Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Healthcare needs and services
Rural-Urban Differences in Barriers to Care and Utilization of Preventive Care Among Traditional Medicare and Medicare Advantage Beneficiaries
Discusses the differences in barriers to care and preventive care utilization for older adults enrolled in traditional Medicare versus Medicare Advantage and makes a rural-urban comparison. Explores barriers to care, such as quality of care and out-of-pocket costs, as well as care utilization, such as regular vaccinations, cancer screenings, and cholesterol tests, among others.
Author(s): Gawain J. Williams, Dan M. Shane, Whitney E. Zahnd, Keith J. Mueller
Date: 11/2025
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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Discusses the differences in barriers to care and preventive care utilization for older adults enrolled in traditional Medicare versus Medicare Advantage and makes a rural-urban comparison. Explores barriers to care, such as quality of care and out-of-pocket costs, as well as care utilization, such as regular vaccinations, cancer screenings, and cholesterol tests, among others.
Author(s): Gawain J. Williams, Dan M. Shane, Whitney E. Zahnd, Keith J. Mueller
Date: 11/2025
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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Severe Maternal Morbidity and Mortality After Delivery Hospitalization Among Rural Residents Bypassing Local Care for Urban Hospitals
Examines severe maternal morbidity and mortality (SMMM) when labor and delivery patients bypass rural, local hospitals to give birth at urban hospitals. Analyzes 235,375 rural versus urban births in South Carolina and associated 1-year postpartum follow-up visit data for rates of SMMM.
Author(s): Peiyin Hung, Haoyuan Gao, Jihong Liu, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 8(11), e2544522
Date: 11/2025
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Examines severe maternal morbidity and mortality (SMMM) when labor and delivery patients bypass rural, local hospitals to give birth at urban hospitals. Analyzes 235,375 rural versus urban births in South Carolina and associated 1-year postpartum follow-up visit data for rates of SMMM.
Author(s): Peiyin Hung, Haoyuan Gao, Jihong Liu, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 8(11), e2544522
Date: 11/2025
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Urban-Rural Disparities in Spatiotemporal Accessibility of Pharmacy Care: A Case Study of Vermont, USA
Examines geographic access to pharmacy care in Vermont. Assesses spatiotemporal accessibility by analyzing pharmacy locations, hours of operation, and staffing levels according to county as well as metro, micro, or rural location.
Author(s): Samuel Roubin, Joseph Holler, Peter Kedron
Citation: BMC Health Services Research, 25, 1484
Date: 11/2025
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Examines geographic access to pharmacy care in Vermont. Assesses spatiotemporal accessibility by analyzing pharmacy locations, hours of operation, and staffing levels according to county as well as metro, micro, or rural location.
Author(s): Samuel Roubin, Joseph Holler, Peter Kedron
Citation: BMC Health Services Research, 25, 1484
Date: 11/2025
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Funding Rural Health: The Role and Reach of Federal Support
A series of briefs and spotlights focused on how the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) supports population health in rural Kansas and the rural United States. Focuses on FORHP funding processes and organizational structure, distribution of funds, the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program, the Rural Health Care Services Outreach Program, and Rural Communities Opioid Response Program.
Author(s): Shelby C. Rowell, Wyatt J. Beckman, Viktoria Sterkhova
Date: 11/2025
Sponsoring organization: Kansas Health Institute
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A series of briefs and spotlights focused on how the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) supports population health in rural Kansas and the rural United States. Focuses on FORHP funding processes and organizational structure, distribution of funds, the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program, the Rural Health Care Services Outreach Program, and Rural Communities Opioid Response Program.
Author(s): Shelby C. Rowell, Wyatt J. Beckman, Viktoria Sterkhova
Date: 11/2025
Sponsoring organization: Kansas Health Institute
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A Lifeline for Rural Communities: Sutter Health's Bold Behavioral Health Access Expansion
A conversation with Dan Peterson of Sutter Health's Behavioral Health Services and Matthew White of the Behavioral Health Service Line that focuses on behavioral health access in rural areas of northern California. Discusses utilization of crisis stabilization units, clinic investments, and virtual psychiatry.
Author(s): Tom Haederle, Rebecca Chickey, Dan Peterson, Matthew White
Date: 11/2025
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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A conversation with Dan Peterson of Sutter Health's Behavioral Health Services and Matthew White of the Behavioral Health Service Line that focuses on behavioral health access in rural areas of northern California. Discusses utilization of crisis stabilization units, clinic investments, and virtual psychiatry.
