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Rural Health Information Hub

State Rural Health Plans

State-level plans addressing rural health.

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Name | Date
2023-2028 Texas State Health Plan
Provides recommendations to the Texas legislature on how to help ensure access to healthcare for all Texans. Addresses access to care, rural health, the mental health and behavioral health workforce, and teleservices and technology.
Date: 11/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Texas Statewide Health Coordinating Council
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Alabama Rural Health Plan
Examines health status indicators in rural Alabama. Includes the number of practicing primary care physicians in Alabama by age, and the number of primary care physicians, dentists, and psychiatrists per 10,000 people for each Alabama county.
Date: 2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Alabama Office of Primary Care and Rural Health
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Alaska Rural Health Plan
A guide to implement the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program in the state of Alaska providing information on the creation of rural health networks, the stabilization of rural hospitals, the accessibility and quality of healthcare services, and the process for the Critical Access Hospital (CAH) designation.
Date: 12/2001
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Alaska Department of Health
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Arizona Rural Health Plan 2005-2007
Reports on how to strengthen the rural health infrastructure in the state as well as how to enhance access to health services by rural residents.
Author(s): Howard J. Eng, Julie Jacobs, Jennifer Peashock
Date: 12/2004
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Arizona Center for Rural Health
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Creating a Culture of Health in Rural West Virginia: State Rural Health Plan 2018-2022
Presents a state plan representing the vision and goals for the health and well-being of people in rural West Virginia as identified by healthcare advocates within the state. Key health conditions and health indicators are discussed, including behavioral health, cardiovascular disease, lung disease, obesity, and social determinants of health. Priorities to support positive change are focused on improvements in the following areas: access to healthcare, health outcomes, workforce development, and community engagement.
Date: 01/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: West Virginia Bureau for Public Health, West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, West Virginia State Office of Rural Health
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Iowa Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety Resource Plan, 2011
Presents the Iowa Department of Public Health strategic plan, including a rural health care resource plan. Discusses rural facts, access to health services, agricultural health and safety, and rural health workforce and information technology implications.
Date: 2011
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Iowa Department of Health and Human Services
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Louisiana Rural Health Plan 2011-2015
A guide lending direction for rural healthcare, and the development and delivery of health services in rural Louisiana with a focus on strengthening partnerships with providers, rural communities, and other state and federal stakeholders.
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Louisiana Bureau of Chronic Disease Prevention and Healthcare Access
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Maryland Rural Health Plan 2018
Details the current state of rural healthcare in Maryland, including areas of need, success of existing health plans, and corresponding recommendations. Presents county-level data, including the health priorities for each rural county.
Additional links: Maryland Rural Health Plan Website
Date: 2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Maryland Rural Health Association
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Michigan Strategic Opportunities for Rural Health Improvement: A State Rural Health Plan 2008-2012
Assessed the health status in Michigan's rural areas based on the Michigan Rural Health Profile, Delphi Survey results, and the Michigan Strategic Opportunities for Rural Health Improvement: April 2008 - April 2012: Final Report. Identified three key rural health issues to be addressed which include: availability and accessibility to healthcare services; recruitment and retention of healthcare providers (nurses, physician assistants, dentists, physicians, and allied health); and healthy lifestyles.
Author(s): John Barnas, Lonnie Barnett, Traci Wightman, et al.
Date: 04/2008
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Michigan Center for Rural Health
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Mississippi Rural Health Plan 2022
Provides an overview of health status and healthcare systems in rural Mississippi, identifies priorities, and describes plans for rural health improvement. Defines rural areas and facilities, and presents an overview of State Office of Rural Health funding and programs. Includes statistics on demographics, health workforce, Critical Access Hospital performance, and population health indicators.
Date: 2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Mississippi Office of Rural Health, Mississippi Public Health Institute (MSPHI), Mississippi State Department of Health
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Missouri 2010-2013 Rural Health Plan
Identifies and addresses 4 priority rural health issues in Missouri, including: access to affordable health care, transportation, emergency services, and lack of rural health workforce.
Date: 04/2011
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Missouri Office of Rural Health and Primary Care
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Montana State Rural Health Plan
