Research Publications

Browse the full list of research publications from the Rural Health Research Centers.

Products – Freely accessible products include policy briefs, fact sheets, full reports, chartbooks, and interactive data websites.

Journal Articles – Articles in peer-reviewed journals may require a subscription or affiliation with a subscribing library. For these publications, Gateway lists the article citation, a brief summary, a link to additional information and access to the full-text of the article, if available.

Browse Research Products:

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Five Most Recent Publications

• 2010-2024 County-Level Hospital-Based Obstetric Care Status
  Rural Maternal Health Data Support and Analysis Program, University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
  Date: 05/2026
  This data resource on obstetric care access is updated annually and now includes data from 2010-2024.
• Changes in Staffing, Resident Health, Closure, and Financial Performance of Rural Nursing Homes From 2017 to 2022
  Policy Brief
  RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
  Date: 05/2026
  This policy brief summarizes staffing, resident health, mortality, closures, and financial performance of nursing homes in small or isolated rural towns, micropolitan, and metropolitan areas between 2017 to 2022.
• Access to and Provision of Child and Youth Behavioral Health Services in the Rural and Urban U.S.
  Report
  WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
  Date: 05/2026
  This report brings together findings from nine briefs and reports on youth behavioral health in the rural U.S., describing the prevalence of behavioral health conditions among youth, the youth behavioral health workforce, the behavioral health licensure and reimbursement policy landscape, and the provision of youth behavioral health services.
• Trends in Medicare Advantage Quality for Nonmetropolitan Enrollees, 2019-2023
  Policy Brief
  RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
  Date: 05/2026
  This brief analyzes Medicare Advantage star rating data for 2019 to 2023 for all (non-special needs) contracts and describes patterns across geography, by region, and by plan type.
• Average Salary Expense in Rural and Urban Hospitals Before and During the Low Wage Index Policy, 2018–2022
  Policy Brief
  North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
  Date: 04/2026
  This study describes hospital wage patterns for Critical Access Hospitals and Prospective Payment System hospitals from 2018–2022, examining the Low Wage Index Policy in effect between 2020-22.

Archived Publications

• Publication Archive
  Rural health research publications not available elsewhere online.