Center for Agriculture and the Economy
Leveraging expertise from the Kansas City Fed, the Center provides timely analysis of industry developments and conducts ongoing research on the agricultural economy.
Consolidation Has Affected Availability of Rural Health Care
By John McCoy
Hospitals and health systems are increasingly consolidating services, leading to fewer hospital beds available across the country. Outright closures of hospitals have remained rare, but health systems have consolidated key services units, like emergency departments or labor and delivery units. Such consolidation has been most acute in rural areas, where the number of beds has fallen by about a third since 2000 (purple line). While some evidence suggests consolidation is placing upward pressure on health care prices, increases in non-monetary costs like drive and wait times could also be particularly impactful for rural communities. Read more in the recent Nebraska Economists article: Nebraska Health Care Under Pressure: Increasing Costs, Consolidation, and Growing Demand
Sources: HRSA Area Health Resources File, author’s calculations.
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Latest Research and Updates
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New Farm Loan Originations Ease Slightly | -
Farm Loan Growth Remains Strong as Lending Shifts at Some Large Banks | -
How Will Drought and Groundwater Depletion Affect Irrigated Farmland Values in the Tenth District? | -
Continued Resilience in Farmland Values | -
Resilience, Not Crisis, in the U.S. Agricultural Economy | -
Deterioration in Farm Financial Conditions Remains Gradual |
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New Farm Loan Originations Ease Slightly | -
Farm Loan Growth Remains Strong as Lending Shifts at Some Large Banks | -
Continued Resilience in Farmland Values | -
Sharp Growth in Tenth District Ranchland Values | -
Deterioration in Farm Financial Conditions Remains Gradual | -
Growth in Farm Lending Activity Persists |
The Kansas City Fed's Continuing Commitment to Agriculture
Through regular surveys, analysis and connections across the industry, the Kansas City Fed has had a longstanding focus on U.S. and global agriculture. Leveraging this expertise, the Center for Agriculture and the Economy serves as a resource within the Federal Reserve System by providing timely analysis of industry developments and conducting ongoing research on the agricultural economy. The Kansas City Fed is committed to understanding developments in the agricultural economy and gathering perspectives from rural America in order to include them in discussions on the national economy.
The Kansas City Fed's Ag Connection
Agriculture is central to the Kansas City Fed’s 10th District’s economy, from farm production and food manufacturing to agricultural banking and finance. Through its regular surveys, analysis and connections across the industry, the Kansas City Fed has had a longstanding focus on the U.S. and global agricultural economy. At the same time, connecting with stakeholders and ag industry professionals through events, round tables and conversations is critical to the Bank’s work.