Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Healthcare needs and services
Rural-Urban Comparisons of Nursing Staff Turnover among Skilled Nursing Facilities
Results of a study assessing facility-level turnover rates for nursing personnel across levels of rurality and by region, using data from 14,986 facilities. Features statistics on turnover rates in 2022, with breakdowns by total nursing staff and registered nurses only, and by rural or urban areas. Also includes a county-level map showing average nursing staff turnover rates.
Author(s): Michael D. Wirth, Nick Yell, Peiyin Hung, Elizabeth Crouch
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: University of South Carolina Rural Health Research Center
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Results of a study assessing facility-level turnover rates for nursing personnel across levels of rurality and by region, using data from 14,986 facilities. Features statistics on turnover rates in 2022, with breakdowns by total nursing staff and registered nurses only, and by rural or urban areas. Also includes a county-level map showing average nursing staff turnover rates.
Author(s): Michael D. Wirth, Nick Yell, Peiyin Hung, Elizabeth Crouch
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: University of South Carolina Rural Health Research Center
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State Strategies for Strengthening Rural Health: Insights from NASHP's 2025 Annual Conference
Summarizes a session from the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) 2025 Annual Conference regarding state strategies to improve access to care in rural communities. Highlights policies from North Dakota, Washington, and West Virginia related to workforce and capacity challenges, broadband and telehealth, behavioral health access points, and linking health and social care.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Academy for State Health Policy
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Summarizes a session from the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) 2025 Annual Conference regarding state strategies to improve access to care in rural communities. Highlights policies from North Dakota, Washington, and West Virginia related to workforce and capacity challenges, broadband and telehealth, behavioral health access points, and linking health and social care.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Academy for State Health Policy
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Best Practices for Implementing the Continuum of Crisis Services Under Medicaid and CHIP
Provides guidance for states to maintain a continuum of behavioral health crisis care for patients covered by Medicaid and CHIP. Details core elements of the continuum of crisis care and how Medicaid and CHIP function within that framework. Highlights considerations for rural communities.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Provides guidance for states to maintain a continuum of behavioral health crisis care for patients covered by Medicaid and CHIP. Details core elements of the continuum of crisis care and how Medicaid and CHIP function within that framework. Highlights considerations for rural communities.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Description of a Collaborative Rural Dental Scholar Program
Discusses a series of initiatives to increase Alabama's rural dental workforce through a partnership between The University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry and The University of Alabama College of Community Health Sciences. Describes the interventions designed to get rural students interested and participating in oral health training. Details a summer program for high school students, a pathway program for post-grads, and scholarships for participating students.
Author(s): Carly Timmons McKenzie, Paul Drake Lavender
Citation: Journal of Dental Education, 89(9), 1356-1361
Date: 09/2025
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Discusses a series of initiatives to increase Alabama's rural dental workforce through a partnership between The University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry and The University of Alabama College of Community Health Sciences. Describes the interventions designed to get rural students interested and participating in oral health training. Details a summer program for high school students, a pathway program for post-grads, and scholarships for participating students.
Author(s): Carly Timmons McKenzie, Paul Drake Lavender
Citation: Journal of Dental Education, 89(9), 1356-1361
Date: 09/2025
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Nursing Homes Failed to Report 43 Percent of Falls With Major Injury and Hospitalization among Their Medicare-Enrolled Residents
Explores the extent to which falls with major injury that resulted in hospitalization among Medicare-enrolled nursing home residents were accurately reported by nursing homes in Minimum Data Set (MDS) assessments between July 2022 and June 2023. Compares the nursing home and patient characteristics associated with higher rates of unreported falls, including nursing home size, ownership structure, rurality, and overall star rating.
Additional links: Report Highlights
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Explores the extent to which falls with major injury that resulted in hospitalization among Medicare-enrolled nursing home residents were accurately reported by nursing homes in Minimum Data Set (MDS) assessments between July 2022 and June 2023. Compares the nursing home and patient characteristics associated with higher rates of unreported falls, including nursing home size, ownership structure, rurality, and overall star rating.
Additional links: Report Highlights
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Introducing Public Health Vending Machines in Rural Communities: Protocol for a Study Using a Community-Based Participatory Approach
Provides a study protocol focused on creating a community-engaged approach to implementing public health vending machines (PHVMs) that distribute naloxone in rural North Carolina. Discusses the need to engage people who have experienced substance use when developing public health interventions to prevent drug overdose.
