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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Access

Opioid and Substance Use Strategies for Critical Access Hospitals
Recording of a February 26, 2021, webinar discussing the role of Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) in addressing opioid and substance use disorders (O/SUDs) in local systems of care. Provides a framework to support CAH opioid and substance use initiatives. Highlights examples of O/SUD activities taken by CAHs and offers lessons learned.
Additional links: Presentation Slides
Date: 02/2021
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Investing in a Health Workforce that Meets Rural Needs
Offers suggestions for advancing sustainable financing of rural training and practice and developing strategic planning to build a more flexible, dynamic, and interprofessional rural workforce. Includes a brief overview of current graduate medical education financing in the United States.
Date: 02/2021
Sponsoring organization: Council on Graduate Medical Education
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America at a Glance: 5310 & 5311 Transportation Funding in Rural Counties
Examines how much funding is received by rural counties from the Federal Transit Administration's (FTA) Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (section 5310) and Formula Grants for Rural Areas (section 5311) programs. Discusses the type of agencies that receive section 5310 and 5311 funding in rural counties. Includes a map to highlight geographic differences in funding distribution.
Author(s): Andrew Myers, Ari Lissau
Date: 02/2021
Sponsoring organizations: Research and Training Center on Disability in Rural Communities, University of Montana: Rural Institute for Inclusive Communities
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Rural-Urban Residence and Emergency Contraception Use, Access, and Counseling in the United States, 2006-2017
Study examining emergency contraception access, counseling, and use by rural and urban county of residence for women ages 15-44. Analyzes 2006-2017 data from the National Survey of Family Growth including participant characteristics, contraceptive methods, and emergency contraception counseling.
Author(s): Carly M. Milkowski, Erika C. Ziller, Katherine A. Ahrens
Citation: Contraception: X, 3, 100061
Date: 02/2021
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OBGYNs and the Provision of Sexual and Reproductive Health Care: Key Findings from a National Survey
Reports on a nationwide survey of obstetrician-gynecologists (OBGYNs) regarding sexual and reproductive healthcare, covering screening practices; provision of contraception, abortion, and sexually transmitted infection care; and the effects of policy on healthcare access and quality. Analyzes survey data from 1,210 OBGYN participants on contraception provision and other services, access to specific services based on regional and urban/rural location, provider characteristics and experiences, Medicaid coverage, and more.
Author(s): Gabriela Weigel, Brittni Frederiksen, Usha Ranji, Alina Salganicoff
Date: 02/2021
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Addressing Higher Risk of Suicide Among Farmers in Rural America
Policy brief highlighting factors contributing to the higher risk of suicide among farmers, including financial pressures, social pressures, and access to care. Offers policy recommendations to promote and improve farmers' mental health.
Author(s): Rosalie Eisenreich, Carolyn Pollari
Date: 02/2021
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Rural Obstetric Unit Closures and Maternal and Infant Health
Policy paper examining the discontinuation of obstetric services in rural communities. Discusses factors contributing to obstetric unit closures, including hospital financial constraints, Medicaid reimbursement rates, and maternal health workforce concerns. Offers policy recommendations to prevent additional obstetric unit closures in rural areas.
Author(s): Lindsay Corcoran, Catherine Clary, Sarah Brinkman
Date: 02/2021
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout in Rural Communities: Challenges, Innovations, and Unmet Needs
Provides insights from rural, frontier, and tribal organizations about the COVID-19 vaccine rollout. Discusses challenges in rural communities, including access barriers and vaccine hesitancy, and shares innovative strategies being used to address these challenges. Identifies unmet needs and potential strategies as the vaccination process continues.
Date: 02/2021
Sponsoring organization: Georgia Health Policy Center
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Availability of Supplemental Benefits in Medicare Advantage Plans in Rural and Urban Areas
Examines differences in Medicare Advantage (MA) plans with supplemental benefits that are available to enrollees in nonmetropolitan and metropolitan areas. Features statistics including average number of organizations offering MA plans, proportion of MA plans offering supplemental benefits, and MA plan premiums as of 2020, with breakdowns by noncore, micropolitan, and metropolitan counties.
Author(s): Jason Semprini, Fred Ullrich, Keith J. Mueller
Date: 02/2021
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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Broadband Today: Rural America's Critical Connection
Report discussing the importance of broadband to connecting rural communities, including its role in rural businesses, telehealth access, education, and agriculture. Addresses the impacts of COVID-19 on remote work, telehealth delivery, and changes to business and consumer activity, and explores future steps for broadband funding and adoption in rural areas.
Date: 02/2021
Sponsoring organization: Foundation for Rural Service
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