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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Hospitals

Environmental Scan on Consolidation Trends and Impacts in Health Care Markets
Summarizes results of an environmental scan and describes the landscape of healthcare market consolidation across the United States. Analyzes the evidence on consolidation trends and the impacts of these trends on price, quality, and access in healthcare provider and insurance markets. Includes information on the impacts of hospital consolidation on rural healthcare quality and patient access.
Date: 08/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, RAND Corporation
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Spatial Access to Hospital-Based Obstetric Units in Minoritized Racial/Ethnic Areas
Documents geographic accessibility and travel burdens for obstetric care based on local minoritized racial/ethnic group (MRG) distributions at the ZIP Code Tabulation Area (ZCTA) level. Features statistics with breakdowns by race or ethnicity and urban or rural ZCTA, and maps showing geographic distribution of ZCTAs meeting the 95th percentile threshold, locations of hospital-based obstetric units across top MRG ZCTAs in 2019, and driving distances to a hospital obstetric unit by MRG classification.
Author(s): Peiyin Hung, Gabriel Benavidez, Melinda A. Merrell, et al.
Date: 08/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural and Minority Health Research Center (formerly the South Carolina Rural Health Research Center)
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2022 Key Rural Measures: An Updated List of Measures to Advance Rural Health Priorities
Report updating a list of key rural measures focused on rural access to care originally outlined in A Core Set of Rural-Relevant Measures and Measuring and Improving Access to Care: 2018 Recommendations from the MAP Rural Health Workgroup. Identifies 17 measures to add to the 2018 list of rural measures, including items related to behavioral and mental health, substance use, infectious disease, access to care, and equity and social determinants of health. Discusses remaining gaps in measurement topic areas.
Date: 08/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Quality Forum
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Staffing Hurdles Chip Away at Access to Care
Summarizes the results of a survey of rural hospital leaders between March 2-April 15, 2022. Explores how rural hospitals are navigating COVID-19 vaccination mandates and the continued impact of nurse staffing shortages on the delivery of care. Discusses drivers of nurse turnover at rural hospitals.
Author(s): Michael Topchik, Troy Brown, Melanie Pinette, Billy Balfour
Date: 08/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Chartis Center for Rural Health
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Hospitals and Maternal Health in Rural America, with John Supplitt, Aisha Syeda, Virginia Uhlenkamp, and Ashleigh Wiederin
An episode of the Exploring Rural Health podcast discussing the role of rural hospitals in maternal health. Features John Supplitt and Aisha Syeda from the American Hospital Association, and Virginia Uhlenkamp and Ashleigh Wiederin from St. Anthony Regional Hospital in Carroll, Iowa.
Date: 08/2022
Type: Audio
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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The Most Rural Counties Have the Fewest Health Care Services Available
Examines healthcare resources in metropolitan, micropolitan, and noncore areas, with information on availability of healthcare facilities, bed-to-population ratios, provider-to-population ratios, and Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Author(s): Elizabeth A. Dobis, Jessica E. Todd
Citation: Amber Waves
Date: 08/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey: 2019 Emergency Department Summary Tables
Provides data on ambulatory care emergency department (ED) hospital visits. Table 1 provides metropolitan/nonmetropolitan ED visit data based on hospital location. Table 2 includes metro/nonmetro ED visit data by location of patient residence. Table 14 has metro/nonmetro injury visit data based on hospital location.
Date: 08/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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MedPAC Comment on CMS's Proposed Rule on Conditions of Participation (CoPs) for Rural Emergency Hospitals and Critical Access Hospital CoP Updates
Comments on July 2022 Federal Register proposed rule regarding staffing requirements for rural emergency hospitals (REHs). Discusses whether proposed staffing requirements are sufficient to ensure access to emergency care.
Date: 07/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Types of Rural and Urban Hospitals and Counties Where They Are Located
Offers a snapshot of the types of rural and urban hospitals and the counties where they are located. Presents data on the number and percent of acute care hospitals and average daily census by hospital type, special payment designation, and county size. Includes descriptions of Medicare special payment designations for hospitals.
Date: 07/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Quality and Performance Improvement Across Nebraska
Explains the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) model for quality improvement in Nebraska hospitals. Names goals such as improving behavioral health, improving patient safety, and reducing readmissions, with a focus on the specific needs of rural communities.
Date: 07/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Nebraska Hospital Association
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