Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Hospitals
The Digital Divide in Adoption and Advanced Use of Electronic Health Records among U.S. Hospitals: Rural Versus Urban Disparities from 2008 to 2023
Examines differences in electronic health record (EHR) technology adoption in rural versus urban hospitals. Utilizes 2008-2023 American Hospital Association Annual Survey Information Technology Supplement data to analyze rural versus urban differences in hospital EHR use, with breakdowns according to EHR adoption, level of EHR technology, advanced EHR use and capabilities, and more. Includes U.S. map showing rural versus urban gap in EHR adoption.
Author(s): A. Jerrod Anzalone, Yinting Liu, Elizabeth Reisher, et al.
Citation: Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 33(7), 1354-1369
Date: 07/2026
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Examines differences in electronic health record (EHR) technology adoption in rural versus urban hospitals. Utilizes 2008-2023 American Hospital Association Annual Survey Information Technology Supplement data to analyze rural versus urban differences in hospital EHR use, with breakdowns according to EHR adoption, level of EHR technology, advanced EHR use and capabilities, and more. Includes U.S. map showing rural versus urban gap in EHR adoption.
Author(s): A. Jerrod Anzalone, Yinting Liu, Elizabeth Reisher, et al.
Citation: Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 33(7), 1354-1369
Date: 07/2026
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Rural Pediatric Readiness: Improving Emergency Care for Kids
Features rural providers in Texas and Wyoming working to improve their ability to provide quality emergency care to pediatric patients, as well as a pediatric readiness training program in Georgia.
Author(s): Allee Mead
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 07/2026
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Features rural providers in Texas and Wyoming working to improve their ability to provide quality emergency care to pediatric patients, as well as a pediatric readiness training program in Georgia.
Author(s): Allee Mead
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 07/2026
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Beyond Maternal Mortality: How Severe Morbidity Reveals Policy Gaps in Maternal Care
Provides information about severe maternal morbidity (SMM) in the United States across sociodemographic groups and discusses possible policy interventions, including rural-specific strategies. Examines data on SMM with data broken down by year, state, medical condition, patient demographics, cost of delivery, insurance type, rurality, and hospital type of metro non-teaching, metro teaching, or rural.
Author(s): Eugene Declercq, Laurie C. Zephyrin
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
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Provides information about severe maternal morbidity (SMM) in the United States across sociodemographic groups and discusses possible policy interventions, including rural-specific strategies. Examines data on SMM with data broken down by year, state, medical condition, patient demographics, cost of delivery, insurance type, rurality, and hospital type of metro non-teaching, metro teaching, or rural.
Author(s): Eugene Declercq, Laurie C. Zephyrin
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
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Non-Federal Acute Care Hospital Electronic Health Record Adoption, 2008–2024
Explores trends in electronic health record (EHR) adoption among acute care hospitals between 2010 and 2024 using data from the American Hospital Association (AHA) Information Technology (IT) supplement. Presents data on EHR adoption by hospital characteristics, by hospital size, CAH status, rural/urban location, and independent/system affiliation.
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology
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Explores trends in electronic health record (EHR) adoption among acute care hospitals between 2010 and 2024 using data from the American Hospital Association (AHA) Information Technology (IT) supplement. Presents data on EHR adoption by hospital characteristics, by hospital size, CAH status, rural/urban location, and independent/system affiliation.
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology
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Concordance Between Social Needs Screening and Availability of Associated Programs in US Hospitals
Examines the extent to which hospitals screen patients for social needs by analyzing data from the 2022 American Hospital Association (AHA) survey. Explores the alignment between hospitals that screen for social needs and the availability of programs to address those needs. Compares data on social needs screening and corresponding programs at hospitals by rural and urban location, Critical Access Hospital (CAH) status, region, ownership, and participation in accountable care organizations (ACOs).
Author(s): Khyathi Gadag, Keith Mueller, Whitney E. Zahnd
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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Examines the extent to which hospitals screen patients for social needs by analyzing data from the 2022 American Hospital Association (AHA) survey. Explores the alignment between hospitals that screen for social needs and the availability of programs to address those needs. Compares data on social needs screening and corresponding programs at hospitals by rural and urban location, Critical Access Hospital (CAH) status, region, ownership, and participation in accountable care organizations (ACOs).
