Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Healthcare facilities
January 2026 MedPAC Meeting Transcript
Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) January 2026 meeting. Covers payment adequacy and updates for physician and other health professional services, hospital inpatient and outpatient services, skilled nursing facility services, home health agency services, inpatient rehabilitation facility services, outpatient dialysis services, and hospice services. Discusses status reports on Medicare Part D, ambulatory surgical centers, and the Medicare Advantage program, as well as mandated reports on changes to the home health prospective payment system and dual-eligible special needs plans. Includes rural references and considerations throughout.
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) January 2026 meeting. Covers payment adequacy and updates for physician and other health professional services, hospital inpatient and outpatient services, skilled nursing facility services, home health agency services, inpatient rehabilitation facility services, outpatient dialysis services, and hospice services. Discusses status reports on Medicare Part D, ambulatory surgical centers, and the Medicare Advantage program, as well as mandated reports on changes to the home health prospective payment system and dual-eligible special needs plans. Includes rural references and considerations throughout.
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Rural Emergency Hospitals: Emerging Patterns of Adaptation and Community Perception
Examines characteristics of Rural Emergency Hospitals (REHs) and their impact on the community. Utilizes Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services cost report data to compare hospitals that converted to REHs to hospitals that did not convert. Analyzes issues such as hospital finances, local healthcare access, economic stabilization, REH reputation and use, community perceptions of quality, and more.
Author(s): Anders Van Sandt, Kaitlyn Line, Anja Gruber, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 42(1), e70112
Date: 01/2026
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Examines characteristics of Rural Emergency Hospitals (REHs) and their impact on the community. Utilizes Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services cost report data to compare hospitals that converted to REHs to hospitals that did not convert. Analyzes issues such as hospital finances, local healthcare access, economic stabilization, REH reputation and use, community perceptions of quality, and more.
Author(s): Anders Van Sandt, Kaitlyn Line, Anja Gruber, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 42(1), e70112
Date: 01/2026
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Simulation on Wheels: How Mobile Training Is Saving Lives in Rural Iowa
Podcast episode that discusses Simulation in Motion-Iowa (SIM-IA), a mobile clinical education program that provides rural hospitals and emergency medical service (EMS) professionals training experience in healthcare emergencies. Discusses the importance of SIM-IA in rural healthcare education to promote quality and patient safety in EMS and trauma situations.
Author(s): Tom Haederle, Jacinda Bunch, Tina Eden
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Podcast episode that discusses Simulation in Motion-Iowa (SIM-IA), a mobile clinical education program that provides rural hospitals and emergency medical service (EMS) professionals training experience in healthcare emergencies. Discusses the importance of SIM-IA in rural healthcare education to promote quality and patient safety in EMS and trauma situations.
Author(s): Tom Haederle, Jacinda Bunch, Tina Eden
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Tennessee Uninsured Adult Healthcare Safety Net: 2025 Annual Report
Reports on Tennessee's uninsured population, state safety net funding, and services provided in 2025. Lists safety net service locations, including community and faith-based clinics, Federally Qualified Health Centers, dental clinics, and more. Provides county-by-county data on primary, oral, and specialty care population-to-provider ratios, and includes county-level maps of Health Resource Shortage Areas. Mentions rural throughout.
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: Tennessee Department of Health
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Reports on Tennessee's uninsured population, state safety net funding, and services provided in 2025. Lists safety net service locations, including community and faith-based clinics, Federally Qualified Health Centers, dental clinics, and more. Provides county-by-county data on primary, oral, and specialty care population-to-provider ratios, and includes county-level maps of Health Resource Shortage Areas. Mentions rural throughout.
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: Tennessee Department of Health
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Availability of Hospital-Based Obstetric Services in the United States by County, 2010–2023: A State-by-State Report
Provides national, state, and county-specific information on changes in obstetric care access from 2010-2023. Displays county-level maps of changes in hospital-based services availability between 2010-2023, highlighting changes from 2022 to 2023. Features statistics with breakdowns by urban and rural counties.
Author(s): Julia D. Interrante, Kevan O'Hanlon, Katy B. Kozhimannil
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Provides national, state, and county-specific information on changes in obstetric care access from 2010-2023. Displays county-level maps of changes in hospital-based services availability between 2010-2023, highlighting changes from 2022 to 2023. Features statistics with breakdowns by urban and rural counties.
Author(s): Julia D. Interrante, Kevan O'Hanlon, Katy B. Kozhimannil
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Predictors of Inpatient RN Turnover in Rural and Urban VHA Hospitals
A study on the rates and associated factors of registered nursing (RN) workforce turnover in rural and urban Veterans Health Administration (VHA) hospitals. Breaks down data by RN demographic factors, such as age, salary, and experience within the VHA, and hospital factors, such as average age, average base salary, and average number of units worked, among other factors.
Author(s): Katherine G. Bay, Chase S. Eck, Melissa K. Knox, et al.
Citation: Medical Care, 64(1S), S9-S17
Date: 01/2026
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A study on the rates and associated factors of registered nursing (RN) workforce turnover in rural and urban Veterans Health Administration (VHA) hospitals. Breaks down data by RN demographic factors, such as age, salary, and experience within the VHA, and hospital factors, such as average age, average base salary, and average number of units worked, among other factors.
Author(s): Katherine G. Bay, Chase S. Eck, Melissa K. Knox, et al.
Citation: Medical Care, 64(1S), S9-S17
Date: 01/2026
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Oregon Critical Access Hospital Quality Reporting Programs, FY25 Flex (Sept. 1, 2025-Aug. 31, 2026)
Serves as a guide to help Oregon Critical Access Hospital (CAH) quality improvement officers develop and support quality improvement activities and make informed decisions when reporting their quality improvement efforts.
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: Oregon Office of Rural Health
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Serves as a guide to help Oregon Critical Access Hospital (CAH) quality improvement officers develop and support quality improvement activities and make informed decisions when reporting their quality improvement efforts.
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: Oregon Office of Rural Health
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Palliative Care In U.S. Hospitals: 2026 Snapshot
Offers data showing the availability of hospital palliative care in 2024 by number of beds, ownership type, region, and community type including rural, suburban, and urban.
Date: 2026
Sponsoring organization: Center to Advance Palliative Care
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Offers data showing the availability of hospital palliative care in 2024 by number of beds, ownership type, region, and community type including rural, suburban, and urban.
Date: 2026
Sponsoring organization: Center to Advance Palliative Care
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Closing the Digital Divide: AI Governance for Rural Hospitals
Explores how rural healthcare leaders can design artificial intelligence (AI) governance frameworks that reflect the realities of rural care. Summarizes a discussion among rural healthcare leaders regarding their experiences with AI governance and identifies 7 best practices.
Date: 2026
Sponsoring organizations: American Hospital Association, Microsoft
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Explores how rural healthcare leaders can design artificial intelligence (AI) governance frameworks that reflect the realities of rural care. Summarizes a discussion among rural healthcare leaders regarding their experiences with AI governance and identifies 7 best practices.
Date: 2026
Sponsoring organizations: American Hospital Association, Microsoft
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U.S. Hospital List (2025)
Excel file providing a comprehensive list of urban and rural U.S. hospitals that were reported open as of January 1, 2025. Includes 4,541 acute care hospitals and 1,472 specialty hospitals.
Date: 2026
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Excel file providing a comprehensive list of urban and rural U.S. hospitals that were reported open as of January 1, 2025. Includes 4,541 acute care hospitals and 1,472 specialty hospitals.
Date: 2026
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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