Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Service delivery models
Sustaining Rural Labor & Delivery Programs: Strategies for Financial Analyses and Considerations for Maintaining Services
A guide for Critical Access Hospital and other rural hospital executives to use when assessing the financial viability of their Labor & Delivery programs. Outlines three strategies that may bring a Labor & Delivery program closer to sustainability and prevent unnecessary closure of services in rural areas.
Author(s): Eric Shell, Dahlia McGrath, Jeff Sommer, et al.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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A guide for Critical Access Hospital and other rural hospital executives to use when assessing the financial viability of their Labor & Delivery programs. Outlines three strategies that may bring a Labor & Delivery program closer to sustainability and prevent unnecessary closure of services in rural areas.
Author(s): Eric Shell, Dahlia McGrath, Jeff Sommer, et al.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Implementing High-Quality Primary Care: A Policy Menu for States
Presents policy strategies utilized by states to strengthen primary care across five priority areas. Strategies cover primary care reimbursement; addressing individual, community, and market-level barriers to care; expanding and supporting the primary care workforce; and supporting practice transformation. Includes rural references throughout.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Milbank Memorial Fund, National Academy for State Health Policy
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Presents policy strategies utilized by states to strengthen primary care across five priority areas. Strategies cover primary care reimbursement; addressing individual, community, and market-level barriers to care; expanding and supporting the primary care workforce; and supporting practice transformation. Includes rural references throughout.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Milbank Memorial Fund, National Academy for State Health Policy
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Boosting Maternity Care in Rural America
Provides a brief overview of the state of maternal healthcare in rural areas. Highlights state and federal actions taken to improve access to quality maternal care and improve birth outcomes.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Conference of State Legislatures
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Provides a brief overview of the state of maternal healthcare in rural areas. Highlights state and federal actions taken to improve access to quality maternal care and improve birth outcomes.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Conference of State Legislatures
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Telemedicine Buprenorphine Access For Incarcerated People: Lessons Learned From Maryland's Rural Jails
Explores the lessons learned form implementing a telemedicine-based buprenorphine treatment for opioid use disorder in rural Maryland jails. Highlights the challenges and opportunities expanding, establishing, and implementing buprenorphine treatment via telemedicine. Draws conclusions for future interventions.
Author(s): Max Spaderna, Annabelle M. Belcher, Chris Welsh, et al.
Citation: Health Affairs, 44(9), 1131-1137
Date: 09/2025
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Explores the lessons learned form implementing a telemedicine-based buprenorphine treatment for opioid use disorder in rural Maryland jails. Highlights the challenges and opportunities expanding, establishing, and implementing buprenorphine treatment via telemedicine. Draws conclusions for future interventions.
Author(s): Max Spaderna, Annabelle M. Belcher, Chris Welsh, et al.
Citation: Health Affairs, 44(9), 1131-1137
Date: 09/2025
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Rural Maternity and Obstetrics Management Strategies (RMOMS) Program
Describes a pilot grant program designed to improve maternal and neonatal health in rural communities by collecting data and supporting the development of financially sustainable and coordinated network models. Aims to make maternal and obstetrics care more accessible through increased use of telehealth and specialty care. Fact sheet provides information on the activities of 3 rural networks funded through the RMOMS program.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Federal Office of Rural Health Policy, Maternal and Child Health Bureau
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Describes a pilot grant program designed to improve maternal and neonatal health in rural communities by collecting data and supporting the development of financially sustainable and coordinated network models. Aims to make maternal and obstetrics care more accessible through increased use of telehealth and specialty care. Fact sheet provides information on the activities of 3 rural networks funded through the RMOMS program.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Federal Office of Rural Health Policy, Maternal and Child Health Bureau
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Video and Telephone Telehealth Use and Web-Based Patient Portal Activation Among Rural-Dwelling Patients: Retrospective Medical Record Review and Policy Implications
Analyzes patient characteristics associated with telehealth use among rural California adults, utilizing electronic health record data of 9,359 patients dwelling in rural California ZIP codes. Provides data on patients' telehealth modality, provider type, portal activation, level of rurality, age, primary language, and other clinical and demographic characteristics. Discusses policy approaches to improving telehealth access in rural areas.
