Skip to main content
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Access

Wiping Away the Tears: Addressing Increasing Death in Rural America
Examines rural mortality trends and discusses the impact of the opioid epidemic and COVID-19 pandemic, as well as rural maternal and infant mortality. Describes federally-funded efforts to address rural disparities.
Author(s): Whitney Zahnd
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 07/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
view details
Racial Inequities in the Availability of Evidence-Based Supports for Maternal and Infant Health in 93 Rural US Counties with Hospital-Based Obstetric Care
Policy brief describing differences between availability of supports for maternal and infant health in rural counties that are majority-Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) and those in majority-White rural counties. Features statistics on community characteristics of rural counties with hospital-based obstetric care.
Author(s): Bridget Basile Ibrahim, Mariana Tuttle, Alyssa H. Fritz, Julia D. Interrante, Katy Backes Kozhimannil
Date: 07/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
view details
A Closer Look at Rural Populations: Multistate Research Monitors Changes and Issues Affecting Rural Areas
Highlights the work of the Hatch Multistate Research Project "W4001: Social, Economic and Environmental Causes and Consequences of Demographic Change in Rural America." Outlines the key issues identified by the project, including population trends, health crises, natural resources, natural disasters, and diversity, equity, inclusion, and access.
Author(s): Sara Delheimer
Date: 07/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Institute of Food and Agriculture
view details
Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Beliefs and Practice Characteristics in Rural and Urban Adolescent Care Providers
Study examining human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine resources, practices, and attitudes in rural and urban populations based on data from 437 survey respondents in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Discusses rural disparities in HPV vaccine coverage and noted differences in evening and weekend appointment availability, experience with adolescent vaccine quality improvement projects, and adolescent vaccination orders.
Author(s): Cody L. Goessl, Ben Christianson, Kayla E. Hanson, et al.
Citation: BMC Public Health, 22, 1322
Date: 07/2022
Type: Document
view details
Community Partnerships: Advancing Behavioral Health Access in Rural Communities
Profiles Eagle Valley Behavioral Health (EVBH), a nonprofit and community mental health center (CMHC) developed to lead community collaboration working to ensure access to high-quality behavioral healthcare in Eagle County, Colorado. Discusses EVBH's collaboration with Building Hope Summit County, a community-wide initiative in a neighboring county focused on suicide prevention efforts. Describes how these initiatives were able to shape local policy, expand the local behavioral health workforce, fund their efforts, and identify and fill gaps in care.
Date: 07/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
view details
Availability of Medical Doctors Favors Metropolitan Areas with Low Rates of Self-Employment
Line chart tracking the number of Medical Doctors (MDs) per 10,000 residents between 1960 and 2017, comparing metro and nonmetro areas of high self-employment and low self-employment. Uses data from the HRSA Bureau of Health Workforce, 2018-19 Area Health Resources File and American Community Survey 2018 5-year data.
Date: 07/2022
Type: Chart/Graph
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
view details
Nursing Homes in Rural America: A Chartbook
Explores county-level nursing home availability and evaluates the supply of nursing home beds per 1,000 population aged 65 and older. Identifies nursing home availability for counties with and without hospitals with swing beds, and describes the resident and nursing home characteristics including occupancy levels, payer mix, demographics, and healthcare needs. Features statistics with breakdowns by noncore, micropolitan, and metropolitan counties.
Author(s): Hari Sharma, Lili Xu, Fred Ullrich, Clint MacKinney, Keith J. Mueller
Date: 07/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
view details
Co-located Critical Access & Behavioral Health Hospital: Charles A. Cannon Jr. Memorial Hospital and Appalachian Regional Behavioral Hospital
Profiles Charles A. Cannon, Jr. Memorial Hospital, a Critical Access Hospital (CAH), and Appalachian Regional Healthcare System (ARHS) in western North Carolina. Describes how ARHS secured an exemption from the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to build Appalachian Regional Behavioral Health (ARBH) Hospital nearby without losing CAH status. Discusses the impact of the CMS exemption on financial sustainability and emergency department wait times.
Date: 07/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
view details
How a Desert Town Is Growing Its Way to Better Health
Highlights the work of a community garden program to address food insecurity in Huachuca City, Arizona, by offering fresh produce to the rural desert community through partnerships with the local library and senior center. Discusses the development of the garden, how it responded to challenges related to water, and the efforts of the program to encourage healthy lifestyle through community and youth programming.
Author(s): Elizabeth Bellizzi
Date: 07/2022
Type: Document
view details
Maryland Community Health Worker and Employer Surveys: Analysis and Report, With a Focus on Rural Maryland
Examines the Maryland landscape of community health workers (CHWs) and the organizations that employ them; identifies barriers and facilitators to incorporating the CHW skillset into patient-centered healthcare models; and determines the impact of CHWs on access to healthcare and use of preventive health services by the people they serve. Features statistics including demographics, services provided, funding sources, and type of employer, with breakdowns by urban or rural area.
Author(s): Brian Robertson, John Charles, Allison Tippery, et al.
Date: 06/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Maryland State Office of Rural Health
view details