Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Hospitals
Comparing Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Computed Tomography Machine Accessibility Among Urban and Rural County Hospitals in Wisconsin
Examines radiologic services in hospitals and disparities in access to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) machines in rural versus urban Wisconsin hospitals. Provides data on rural and urban counties in Wisconsin, including population, county square miles, available MRI and CT machines, and person to MRI/CT ratios. Includes maps showing county-level access to radiologic services as well as comparisons across Wisconsin's rural and urban counties, all Wisconsin counties, and all U.S. counties.
Author(s): Benjamin Burdorf, William MacDonald, Pravallika Kesarla, Samantha Burdorf
Citation: Wisconsin Medical Journal, 124(3), 243-248
Date: 2025
view details
Examines radiologic services in hospitals and disparities in access to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) machines in rural versus urban Wisconsin hospitals. Provides data on rural and urban counties in Wisconsin, including population, county square miles, available MRI and CT machines, and person to MRI/CT ratios. Includes maps showing county-level access to radiologic services as well as comparisons across Wisconsin's rural and urban counties, all Wisconsin counties, and all U.S. counties.
Author(s): Benjamin Burdorf, William MacDonald, Pravallika Kesarla, Samantha Burdorf
Citation: Wisconsin Medical Journal, 124(3), 243-248
Date: 2025
view details
U.S. Hospital List (2024)
Excel file providing a comprehensive list of urban and rural U.S. hospitals that were reported open as of January 1, 2024. Includes 4,497 acute care hospitals and 1,457 specialty hospitals.
Date: 2025
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
view details
Excel file providing a comprehensive list of urban and rural U.S. hospitals that were reported open as of January 1, 2024. Includes 4,497 acute care hospitals and 1,457 specialty hospitals.
Date: 2025
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
view details
Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating: Overview for Flex Programs, Critical Access Hospitals and Rural Stakeholders
Provides an overview of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Overall Hospital Star Ratings posted on the CMS Care Compare website. Describes the methodology for the Overall Hospital Star Ratings, including information on measure selection, measure grouping, measure group scores and hospital scoring, and peer grouping and star rating assignment. Discusses the implications these ratings have on Critical Access Hospitals and other small rural hospitals.
Date: 2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural Quality Improvement Technical Assistance (RQITA) Resource Center
view details
Provides an overview of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Overall Hospital Star Ratings posted on the CMS Care Compare website. Describes the methodology for the Overall Hospital Star Ratings, including information on measure selection, measure grouping, measure group scores and hospital scoring, and peer grouping and star rating assignment. Discusses the implications these ratings have on Critical Access Hospitals and other small rural hospitals.
Date: 2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural Quality Improvement Technical Assistance (RQITA) Resource Center
view details
An Updated Model of Rural Hospital Financial Distress
Discusses a potential model to predict financial distress in rural hospitals, including negative cash flow margin, negative equity, or closure of facility. Tests 2,311 rural hospitals from 2013 to 2019 with the model and discusses its potential to predict financial distress and create accurate assessments.
Author(s): Tyler L. Malone, George H. Pink, George M. Holmes
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(2)
Date: 2025
view details
Discusses a potential model to predict financial distress in rural hospitals, including negative cash flow margin, negative equity, or closure of facility. Tests 2,311 rural hospitals from 2013 to 2019 with the model and discusses its potential to predict financial distress and create accurate assessments.
Author(s): Tyler L. Malone, George H. Pink, George M. Holmes
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(2)
Date: 2025
view details
Rural Hospitals: Community Cornerstones Face Perilous Threats to Care
Infographic presenting data regarding the importance of rural hospitals to their communities. Includes information on workforce and financial challenges experienced by rural hospitals, as well as the impact of hospital closures on access to care. Provides recommendations on actions to support rural hospitals and communities.
Date: 2025
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
view details
Infographic presenting data regarding the importance of rural hospitals to their communities. Includes information on workforce and financial challenges experienced by rural hospitals, as well as the impact of hospital closures on access to care. Provides recommendations on actions to support rural hospitals and communities.
Date: 2025
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
view details
Roadmap to Strong Rural Health Care
Provides information on sustaining rural hospitals and clinics, growing the rural healthcare workforce in Nebraska, improving long-term care, improving rural well-being and mental health, supporting rural mothers, addressing the social determinants of health, and preserving emergency medical services, among other topics related to rural healthcare in Nebraska.
Date: 2025
Sponsoring organizations: Nebraska Hospital Association, Nebraska Rural Health Association
view details
Provides information on sustaining rural hospitals and clinics, growing the rural healthcare workforce in Nebraska, improving long-term care, improving rural well-being and mental health, supporting rural mothers, addressing the social determinants of health, and preserving emergency medical services, among other topics related to rural healthcare in Nebraska.
Date: 2025
Sponsoring organizations: Nebraska Hospital Association, Nebraska Rural Health Association
view details
Rural Health Potentially Avoidable Utilization (PAU) Dashboard
Interactive dashboard providing information on potentially avoidable utilization at rural hospitals based Medicare fee-for-service inpatient and outpatient claims data from 2024. Includes data on admissions for ambulatory care sensitive conditions, hospital readmissions, and potentially avoidable emergency department visits.
Date: 2025
Sponsoring organization: Mathematica
view details
Interactive dashboard providing information on potentially avoidable utilization at rural hospitals based Medicare fee-for-service inpatient and outpatient claims data from 2024. Includes data on admissions for ambulatory care sensitive conditions, hospital readmissions, and potentially avoidable emergency department visits.
Date: 2025
Sponsoring organization: Mathematica
view details
Obstetric Care Access at Rural and Urban Hospitals in the United States
Offers data showing losses and gains of obstetric care for 4,964 short-term acute care hospitals between 2010 and 2022. Offers comparisons of rural and urban hospitals.
Author(s): Katy B. Kozhimannil, Julia D. Interrante, Caitlin Carroll, et al.
Date: 12/2024
view details
Offers data showing losses and gains of obstetric care for 4,964 short-term acute care hospitals between 2010 and 2022. Offers comparisons of rural and urban hospitals.
Author(s): Katy B. Kozhimannil, Julia D. Interrante, Caitlin Carroll, et al.
Date: 12/2024
view details
Texas Medicaid and CHIP Reference Guide: Fifteenth Edition
Reference guide for aspects of Texas's Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) programs, including caseload and costs, eligibility and enrollment, available services, program administration, and quality of care. Features information on rural-specific policies for reimbursement, time and distance standards, the Rural Access to Primary Care and Preventive Services Program, rural hospitals, Rural Health Clinics (RHCs), and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs).
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: Texas Health and Human Services
view details
Reference guide for aspects of Texas's Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) programs, including caseload and costs, eligibility and enrollment, available services, program administration, and quality of care. Features information on rural-specific policies for reimbursement, time and distance standards, the Rural Access to Primary Care and Preventive Services Program, rural hospitals, Rural Health Clinics (RHCs), and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs).
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: Texas Health and Human Services
view details
Financial Performance Gaps Between Critical Access Hospitals and Other Acute Care Hospitals
Research letter examining how system affiliation impacted hospital financial measures for Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and non-CAHs between 2020 and 2022.
Author(s): Christopher Whaley, Marilyn Bartlett, Ge Bai
Citation: JAMA Health Forum, 5(12)
Date: 12/2024
view details
Research letter examining how system affiliation impacted hospital financial measures for Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and non-CAHs between 2020 and 2022.
Author(s): Christopher Whaley, Marilyn Bartlett, Ge Bai
Citation: JAMA Health Forum, 5(12)
Date: 12/2024
view details