Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Hospitals
Trends in Hospital Administrative Costs: Urban–Rural Disparities, Barriers, and Reduction Strategies
Compares Medicare cost report data from 2011 and 2022 for over 4,400 rural and urban short-term acute care hospitals to identify shifts in administrative and general (A&G) spending. Discusses 3 themes related to cost growth, barriers in reporting, and strategies to manage and reduce costs. Describes implications for hospital policy.
Author(s): Lauree Handlon, Kit Simpson, Larry Leaming, Dunc Williams
Citation: Health Affairs Scholar, 3(8)
Date: 08/2025
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Compares Medicare cost report data from 2011 and 2022 for over 4,400 rural and urban short-term acute care hospitals to identify shifts in administrative and general (A&G) spending. Discusses 3 themes related to cost growth, barriers in reporting, and strategies to manage and reduce costs. Describes implications for hospital policy.
Author(s): Lauree Handlon, Kit Simpson, Larry Leaming, Dunc Williams
Citation: Health Affairs Scholar, 3(8)
Date: 08/2025
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Skill Mix Versus Flexibility: Decoding Nurse Staffing Impacts on Critical Access Hospitals
Presents a study on the skill mix and flexibility of nurse staffing on the financial stability, care quality, and efficacy of Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) in Pennsylvania from 2000 to 2023. Correlates skill mix and flexibility with hospital outcomes and controls for hospital-specific, socioeconomic, and demographic factors.
Author(s): Dinesh R. Pai, Esmaeil Bahalkeh
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(3), e70075
Date: 08/2025
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Presents a study on the skill mix and flexibility of nurse staffing on the financial stability, care quality, and efficacy of Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) in Pennsylvania from 2000 to 2023. Correlates skill mix and flexibility with hospital outcomes and controls for hospital-specific, socioeconomic, and demographic factors.
Author(s): Dinesh R. Pai, Esmaeil Bahalkeh
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(3), e70075
Date: 08/2025
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Growth of Health IT-Enabled Patient Engagement Capabilities Among U.S. Hospitals: 2021-2024
Describes hospital trends regarding the adoption of capabilities that enable patient access to their electronic health information, including the ability to view, download, transmit, and import data from other organizations into their patient portal; view clinical notes; and access information through apps between 2021-2024. Presents data and analysis by hospital type, including Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and rural hospitals, on the percent of hospitals that app-based and Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resource® (FHIR)-enabled patient engagement capabilities.
Author(s): Meghan Hufstader Gabriel, Chelsea Richwine, Priscilla Owusu-Mensah, Catherine Strawley
Date: 08/2025
Sponsoring organization: Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology
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Describes hospital trends regarding the adoption of capabilities that enable patient access to their electronic health information, including the ability to view, download, transmit, and import data from other organizations into their patient portal; view clinical notes; and access information through apps between 2021-2024. Presents data and analysis by hospital type, including Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and rural hospitals, on the percent of hospitals that app-based and Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resource® (FHIR)-enabled patient engagement capabilities.
Author(s): Meghan Hufstader Gabriel, Chelsea Richwine, Priscilla Owusu-Mensah, Catherine Strawley
Date: 08/2025
Sponsoring organization: Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology
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CAH Quality Inventory & Assessment Resources
Provides a list of resources for Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) to use to complete the 2025 CAH Quality Inventory and Assessment (Assessment). Includes resources regarding the background and components of the Assessment and instructions for each question.
Author(s): Megan Lahr, Robert Barclay, Madeleine Pick
Date: 08/2025
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Provides a list of resources for Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) to use to complete the 2025 CAH Quality Inventory and Assessment (Assessment). Includes resources regarding the background and components of the Assessment and instructions for each question.