Plan to shape the development of Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program in Montana. Includes information on trends, challenges, and methods to ensure access to quality healthcare across the state. Features updates related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Date: 08/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services
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New Mexico Rural Health Plan
Presents the results of a rural health strategic planning project to develop recommendations for improving the health status and healthcare services in rural New Mexico. Report includes a definition of rural, a rural health priority assessment, identification of rural health priorities of local communities, and program and policy recommendations.
Date: 06/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: New Mexico Department of Health
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North Carolina Rural Health Action Plan: A Report of the NCIOM Task Force on Rural Health
Contains the North Carolina rural health action plan to improve rural health outcomes and identifies six key strategies at the state and local levels to address rural health disparities. See also: 2018 Update on Priority Strategies.
Date: 08/2014
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Institute of Medicine
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North Dakota Flex Program and Critical Access Hospital State Rural Health Plan
Assesses and identifies pressing current conditions of rural health services and systems, focusing on Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs). These conditions are workforce, access, finance, health information technology, community and economic development, quality, emergency medical and trauma services, networking, and system reform. Report also recommends strategic approaches to address these topics of concern.
Author(s): Marlene Miller, Brad Gibbens, Christine Lennon, Mary Wakefield
Date: 12/2008
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: University of North Dakota Center for Rural Health
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Ohio Rural Health Improvement Plan
Overviews plans and strategies to improve health in rural Ohio with evidence-based decisions. Includes demographic and statistical breakdowns of rural populations related to health conditions and healthcare access. Also includes a list of priority factors for 2020-2022, including tobacco use, poverty, and access to care, among others, as well as a list of health outcomes rankings for all counties in the state.
Date: 06/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Ohio Department of Health, Ohio Rural Health Association, Ohio State Office of Rural Health, Ohio University
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The Oklahoma Rural Health Care Plan 2000
Provides a framework for the improvement of health for rural populations in Oklahoma with a focus on the development and implementation of the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program.
Date: 2000
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Oklahoma Office of Rural Health
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Rural Health Care: A Strategic Plan for Washington State
Explores ways to transform the rural healthcare system in Washington State. Describes the challenges that rural communities face. Provides rural versus urban statistics on reimbursement and special programs.
Date: 2012
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Washington State Hospital Association
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South Carolina State Health Improvement Plan 2018-2023
Describes a plan for public health improvement in South Carolina. Identifies priorities, strategies, and metrics for a variety of topics including child welfare, chronic conditions, and behavioral health. See pages 51-65 for discussion of rural healthcare access and social determinants of health.
Additional links: South Carolina Rural Health Action Plan
Date: 11/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Alliance for a Healthier South Carolina (AHSC)
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South Carolina's Rural Health Action Plan
Describes South Carolina's plan to improve rural health outcomes, including 5 areas of focus, 15 recommendations, and 50+ action steps, intended to spur progress over the following 3-5 years. Focus areas include access to care, community assets leadership and engagement (CALE), economic development, education, and housing.
Additional links: Brief
Date: 11/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: South Carolina Office of Rural Health
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State of Georgia Rural Health Care Plan
Presents data, priorities, best practices, and key resources for community and state agencies to use as a toolkit to promote programs and policies for rural health. Features county-level statistics including key health indicators comparing rural and urban Georgia.
Date: 08/2000
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Georgia Health Policy Center, Georgia State Office of Rural Health
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Utah Rural Health Plan
Describes Utah's rural healthcare system, the organizations comprising the healthcare safety net, and the environment in which those organizations provide healthcare services. Prioritizes specific rural health issues identified by hospital surveys, health assessments, and interviews with key rural health stakeholders.
Date: 02/2013
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Utah Office of Primary Care and Rural Health
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Virginia Rural Health Plan 2022-2026
Identifies key objectives and priorities for rural health in Virginia including broadband access, healthy housing, transportation, nutrition and food security, maternal and child health, access to healthcare services, behavioral health, aging in place, and workforce development. Features statistics with breakdowns by rural and nonrural areas.
Date: 01/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Virginia State Office of Rural Health
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