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

• Changes in Bed-Based Measures of Surge Capacity from 2018 to 2022 Among Rural and Urban Hospitals
  Policy Brief
  North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
  Date: 12/2025
  The COVID-19 pandemic showed that hospital closures and other reductions in inpatient capacity can limit a hospital's ability to respond to sudden surges in demand. This research examines how rural inpatient capacity has changed over time.
• Community Healers: How Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority Leads in Health and Wellness
  University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
  Date: 12/2025
  The purpose of this qualitative case study is to describe how the Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority (CIHA) is addressing the health needs of its community, with an emphasis on integrating Cherokee culture and Western medical care as a method to improve community health.
• Geographic and Demographic Differences in Studies of the Five Leading Causes of Death in the U.S.: Evidence from Peer-Reviewed Literature
  Policy Brief
  Southwest Rural Health Research Center
  Date: 12/2025
  This brief examined the association of rurality and race/ethnicity on the five leading causes of death in the United States based on a review of 260 studies since 1970.
• Availability of Higher-Level Neonatal Care Services in Rural U.S. Counties, 2010-2022
  Policy Brief
  University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
  Date: 12/2025
  The purpose of this policy brief is to show the changes in the availability of higher-level neonatal care in rural U.S. counties from 2010 to 2022, and how this availability differs by rural county type (micropolitan vs. noncore).
• Rural Hospital Financial Distress Index: Relative Risk in 2025
  North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center, Rapid Response to Requests for Rural Data Analysis
  Date: 11/2025
  This infographic shows a U.S. map of the number and percent of rural hospitals within each state at highest relative financial distress risk in 2025.