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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Healthcare facilities

Understanding the Impact and Costs Associated with Medical Device Shortages During the COVID-19 Pandemic on Providers, Health Systems, Patients, and Manufacturers
Analyzes the U.S. medical device shortage during the COVID-19 pandemic and provides a related literature review, key stakeholder interviews, and data synthesis. Includes information on type of medical device shortages, strategies to manage shortages, and more, with a focus on shortages in nursing homes and rural hospitals.
Author(s): Linda Thai, Trinidad Beleche, Oluwarantimi Adetunji
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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Lessons from the Pandemic: Relationship Between Patient Visits and Patient Length of Stay in California's Health System
Examines impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on patient utilization of California hospitals. Analyzes 2019-2021 COVID-19 cases, mortality, patient length of stay (LOS), and more in 56 California counties, with rural versus urban comparisons.
Author(s): David D. Cho, Yu Wang
Citation: Health Research Policy and Systems, 23, 11
Date: 01/2025
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The Latest HIPAA Requirements - A Check-In on Your RHC's Compliance
Recording of a January 14, 2025, webinar on HIPAA compliance for Rural Health Clinics (RHCs). Covers HIPAA related legislation, HIPAA-related complaints and investigations by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR), and new regulations and proposed rules related to patient privacy. Part of the Rural Health Clinic Technical Assistance Series.
Additional links: Presentation Slides
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Rural Health Clinics
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Shared Savings Program Fast Facts
Provides summary statistics on the Medicare Shared Savings Program as of January 1, 2025. Offers data on the number of Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs), assigned beneficiaries, total earned shared savings, and quality scores each year since 2012; the number and percent of ACOs in each track; and more. Includes information on ACO participants, including the number of Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) participating in the program.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Combating Antimicrobial Resistance During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Perceived Risks and Protective Practices
Explores the range of factors that impacted efforts to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Presents findings from an analysis of published scholarly sources and lessons learned from urban and rural healthcare professionals involved in antimicrobial stewardship. Includes rural references and considerations throughout.
Author(s): Casey Sullivan, Cody R. Fisher, Laurin Grabowsky, et al.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Eastern Research Group, Inc., HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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Rural Nonprofit Hospital Community Benefit and Financial Assistance Spending: A Call for Greater Reporting Transparency
Examines the variation in community benefit and financial assistance spending among rural nonprofit hospitals that filed group returns in Wisconsin and Minnesota. Analyzes 2021 nonprofit hospital tax data to explore whether group filers' community benefit spending differed from individual nonprofit hospital filers. Discusses potential implications of policy recommendations that would require nonprofit hospitals to file individual tax returns.
Author(s): Hannah MacDougall, Melissa Latcham, Erica Eliason
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41, e12914
Date: 01/2025
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Understanding Barriers and Facilitators to Implementation of a Patient Safety Bundle for Pregnancy-Related Severe Hypertension in 3 North Carolina Outpatient Clinics: A Qualitative Study
Examines the Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health's Patient Safety Bundle (Bundle) implementation in North Carolina, which aims to address complications of pregnancy related hypertension. Utilizes feedback from 11 key informant interviews working at a rural outpatient Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in central North Carolina. Discusses facilitators and barriers of the Bundle implementation, with a focus on access issues in rural and underserved communities.
Author(s): Aparna G. Kachoria, Hiba Fatima, Alexandra F. Lightfoot, et al.
Citation: Implementation Science Communications, 6, 7
Date: 01/2025
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USDA Rural Development 2024 Accomplishments in Virginia
Describes U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development projects in Virginia in 2024. Includes information about support for rural healthcare facilities, education, and workforce.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: USDA Rural Development
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Community Health Center Patients, Financing, and Services
Describes health center patient characteristics, services, patient experiences, and financing changes between 2019 and 2023. Presents data on health centers in rural communities throughout.
Author(s): Akash Pillai, Bradley Corallo, Jennifer Tolbert
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Medical Debt and Its Impact on Rural Patients and Providers, with Carrie Henning-Smith
An episode of the Exploring Rural Health podcast featuring Carrie Henning-Smith, Co-Director of the University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center. Focuses on the prevalence of and difficulties caused by medical debt for both rural patients and providers.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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