Author(s): Megan Lahr, Robert Barclay, Madeleine Pick
Date: 08/2025
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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HCAHPS Toolkit for Critical Access Hospitals
Designed to assist Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) in reporting and utilizing Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) data. Provides a detailed description of HCAHPS as a Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Project (MBQIP) core measure, strategies for improving HCAHPS survey response rates, and answers to common HCAHPS questions. Offers recommendations for utilizing HCAHPS data reports from vendors and the Flex Monitoring Team (FMT) and improving HCAHPS scores.
Date: 08/2025
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Designed to assist Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) in reporting and utilizing Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) data. Provides a detailed description of HCAHPS as a Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Project (MBQIP) core measure, strategies for improving HCAHPS survey response rates, and answers to common HCAHPS questions. Offers recommendations for utilizing HCAHPS data reports from vendors and the Flex Monitoring Team (FMT) and improving HCAHPS scores.
Date: 08/2025
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Arkansas Critical Access Hospitals
Map showing names and locations of Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) in Arkansas at the county level.
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: Arkansas Department of Health
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Map showing names and locations of Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) in Arkansas at the county level.
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: Arkansas Department of Health
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Arkansas NHSC Registered Sites Program Coverage
Map of National Health Service Corps (NHSC) registered sites in Arkansas by county, including Federally Qualified Health Centers, Rural Health Clinics, correctional facilities, community outpatient facilities, hospitals, substance use disorder treatment sites, and private practices.
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: Arkansas Department of Health
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Map of National Health Service Corps (NHSC) registered sites in Arkansas by county, including Federally Qualified Health Centers, Rural Health Clinics, correctional facilities, community outpatient facilities, hospitals, substance use disorder treatment sites, and private practices.
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: Arkansas Department of Health
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Arkansas Small Rural Hospital Improvement Program (SHIP) Map
County-level map of Arkansas identifying the locations of hospitals participating in the Small Rural Hospital Improvement Program (SHIP).
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: Arkansas Department of Health
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County-level map of Arkansas identifying the locations of hospitals participating in the Small Rural Hospital Improvement Program (SHIP).
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: Arkansas Department of Health
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Rural Hospital Philanthropy: Community Awareness and Willingness to Donate to the Georgia Rural Hospital Tax Credit Program
Examines awareness of and willingness to participate in Georgia's Rural Hospital Tax Credit program, utilizing survey data of 940 people living in rural South Georgia communities served by eligible local hospitals. Includes data on associations between willingness to donate to rural hospitals and satisfaction with hospital quality, tax credit program awareness, and demographic factors such as household income and educational attainment. Discusses philanthropy as a source of financial support for rural hospitals.
Author(s): Linda Kimsey, Bettye A. Apenteng, Samuel T. Opoku, et al.
Citation: BMC Health Services Research, 25, 980
Date: 07/2025
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Examines awareness of and willingness to participate in Georgia's Rural Hospital Tax Credit program, utilizing survey data of 940 people living in rural South Georgia communities served by eligible local hospitals. Includes data on associations between willingness to donate to rural hospitals and satisfaction with hospital quality, tax credit program awareness, and demographic factors such as household income and educational attainment. Discusses philanthropy as a source of financial support for rural hospitals.
Author(s): Linda Kimsey, Bettye A. Apenteng, Samuel T. Opoku, et al.
Citation: BMC Health Services Research, 25, 980
Date: 07/2025
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Rural Hospitals and the Rural Health Transformation Program: What Comes Next
Blog post discussing the rural health transformation program established in the July 2025 budget reconciliation law. Describes potential priorities for states' use of the rural health transformation program funding. Outlines additional steps Congress could take to help rural hospitals serve their communities.
Author(s): Emma Sheffert, Maya Sandalow
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: Bipartisan Policy Center
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Blog post discussing the rural health transformation program established in the July 2025 budget reconciliation law. Describes potential priorities for states' use of the rural health transformation program funding. Outlines additional steps Congress could take to help rural hospitals serve their communities.
Author(s): Emma Sheffert, Maya Sandalow
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: Bipartisan Policy Center
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