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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Rural-urban differences

2023 Missouri Nursing Workforce Report
Presents an overview of the nursing workforce in Missouri, using data from nurses who held active licenses in Missouri as of October 2023. Provides demographics and statistics on advanced practice registered nurses, registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, school nurses, and more, with breakdowns by county and metropolitan, micropolitan, and rural areas.
Author(s): Sara Davenport, Tracy Greever-Rice, Eric McDavid, et al.
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Missouri State Board of Nursing, University of Missouri Center for Health Policy
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Trends in Travel Time to Obtain Surgical Care for Rural Patients
Research letter analyzing travel time to surgical care in rural areas between 2010 and 2020, utilizing Medicare Provider Analysis and Review data. Includes data comparing annual change by surgical procedure type among rural and nonrural beneficiaries.
Author(s): Cody Lendon Mullens, Reagan A. Collins, Nicholas Kunnath, Janice C. Probst, Andrew M. Ibrahim
Citation: JAMA
Date: 02/2025
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Medicare Advantage Penetration and the Financial Distress of Rural Hospitals
Examines county-level Medicare Advantage (MA) penetration rates and the financial impact on rural hospitals. Utilizes 2014-2020 American Hospital Association data to analyze Medicare and non-Medicare inpatient days paid by the plans, with data breakdowns according to patient demographics, rural versus urban location, timing of inpatient stay, and more.
Author(s): Guido Cataife, Siying Liu
Citation: Health Economics Review, 15, 9
Date: 02/2025
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An Ecological Study of COVID-19 Outcomes among Florida Counties
Examines variations in COVID-19 case rate, mortality rate, and case fatality rate (CFR) across Florida counties. Provides county-level data as well as rural versus urban comparisons of COVID-19 impacts during pandemic waves.
Author(s): Sobur Ali, Taj Azarian
Citation: BMC Public Health, 25, 579
Date: 02/2025
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Disparities in Substance Use Disorder Telehealth Services
Results of a study examining telehealth's association with changes in disparities in substance use disorder telehealth utilization across payers and rurality, from 2019-2023. Features statistics including breakdowns by urban and rural areas.
Author(s): Lauryn Saxe Walker, Manying Cui, Jonathan Cantor, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 8(2), e2459606
Date: 02/2025
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Instability Continues to Threaten Rural Health Safety Net: Reduced Reimbursements, Dwindling Access to Care and Deteriorating Population Health Status
Examines factors contributing to the instability of the rural healthcare safety net, including policy-related reimbursement cuts and changes to payer mixes. Presents data on rural hospitals that have stopped offering obstetrics and chemotherapy services. Explores aspects of rural population health and social drivers of health as they relate to rural healthcare delivery challenges.
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: Chartis Center for Rural Health
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What Explains the Growth in Hospital Assets from 2000 Through 2019? A Decomposition Analysis
Analyzes data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the American Hospital Association to understand factors impacting changes to total hospital assets between 2000 and 2019. Includes data breakdown by hospital urbanicity.
Author(s): Stephanie Teeple, Caroline Andy, William L. Schpero, Paula Chatterjee
Citation: Health Affairs Scholar, 3(2), qxaf004
Date: 02/2025
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Working Longer: Usual Hours Worked per Week in Rural and Urban Pennsylvania
Fact sheet presenting statistics on numbers of hours worked per week in 2023 in urban and rural areas of Pennsylvania, with breakdowns by various demographic characteristics and occupations. Includes statistics on healthcare workers in rural Pennsylvania.
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
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Exploring Access to Critical Health Services for Older Adults in Rural America from 1990 to 2020
Analyzes Area Health Resource Files to evaluate access to healthcare facilities and services between 1990 and 2020 using Rural-Urban Continuum Codes (RUCC). Discusses healthcare access disparities between urban and rural areas and the growth of the older adult population in rural communities.
Author(s): Elizabeth A. Bambury, Alexis A. Merdjanoff, Joshua T. Fergen, J. Tom Mueller
Citation: The Journal of Rural Health, 41(1), e70004
Date: 02/2025
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Trends in Emergency Department, Primary Care, and Behavioral Health Use for Pediatric Mental Health Conditions in Virginia Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Examines the relationship between access to primary and behavioral care and pediatric emergency department (ED) visits. Utilizes 2016-2021 data from the Virginia All-Payers Claims Database to analyze pediatric ED visits, mental health ED visits, ED visits for suicidality, and 2016 versus 2021 ED visits by various sociodemographic factors, including rural location.
Author(s): Jennifer L. Gilbert, Bergen B. Nelson, Jacqueline Britz, et al.
Citation: BMC Primary Care, 26, 54
Date: 02/2025
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