Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Inpatient care
From Closure to Comeback: A Rural ICU Is Reborn
A podcast episode examining how rural hospitals can utilize technology and partnerships to provide local healthcare access to residents. Provides a discussion between CEOs of hospitals focusing on the reopening of an intensive care unit (ICU) at a Critical Access Hospital (CAH).
Author(s): Tom Haederle, Marc Boom, Mark Boucot
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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A podcast episode examining how rural hospitals can utilize technology and partnerships to provide local healthcare access to residents. Provides a discussion between CEOs of hospitals focusing on the reopening of an intensive care unit (ICU) at a Critical Access Hospital (CAH).
Author(s): Tom Haederle, Marc Boom, Mark Boucot
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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2025-2026 Pre-Rulemaking Measure Review Final Recommendations Report
Reviews the 24 pre-rulemaking quality measures the Battelle's Partnership for Quality Measurement (PQM) considered during the 2025-2026 Pre-Rulemaking Measure Review (PRMR) cycle. Discusses measures for clinician, hospital, and post-acute care/long-term care programs. Includes rural references and considerations throughout.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Partnership for Quality Measurement
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Reviews the 24 pre-rulemaking quality measures the Battelle's Partnership for Quality Measurement (PQM) considered during the 2025-2026 Pre-Rulemaking Measure Review (PRMR) cycle. Discusses measures for clinician, hospital, and post-acute care/long-term care programs. Includes rural references and considerations throughout.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Partnership for Quality Measurement
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Nonventilator Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia: Prevalence and Hospital and Patient Characteristics, 2019-2023
Presents statistics on inpatient hospital stays involving nonventilator hospital-acquired pneumonia (NVHAP) between 2019-2023. Examines data by patient and hospital characteristics, including patient age group, urban or rural location, Critical Access Hospital status, and hospital ownership status.
Author(s): Rhona Limcangco, David P. Calfee, Melissa A. Miller
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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Presents statistics on inpatient hospital stays involving nonventilator hospital-acquired pneumonia (NVHAP) between 2019-2023. Examines data by patient and hospital characteristics, including patient age group, urban or rural location, Critical Access Hospital status, and hospital ownership status.
Author(s): Rhona Limcangco, David P. Calfee, Melissa A. Miller
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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Inpatient Stays Related to Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, 2016-2022
Presents weighted estimates on non-neonatal inpatient stays involving nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) between 2016 and 2022. Examines data from the 2022 National Inpatient Sample (NIS) to compare NAFLD-related stays compared with all other stays by patient characteristics, including rurality, and principal diagnosis.
Author(s): Marc Roemer, Lan Liang
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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Presents weighted estimates on non-neonatal inpatient stays involving nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) between 2016 and 2022. Examines data from the 2022 National Inpatient Sample (NIS) to compare NAFLD-related stays compared with all other stays by patient characteristics, including rurality, and principal diagnosis.
Author(s): Marc Roemer, Lan Liang
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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Hospital Readmissions for Adult Patients with Sickle Cell Disease, 2016- 2022
Presents statistics on the rate of 30-day all-cause hospital readmissions following an initial hospital stay for sickle cell disease (SCD) among adults between 2016-2022. Examines data by patient and hospital characteristics, including SCD crisis status, patient and hospital rurality, expected payer, and reasons for readmission.
Author(s): Lawrence D. Reid, H. Joanna Jiang
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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Presents statistics on the rate of 30-day all-cause hospital readmissions following an initial hospital stay for sickle cell disease (SCD) among adults between 2016-2022. Examines data by patient and hospital characteristics, including SCD crisis status, patient and hospital rurality, expected payer, and reasons for readmission.
Author(s): Lawrence D. Reid, H. Joanna Jiang
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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January 2026 MedPAC Meeting Transcript
Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) January 2026 meeting. Covers payment adequacy and updates for physician and other health professional services, hospital inpatient and outpatient services, skilled nursing facility services, home health agency services, inpatient rehabilitation facility services, outpatient dialysis services, and hospice services. Discusses status reports on Medicare Part D, ambulatory surgical centers, and the Medicare Advantage program, as well as mandated reports on changes to the home health prospective payment system and dual-eligible special needs plans. Includes rural references and considerations throughout.