Author(s): Meghan Rowe Ferrara, Gina Intinarelli-Shuler, Susan A Chapman
Citation: Journal of Medical Internet Research, 27, e67226
Date: 08/2025
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Analyzes patient characteristics associated with telehealth use among rural California adults, utilizing electronic health record data of 9,359 patients dwelling in rural California ZIP codes. Provides data on patients' telehealth modality, provider type, portal activation, level of rurality, age, primary language, and other clinical and demographic characteristics. Discusses policy approaches to improving telehealth access in rural areas.
Author(s): Meghan Rowe Ferrara, Gina Intinarelli-Shuler, Susan A Chapman
Citation: Journal of Medical Internet Research, 27, e67226
Date: 08/2025
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Satisfaction with Telehealth Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder Among Individuals Living in Rural and Nonrural Areas
Presents a study on the care satisfaction and provider-patient relationship of telehealth-based opioid use disorder treatment. Bases conclusions on the results of a participant survey and breaks down data by participant characteristics, their reason for preferring telehealth treatment, and rural versus nonrural location.
Author(s): Lauren Hendy, Amanda Olguin, Cynthia Jimes, et al.
Citation: Telemedicine and e-Health, 31(8), 1039-1046
Date: 08/2025
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Presents a study on the care satisfaction and provider-patient relationship of telehealth-based opioid use disorder treatment. Bases conclusions on the results of a participant survey and breaks down data by participant characteristics, their reason for preferring telehealth treatment, and rural versus nonrural location.
Author(s): Lauren Hendy, Amanda Olguin, Cynthia Jimes, et al.
Citation: Telemedicine and e-Health, 31(8), 1039-1046
Date: 08/2025
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The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's Investments in Primary Care Research for 2023 and 2024
Provides an overview of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's (AHRQ) primary care research investments in 2023 and 2024. See document pages 88-90 for summaries of rural primary care research grants.
Additional links: At-a-Glance: AHRQ's Recent Investments in Primary Care Research
Author(s): Jessie Gerteis, Neve Brennan, Jessica McNab, et al.
Date: 08/2025
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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Provides an overview of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's (AHRQ) primary care research investments in 2023 and 2024. See document pages 88-90 for summaries of rural primary care research grants.
Additional links: At-a-Glance: AHRQ's Recent Investments in Primary Care Research
Author(s): Jessie Gerteis, Neve Brennan, Jessica McNab, et al.
Date: 08/2025
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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Rural Life, Rural Healthcare, and Telehealth: An Interpretive Phenomenology Study
Explores themes related to healthcare access, telehealth use, and rural life contexts among 16 adults in rural and remote areas of California. Details interviewee perceptions of healthcare availability, geographic and environmental influences on healthcare access, benefits and drawbacks of telehealth use, and more.
Author(s): Meghan Rowe Ferrara, Susan A. Chapman
Citation: Rural Sociology, 90(3), e70016
Date: 08/2025
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Explores themes related to healthcare access, telehealth use, and rural life contexts among 16 adults in rural and remote areas of California. Details interviewee perceptions of healthcare availability, geographic and environmental influences on healthcare access, benefits and drawbacks of telehealth use, and more.
Author(s): Meghan Rowe Ferrara, Susan A. Chapman
Citation: Rural Sociology, 90(3), e70016
Date: 08/2025
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Expanding Access to Integrated Medicare-Medicaid Programs in Rural Communities
Discusses the rural population who are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid and their unique physical health, mental health, and health-related social needs (HRSNs). Includes information on dual eligibility issues related to access, integrated care, and managed care infrastructure. Provides a literature review and stakeholder interview feedback focused on potential strategies to improve healthcare integration.
Author(s): Molly Knowles, Nida Joseph, Nancy Archibald, Ellen Breslin
Date: 08/2025
Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Care Strategies
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Discusses the rural population who are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid and their unique physical health, mental health, and health-related social needs (HRSNs). Includes information on dual eligibility issues related to access, integrated care, and managed care infrastructure. Provides a literature review and stakeholder interview feedback focused on potential strategies to improve healthcare integration.
Author(s): Molly Knowles, Nida Joseph, Nancy Archibald, Ellen Breslin
Date: 08/2025
Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Care Strategies
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