Author(s): Tom Haederle, Rebecca Chickey, Dan Peterson, Matthew White
Date: 11/2025
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Associations of Social Deprivation and Oncology Physician Network Vulnerability With Acute Care Utilization in the SEER-Medicare Population
Discusses the socioeconomic factors that correlate with acute care utilization among cancer patients, as well as the effect of regional specialist scarcity. Draws from Medicare data on patients with breast, lung, or colorectal cancer who have visited emergency departments or had non-elective hospitalizations and explores correlating social and regional factors, such as sex, rurality, social deprivation index score, and proximity to an oncology physician, among others.
Author(s): Ashlee A. Korsberg, Gabriel A. Brooks, A. James O'Malley, et al.
Citation: Health Services Research, e70070
Date: 11/2025
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Discusses the socioeconomic factors that correlate with acute care utilization among cancer patients, as well as the effect of regional specialist scarcity. Draws from Medicare data on patients with breast, lung, or colorectal cancer who have visited emergency departments or had non-elective hospitalizations and explores correlating social and regional factors, such as sex, rurality, social deprivation index score, and proximity to an oncology physician, among others.
Author(s): Ashlee A. Korsberg, Gabriel A. Brooks, A. James O'Malley, et al.
Citation: Health Services Research, e70070
Date: 11/2025
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Evaluating the Relationship Between Primary Care Provider Access and High Blood Pressure among Hispanic Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study
Examines the relationship between having a primary care physician (PCP) and managing chronic disease in rural Yakima County, Washington State. Utilizes data from 218 participants at the Fiesta de Salud community health fair to analyze demographics, PCP access, and controlled versus uncontrolled blood pressure.
Author(s): Catalina Yepez, Kimberly McKeirnan, Megan Undeberg, Ryan G. Pett
Citation: Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition, 44, 402
Date: 11/2025
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Examines the relationship between having a primary care physician (PCP) and managing chronic disease in rural Yakima County, Washington State. Utilizes data from 218 participants at the Fiesta de Salud community health fair to analyze demographics, PCP access, and controlled versus uncontrolled blood pressure.
Author(s): Catalina Yepez, Kimberly McKeirnan, Megan Undeberg, Ryan G. Pett
Citation: Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition, 44, 402
Date: 11/2025
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The State of Rural Primary Care in the United States
Provides information, statistics, interactive maps, example programs, and policy suggestions regarding the rural primary care workforce supply in the United States. Provides data on projections for adequate supply as well as county-level maps on Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs), National Health Service Corps (NHSC) clinicians, Rural Health Clinics (RHCs), and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). Includes rural versus nonrural respondent survey data related to primary care access, use, availability, and delivery.
Author(s): Celli Horstman, Arnav Shah
Date: 11/2025
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
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Provides information, statistics, interactive maps, example programs, and policy suggestions regarding the rural primary care workforce supply in the United States. Provides data on projections for adequate supply as well as county-level maps on Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs), National Health Service Corps (NHSC) clinicians, Rural Health Clinics (RHCs), and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). Includes rural versus nonrural respondent survey data related to primary care access, use, availability, and delivery.
Author(s): Celli Horstman, Arnav Shah
Date: 11/2025
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
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Acute Care Utilization Patterns During Chemotherapy and Predictive Model Development at a Rural Community Cancer Center
Explores the development of a predictive model focused on identifying oncology patients at risk of all-cause and preventable acute care use, utilizing EHR data of 2,922 patients who received intravenous cancer treatment between October 2021 and April 2024 in a predominantly rural, midwestern cancer network. Provides data on the association between acute care use and clinical and demographic factors, including level of rurality.
Author(s): McKenna Perrin, Crystal Hattum, Jamie Arens, Tobias Meissner
Citation: JCO Clinical Cancer Informatics, 9, e2500186
Date: 11/2025
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Explores the development of a predictive model focused on identifying oncology patients at risk of all-cause and preventable acute care use, utilizing EHR data of 2,922 patients who received intravenous cancer treatment between October 2021 and April 2024 in a predominantly rural, midwestern cancer network. Provides data on the association between acute care use and clinical and demographic factors, including level of rurality.
Author(s): McKenna Perrin, Crystal Hattum, Jamie Arens, Tobias Meissner
Citation: JCO Clinical Cancer Informatics, 9, e2500186
Date: 11/2025
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Early Estimates of Motor Vehicle Traffic Fatalities and Fatality Rate by Sub-Categories For the First Half (January-June) of 2025
Presents projections of traffic fatalities and the fatality rate per 100 million vehicle miles traveled in the first half of 2025. Includes data for rural versus urban roads, among other measures. Compares 2024 fatality data to 2025 rates by month for a number of indicators, including rural areas.
Date: 11/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
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Presents projections of traffic fatalities and the fatality rate per 100 million vehicle miles traveled in the first half of 2025. Includes data for rural versus urban roads, among other measures. Compares 2024 fatality data to 2025 rates by month for a number of indicators, including rural areas.
Date: 11/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
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