Partnerships between hospitals and other organizations like public health departments and social service organizations are essential for addressing monumental challenges like pandemics, improving patient outcomes, meeting patients' social needs, and successfully implementing alternative payment models. This project used American Hospital Association (AHA) data to answer the following research questions:

1. To what extent have the number and types of clinical-community linkages (partnerships) in non-metropolitan (micropolitan and non-core) and metropolitan hospitals changed over time?
   1. Did hospitals without linkages to public health departments before the pandemic link with public health after the pandemic started (2020 and/or 2021)?
2. How do the characteristics of non-metropolitan hospitals (e.g., prospective payment system hospitals vs. Critical Access Hospitals, sociodemographic characteristics of the county location of the hospital) with and without such partnerships differ?

Publications

• Partnerships to Address Social Needs Across Metropolitan and Non-Metropolitan Prospective Payment System Hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals
  Policy Brief
  RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
  Date: 03/2024
  This policy brief used American Hospital Association survey data to examine partnerships between hospitals and external organizations to address social needs.