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.

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Five Most Recent Publications

• Rural Implications of Increased Medicare Beneficiary Enrollment in ACOs and MA Plans
  Policy Brief
  RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
  Date: 06/2026
  Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in a Medicare Advantage (MA) plan are not eligible for attribution to a Medicare Share Savings Plan (SSP) Accountable Care Organization (ACO). This data report examines the impact of a growing MA population on the pool of beneficiaries eligible for ACO attribution.
• Rural vs. Urban Patterns of Dental Care Services and Outcomes Among Medicaid-Enrolled Children in Early Childhood
  Policy Brief
  University of South Carolina Rural Health Research Center
  Date: 06/2026
  Using national Medicaid dental claims, researchers examined rural-urban differences in preventive services, restorative services, and caries diagnosis.
• Expanding and Sustaining Rural Clinical Education: Perspectives From Health Professions Education Leaders
  Policy Brief
  WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
  Date: 06/2026
  This qualitative study explores strategies to sustain and expand rural clinical education, drawing on interviews with 21 rural clinical education leaders from organizations that support health professions education in rural and underserved communities.
• Supporting Rural Older Adults in Home and Community-Based Settings: Perspectives From Area Agencies on Aging
  Policy Brief
  University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
  Date: 06/2026
  This policy brief presents findings from a listening session of six representatives from Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) across five states (MN, OH, VA, VT, and WA).
• Marriage and Family Therapist and Mental Health Counselor Workforces in Rural America Under New Medicare Reimbursement Policy
  Policy Brief
  WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
  Date: 06/2026
  Medicare began allowing marriage and family therapists (MFTs) and mental health counselors (MHCs) to independently bill for services in January 2024. This study examines changes in the MFT and MHC workforces across rural and urban counties before and after this policy change.

Archived Publications

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