Author(s): Meghan Guter, Lauren Harrell, Kathleen L Egan, Reese Hiatt, Lori Ann Eldridge
Citation: JMIR Research Protocols, 14
Date: 09/2025
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Provides a study protocol focused on creating a community-engaged approach to implementing public health vending machines (PHVMs) that distribute naloxone in rural North Carolina. Discusses the need to engage people who have experienced substance use when developing public health interventions to prevent drug overdose.
Author(s): Meghan Guter, Lauren Harrell, Kathleen L Egan, Reese Hiatt, Lori Ann Eldridge
Citation: JMIR Research Protocols, 14
Date: 09/2025
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Disparities in Multi-Modal Spatial Access to Primary and Specialty Care in U.S. Neighborhoods: A Cross-Sectional and Temporal Analysis of Health Services
Provides a multi-modal spatial access measure to examine disparities in access to primary and specialty care across variable geographies. Includes data on spatial access to providers according to metro, micro, small town, or rural location as well as an example of a car-transit-walking composite spatial access map in micropolitan areas of Maine.
Author(s): R. Blake Buchalter, Paul R. Gunsalus, Madeleine M. Blazel, Michael W. Kenyhercz, Jarrod E. Dalton
Citation: PL0S One, 20(9), e0330427
Date: 09/2025
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Provides a multi-modal spatial access measure to examine disparities in access to primary and specialty care across variable geographies. Includes data on spatial access to providers according to metro, micro, small town, or rural location as well as an example of a car-transit-walking composite spatial access map in micropolitan areas of Maine.
Author(s): R. Blake Buchalter, Paul R. Gunsalus, Madeleine M. Blazel, Michael W. Kenyhercz, Jarrod E. Dalton
Citation: PL0S One, 20(9), e0330427
Date: 09/2025
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Diabetes in Pennsylvania: Prevention and Maintenance Programs
Present data and describes government and non-government programs working to help people prevent and manage diabetes in Pennsylvania. Includes information about possible new treatments and summaries of other new research on diabetes including the effects of social determinants of health. Mentions special needs of rural and underserved populations.
Author(s): Allison Kobzowicz, Lydia K. Ring, Wendy L. Baker
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Joint State Government Commission, General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
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Present data and describes government and non-government programs working to help people prevent and manage diabetes in Pennsylvania. Includes information about possible new treatments and summaries of other new research on diabetes including the effects of social determinants of health. Mentions special needs of rural and underserved populations.
Author(s): Allison Kobzowicz, Lydia K. Ring, Wendy L. Baker
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Joint State Government Commission, General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
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Sustaining Rural Labor & Delivery Programs: Strategies for Financial Analyses and Considerations for Maintaining Services
A guide for Critical Access Hospital and other rural hospital executives to use when assessing the financial viability of their Labor & Delivery programs. Outlines three strategies that may bring a Labor & Delivery program closer to sustainability and prevent unnecessary closure of services in rural areas.
Author(s): Eric Shell, Dahlia McGrath, Jeff Sommer, et al.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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A guide for Critical Access Hospital and other rural hospital executives to use when assessing the financial viability of their Labor & Delivery programs. Outlines three strategies that may bring a Labor & Delivery program closer to sustainability and prevent unnecessary closure of services in rural areas.
Author(s): Eric Shell, Dahlia McGrath, Jeff Sommer, et al.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Electronic Data Capture of Patient-Report Questionnaire in Patient Management in a Rural Population
Explores the feasibility and acceptability of electronic patient-reported outcomes among metabolic and bariatric surgery patients at an academic medical center in rural West Virginia. Describes results of a patient questionnaire regarding the experience of using a tablet to complete psychosocial evaluations before seeing a behavioral health provider and their preference for using a tablet or traditional paper-and-pencil forms.
Author(s): Hayley Harman, Ashleigh A. Pona, Lawrence Tabone, et al.
Citation: JSLS: Journal of the Society of Laparoscopic & Robotic Surgeons, 29(3), e2025.00068
Date: 09/2025
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Explores the feasibility and acceptability of electronic patient-reported outcomes among metabolic and bariatric surgery patients at an academic medical center in rural West Virginia. Describes results of a patient questionnaire regarding the experience of using a tablet to complete psychosocial evaluations before seeing a behavioral health provider and their preference for using a tablet or traditional paper-and-pencil forms.
Author(s): Hayley Harman, Ashleigh A. Pona, Lawrence Tabone, et al.
Citation: JSLS: Journal of the Society of Laparoscopic & Robotic Surgeons, 29(3), e2025.00068
Date: 09/2025
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