, Statement by Orrin G. Hatch, Statement by Ron Wyden, Testimony by George H. Pink, Testimony by Karen M. Murphy, Testimony by Keith J. Mueller, Testimony by Konnie Martin, Testimony by Susan K. Thompson
Date: 05/2018
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Senate Committee on Finance
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Range Matters: Rural Averages Can Conceal Important Information
Findings brief showing how research focusing on averages without considering data range can conceal important information about average rural hospital profitability, distance between hospitals, and HIV prevalence by county.
Author(s): Meagan Clawar, Kristie Thompson, George H. Pink
Date: 01/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Optimizing Rural Health: A Community Healthcare Blueprint
Provides three in-depth case studies of rural Texas communities facing hospital closures to learn more about how communities respond. Identifies lessons learned in regards to community awareness, community engagement, how access is defined, hospital board leadership, and finances to guide other rural communities facing similar challenges.
Date: 2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: A&M Rural and Community Health Institute, Center for Optimizing Rural Health
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Rural Health Research Recap: Effects of Rural Hospital Closures
Summarizes key findings from the Rural Health Research Centers' research published between 2015 and 2017 on the effects of rural hospital closures. Examines rural hospital closures and conversions, payment models, the loss of obstetric services, and more. Provides links to each of the referenced source documents.
Author(s): Shawnda Schroeder
Date: 12/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Research Gateway
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Rural Health Research Recap: Rural Hospital Closures
Summarizes key findings from the Rural Health Research Centers' most recent research on rural hospital closures. Discusses hospitals by U.S. census region, rural hospital closures between 2005 and 2017, urban and rural hospital profitability, and the financial distress index. Provides links to each of the referenced source documents.
Author(s): Shawnda Schroeder
Date: 12/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Research Gateway
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Characteristics of Communities Served by Hospitals at High Risk of Financial Distress
Study compares communities served by rural hospitals that have a high risk of financial distress with those that do not. Looks at community demographics, socio-economics, and health status.
Author(s): Erica L. Richman, George H. Pink
Date: 12/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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