Author(s): Khyathi Gadag, Keith Mueller, Whitney E. Zahnd
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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A Rural Solution to the Geriatric Mental Health Crisis
Podcast episode featuring leaders from two rural New England hospitals, discussing their behavioral health programs for older adults. Describes how these specialized behavioral health programs are helping older adults receive mental healthcare close to home.
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Podcast episode featuring leaders from two rural New England hospitals, discussing their behavioral health programs for older adults. Describes how these specialized behavioral health programs are helping older adults receive mental healthcare close to home.
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Advancing Rural Health: Illinois Small And Rural Hospitals
Provides an overview of rural hospitals in Illinois, with a focus on hospital characteristics, patient demographics, financial information, and healthcare workforce. Includes state map showing location and type of rural hospital.
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: Illinois Health and Hospital Association
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Provides an overview of rural hospitals in Illinois, with a focus on hospital characteristics, patient demographics, financial information, and healthcare workforce. Includes state map showing location and type of rural hospital.
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: Illinois Health and Hospital Association
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Tailoring the Relational Playbook for Cardiology Teams to the Rural Hospital Medicine Setting: A Multi-Method Pre-Implementation Evaluation
Examines the process of making the Relational Playbook for Cardiology Teams leadership program within the Veterans Health Administration (VA) acceptable, appropriate, and feasible for rural healthcare settings. Utilizes data from site visits with 3 VA hospitals serving rural veterans and discusses perspectives from clinical leaders regarding barriers and strategies to implementing the program.
Author(s): Heather M. Gilmartin, Paige Perry, Brigid Connelly, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 42(2), e70165
Date: 06/2026
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Examines the process of making the Relational Playbook for Cardiology Teams leadership program within the Veterans Health Administration (VA) acceptable, appropriate, and feasible for rural healthcare settings. Utilizes data from site visits with 3 VA hospitals serving rural veterans and discusses perspectives from clinical leaders regarding barriers and strategies to implementing the program.
Author(s): Heather M. Gilmartin, Paige Perry, Brigid Connelly, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 42(2), e70165
Date: 06/2026
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Hospital Closures Increase Emergency Care Travel Time: Rural-Urban Disparities
Examines the relationship between travel time to emergency care and hospital closures. Utilizes data from 2012-2023 hospital closures in Texas and analyzes 6,883 census tracts according to travel time to the nearest and second nearest emergency department (ED), with additional breakdowns by population characteristics and geographic categories of metro, micro, small town, or rural.
Author(s): Huiwen Zheng, Scott Horel, Christine Crudo Blackburn
Citation: INQUIRY: The Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision, and Financing, 63
Date: 06/2026
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Examines the relationship between travel time to emergency care and hospital closures. Utilizes data from 2012-2023 hospital closures in Texas and analyzes 6,883 census tracts according to travel time to the nearest and second nearest emergency department (ED), with additional breakdowns by population characteristics and geographic categories of metro, micro, small town, or rural.
Author(s): Huiwen Zheng, Scott Horel, Christine Crudo Blackburn
Citation: INQUIRY: The Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision, and Financing, 63
Date: 06/2026
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Factors Influencing Rural Hospitals to Participate and Remain in Accountable Care Organizations
Examines factors that impact rural hospital participation in Medicare and accountable care organization (ACO) models. Utilizes interview feedback from rural hospital executives regarding ACO participation and discusses themes such as financial incentives, value-based reimbursement, population health, healthcare quality, and more.
Author(s): Emily J. Lawton, Jenah McCarty, Thomas E. Vaughn, Fred Ullrich, Keith J. Mueller
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 42(2), e70179
Date: 06/2026
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Examines factors that impact rural hospital participation in Medicare and accountable care organization (ACO) models. Utilizes interview feedback from rural hospital executives regarding ACO participation and discusses themes such as financial incentives, value-based reimbursement, population health, healthcare quality, and more.
Author(s): Emily J. Lawton, Jenah McCarty, Thomas E. Vaughn, Fred Ullrich, Keith J. Mueller
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 42(2), e70179
Date: 06/2026
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