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) January 2026 meeting. Covers payment adequacy and updates for physician and other health professional services, hospital inpatient and outpatient services, skilled nursing facility services, home health agency services, inpatient rehabilitation facility services, outpatient dialysis services, and hospice services. Discusses status reports on Medicare Part D, ambulatory surgical centers, and the Medicare Advantage program, as well as mandated reports on changes to the home health prospective payment system and dual-eligible special needs plans. Includes rural references and considerations throughout.
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Changes in Bed-Based Measures of Surge Capacity from 2018 to 2022 among Rural and Urban Hospitals
Policy brief describing how hospitals' inpatient capacity changed from 2018-2022 and examining trade-offs between cost-saving reductions and emergency preparedness. Features statistics on hospitals' average daily census (ADC) and number and percentage of unoccupied beds, with breakdowns by year and urban or rural location.
Author(s): Emma Kerr, Tyler Malone, Mark Holmes
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Policy brief describing how hospitals' inpatient capacity changed from 2018-2022 and examining trade-offs between cost-saving reductions and emergency preparedness. Features statistics on hospitals' average daily census (ADC) and number and percentage of unoccupied beds, with breakdowns by year and urban or rural location.
Author(s): Emma Kerr, Tyler Malone, Mark Holmes
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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December 2025 MedPAC Meeting Transcript
Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) December 2025 meeting. Covers payment adequacy and updates for physician and other health professional services, hospital inpatient and outpatient services, Rural Emergency Hospitals (REHs), post-acute care, skilled nursing facility services, inpatient rehabilitation facility services, home health services, hospice services, and outpatient dialysis services. Includes discussions on improving Medicare payment approaches and mandated reports on the impact of recent changes to the home health prospective payment system and an assessment of the Medicare ground ambulance data collection system.
Additional links: Assessing Payment Adequacy and Updating Payments: Hospital Inpatient and Outpatient Services; Mandated Report on Rural Emergency Hospitals; And Update on Site-neutral Payments - Presentation Slides, Mandated Report: Assessment of the Medicare Ground Ambulance Data Collection System - Presentation Slides
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) December 2025 meeting. Covers payment adequacy and updates for physician and other health professional services, hospital inpatient and outpatient services, Rural Emergency Hospitals (REHs), post-acute care, skilled nursing facility services, inpatient rehabilitation facility services, home health services, hospice services, and outpatient dialysis services. Includes discussions on improving Medicare payment approaches and mandated reports on the impact of recent changes to the home health prospective payment system and an assessment of the Medicare ground ambulance data collection system.
Additional links: Assessing Payment Adequacy and Updating Payments: Hospital Inpatient and Outpatient Services; Mandated Report on Rural Emergency Hospitals; And Update on Site-neutral Payments - Presentation Slides, Mandated Report: Assessment of the Medicare Ground Ambulance Data Collection System - Presentation Slides
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Inpatient Utilization of Therapeutic Plasma Exchange in the United States: 2016-2021
Examines demographic and clinical variables associated with utilization of therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) in the U.S. from 2016 to 2021. Utilizes national inpatient sample (NIS) data to analyze TPE utilization according to patient demographics, insurance type, discharge outcomes, clinical conditions, and hospital type, costs, region, bed size, and rurality.
Author(s): Jianling Tao, Sijie Zheng, Lusilda Agolli, et al.
Citation: Kidney Medicine, 7(11), 101105
Date: 11/2025
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Examines demographic and clinical variables associated with utilization of therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) in the U.S. from 2016 to 2021. Utilizes national inpatient sample (NIS) data to analyze TPE utilization according to patient demographics, insurance type, discharge outcomes, clinical conditions, and hospital type, costs, region, bed size, and rurality.
Author(s): Jianling Tao, Sijie Zheng, Lusilda Agolli, et al.
Citation: Kidney Medicine, 7(11), 101105
Date: 11/2025
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MedPAC Payment Basics
Series of briefs providing an of Medicare payment systems. Covers payments systems including Accountable Care Organizations (ACO), Critical Access Hospitals (CAH), Federally Qualified Health Centers and Rural Health Clinics, hospital acute inpatient services, and more.
Date: 11/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Series of briefs providing an of Medicare payment systems. Covers payments systems including Accountable Care Organizations (ACO), Critical Access Hospitals (CAH), Federally Qualified Health Centers and Rural Health Clinics, hospital acute inpatient services, and more.
Date: 11/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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