Skip to main content
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by State: North Carolina

Quantifying Disparities in Accessibility and Availability of Pediatric Primary Care across Multiple States with Implications for Targeted Interventions
Examines disparities in accessing pediatric primary care for rural and urban communities and children with public versus private insurance. Uses data on accessibility and availability for children in 7 states: California, Georgia, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Tennessee. Discusses the policy implications of the findings both generally and for the states studied.
Author(s): Monica Gentili, Pravara Harati, Nicoleta Serban, Jean O'Connor, Julie Swann
Citation: Health Services Research, 53(3), 1458-1477
Date: 06/2018
Type: Document
view details
Running the Numbers: County Level Dynamics of Heroin Mortality in North Carolina
Presents a study on opioid overdose mortality in North Carolina. Compares counties that have higher rates of overdose mortality with those with lower rates and aims to identify the factors that contribute to those rates.
Author(s): Alexander H Gunn, Bryce Bartlett, Grace Feng, et al.
Citation: North Carolina Medical Journal, 79(3), 195-200
Date: 05/2018
Type: Document
view details
Access to Syringe Services Programs — Kentucky, North Carolina, and West Virginia, 2013–2017
Overview of the role of syringe services programs (SSPs) in reducing hepatitis C transmission related to injection drug use. Describes the expansion of SSPs in Kentucky, North Carolina, and West Virginia from 2013 through August 1, 2017. Discusses the opportunity to improve access to care through SSPs, including access to related services such as medication-assisted treatment, which can be included in comprehensive SSPs.
Author(s): Danae Bixler, Greg Corby-Lee, Scott Proescholdbell, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 67(18), 529-532
Date: 05/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
view details
Social Determinants of Health: Transforming the Buzz Phrase to a Rural Action Item
Discusses how rural healthcare organizations can use social risk assessments as a tool to improve population health. Highlights the work of two rural organizations, CommWell Health in North Carolina and Tift Regional Health System in Georgia, to assess social risks and address patients' social determinants of health (SDOH).
Author(s): Kay Miller Temple
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 04/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
view details
Industrial Hog Farming Is Associated with Altered Circulating Immunological Markers
Highlights a study of immunological changes among hog farmers. Draws data from the Agricultural Health Study. Breaks down data by race, education, and body mass index, among other measures.
Author(s): Jonathan N. Hofmann, Meredith S. Shiels, Melissa C. Friesen, et al.
Citation: Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 75(3), 212-217
Date: 03/2018
Type: Document
view details
What's MAT Got to Do with It? Medication-Assisted Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder in Rural America
Provides an overview of medication-assisted treatment (MAT), an evidence-based treatment for opioid use disorder, with information on the science behind the disorder and how three MAT medications work. Highlights rural health organizations providing MAT treatment.
Author(s): Kay Miller Temple
Date: 03/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
view details
Epidemiological Study of People Living in Rural North Carolina for Novel Respiratory Viruses
Pilot study at an outpatient clinic in North Carolina examining individuals with influenza-like symptoms to identify respiratory viruses among people residing in a rural area with dense swine and poultry farming. Includes results from nasal swab and air samples as well as participant characteristics, including sex, age, animal exposure, and antibiotic and hospitalization history.
Author(s): X. Wang, B. D. Anderson, L. A. Pulscher, et al.
Citation: Zoonoses and Public Health, 65(1), e265–e269
Date: 02/2018
Type: Document
view details
Occupational Pesticide Exposure and Subclinical Hypothyroidism among Male Pesticide Applicators
Details a study on thyroid dysfunction in licensed pesticide applicators. Draws data from the Agricultural Health Study. Looks at other health factors such as obesity, tobacco use, and alcohol consumption, as well as other demographic factors.
Author(s): Catherine C. Lerro, Laura E. Beane Freeman, Curt T. DellaValle, et al.
Citation: Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 75(2), 79-89
Date: 02/2018
Type: Document
view details
The Physician Assistant Workforce In North Carolina
Describes the current supply of physician assistants (PAs) in North Carolina, examining demographic trends, practice locations, demand for services, and trends in education. Includes a county-level map showing concentrations of PAs as of 2016, statistics on growth of the PA workforce in North Carolina from 2000-2016, and diversity of the North Carolina population and PA workforce as of 2016, with breakdowns by ethnic or racial groups. Also includes a county-level map showing locations of PA programs in North Carolina, with shadings for urban and non-urban counties, and statistics on enrollments in PA programs, 2015-2017.
Author(s): Julie C. Spero, Zahabiya Petiwala
Date: 01/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: The Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research
view details
Workforce Outcomes of North Carolina Medical School Graduates: A Report to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services and the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee
Describes the identity, location, and number of positions for medical school in North Carolina, identifies the numbers of graduates of medical education in various specialty areas, and tracks outcomes of graduates in primary care, obstetrics and gynecology, and psychiatry 5 years after completing training. Features state-level data through 2016, and includes statistics on percent of graduates in training or practice in rural areas 2008-2011.
Author(s): Julie C. Spero, Erin P. Fraher
Date: 01/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: The Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research
view details