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Rural Health
Resources by Type: Document

The Golden Hour Is Elusive in Rural Trauma: A 10-year Analysis from a Level I Trauma Center in Montana
Analyzed 4,213 trauma patients between 2012 and 2022 at a Level 1 trauma facility in Montana to determine whether trauma transfer patterns and rurality impacted outcomes. Discusses the goal of offering definitive care within 1 hour of injury and the impact of workforce shortages in rural areas.
Author(s): Jung G. Min, Maggie Smith, Michael S. Englehart, et al.
Citation: The American Journal of Emergency Medicine, 103, 127-131
Date: 05/2026
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Significant Mediation by Sadness and Self-Injury Is Observed in Associations Between County-Level Cyberbullying Victimization and Youth Suicidality in Rural New York State
Explores the relationship between cyberbullying, traditional bullying, and suicidality in rural counties in New York State. Highlights rates of bullying and cyberbullying, self-harm, recreational screen time, and other measures by demographic characteristic data.
Author(s): Laura E. Jones, Riya Nadkarni, Nicole Krupa
Citation: Journal of Affective Disorders, 401(15), 121270
Date: 05/2026
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Average Salary Expense in Rural and Urban Hospitals in 2022 Compared with 2018, by Hospital Characteristics
Explores how the COVID-19 pandemic may have affected wage disparities across rural and urban hospitals. Describes the median wages by total employee full-time equivalents (FTE) for rural and urban hospitals from 2017-2018 to 2021-2022. Compares the growth in labor cost for rural and urban hospitals by selected hospital characteristics, including system affiliation, hospital ownership, and number of acute care beds.
Date: 04/2026
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Average Salary Expense in Rural and Urban Hospitals Before and During the Low Wage Index Policy, 2018–2022
Examines and compares wage patterns of Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), Rural Prospective Payment System (PPS) hospitals, and Urban PPS hospitals as related to the Low Wage Index Policy (LWIP) in effect from 2020-2022. Utilizes hospital data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Healthcare Cost Report Information System (HCRIS) between 2018 and 2022 and analyzes median salaries. Discusses the impact of Medicare payments and LWIP on hospitals.
Author(s): Saleema Karim, George Pink, Kristie Thompson, Mark Holmes
Date: 04/2026
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Exploring the Geographic Variation of Hepatitis C Screening and Treatment in Ohio
Examines geographic differences in hepatitis C virus (HCV) screening and treatment across Ohio. Utilizes State of Ohio Integrated Behavioral Health Dashboard data to provide a county-level map showing number of HCV screening exams and people treated for HCV per 100,000 people as well as location of health center testing sites.
Author(s): Michael Topmiller, Aaron T. Vissman, Peter J. Mallow, Adam Visconti
Citation: Ohio Journal of Public Health, 8(1)
Date: 04/2026
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Alabama Vital Statistics, 2023
Statistics on births, deaths, marriage, and population in Alabama in 2023. Includes birth rate, maternal demographics and characteristics, causes of death, divorces and annulments, population estimates, and more. Provides county-by-county data, including county-level maps.
Date: 04/2026
Sponsoring organization: Alabama Public Health
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Medicaid Home Care Chartbook
Provides an overview of home care services within the Medicaid program, including participant eligibility, types of services delivered, inclusion in managed care arrangements, and provider distribution. Includes data on the percentage of home care recipients and location of providers in 2023 by Rural-Urban Commuting Area (RUCA) Code.
Date: 04/2026
Sponsoring organizations: Health Management Associates, National Alliance for Care at Home, Research Institute for Home Care
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The Distribution of the Youth Behavioral Health Workforce in Rural and Urban America in 2025
Examines the distribution of school counselors; youth, family, or school psychologists; youth or family mental health nurses; school social workers; and pediatric psychiatrists or behavioral pediatricians across rural and urban areas of the U.S. Features statistics with breakdowns by provider type and location by 6 levels of population density, and a county-level map with shadings showing rural counties with and without youth behavioral health clinicians.
Author(s): Janessa M. Graves, Sara C. Woolcock, Lisa A. Garberson, C. Holly A. Andrilla
Date: 04/2026
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Value-based Payment Strategies Used by Medicaid Managed Care Organizations
Presents findings from a review of 36 state Medicaid program websites that detail value-based payment (VBP) strategies deployed by state-contracted Managed Care Organizations (MCO). Describes how Medicaid MCOs approach VBP strategies and implications for rural healthcare providers and organizations.
Additional links: Appendix: State Medicaid Programs with VBP Elements
Date: 04/2026
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Value
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Factors Associated With Mortality in Appalachian Nursing Homes During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Examines neighborhood characteristics related to Appalachian nursing home (NH) mortality during the COVID-19 pandemic. Analyzes 1,259 NHs in Appalachia for COVID-19 death rates and overall mortality, with breakdowns according to NH characteristics, patient sociodemographics, and rurality.
Author(s): Erica Gigas, Baiming Zou, Lorinda A Coombs, et al.
Citation: The Permanente Journal, 1-9
Date: 04/2026
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