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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Access

Transportation Matters: A Health Impact Assessment in Rural New Mexico
Reports on a Health Impact Assessment (HIA) in rural New Mexico that informed expansion of public transportation services along the U.S./Mexico border. Addresses the HIA process and results. Discusses transportation challenges in rural areas and the impacts of transportation access.
Author(s): Michelle Del Rio, William L. Hargrove, Joe Tomaka, Marcelo Korc
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 14(6)
Date: 06/2017
Type: Document
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A Workforce Strategy for Reducing Oral Health Disparities: Dental Therapists
Presents a history of dental therapy as a workforce strategy, from development to implementation. Examines the states and tribal nations that have implemented dental therapists as a means to improve oral healthcare access.
Author(s): Jane Koppelman, Rebecca Singer-Cohen
Citation: American Journal of Public Health, 107(Suppl 1), S13-S17
Date: 06/2017
Type: Document
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Addressing Mental Health Needs: Perspectives of African Americans Living in the Rural South
Examines mental health, mental health treatment, and barriers to treatment for rural South African American residents to develop culturally competent treatment approaches. Includes characteristics data for age group, race/ethnicity, education, marital status, employment, and gender.
Author(s): Tiffany F. Haynes, Ann M. Cheney, J. Greer Sullivan, et al.
Citation: Psychiatric Services, 68(6), 573-578
Date: 06/2017
Type: Document
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Rebalance Without the Balance: A Research Note on the Availability of Community-Based Services in Areas Where Nursing Homes Have Closed
Describes the existing distribution, including a rural and urban comparison, of community-based services (CBS) in areas where nursing homes have closed, and examines differences in CBS availability. Analysis uses data from local market and population characteristics as well as differences in state policies.
Author(s): Denise A. Tyler, Mary L. Fennell
Citation: Research on Aging, 39(5), 597-611
Date: 06/2017
Type: Document
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Medicaid Expansion: Behavioral Health Treatment Use in Selected States in 2014
Report to Congress describing the population of Medicaid expansion enrollees with behavioral health diagnoses in 2014, and the use of behavioral health treatment among the enrolled population. Results are based on the experience of four states: Iowa, New York, Washington, and West Virginia. Includes a discussion on rural/urban geographic distribution of enrollees and the barriers to accessing treatment for enrollees living in rural areas.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 06/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Rural Wisconsin Health 2017
Reports on Wisconsin rural health outcomes and factors, including health behaviors, clinical care, and social and economic factors. Covers information on the built and physical environment. Provides rural, urban, and statewide data.
Date: 06/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Wisconsin Office of Rural Health
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Rides to Wellness Community Scan Project
Presents a national project report on the impact of transportation barriers on healthcare costs as well as highlighting existing patient-centered transportation solutions. Summarizes the results of a national survey of health centers and private providers regarding transportation, as well as several profiles of communities, both rural and urban, regarding the transportation barriers and solutions within them.
Date: 06/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Health Outreach Partners
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Legislative Hearing to Receive Testimony on the Following Bills: S. 1250, S. 1275
Presents the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs' legislative hearing to receive testimony on proposed legislation with the stated goals to improve recruitment and retention of professionals, restore accountability, and improve health services throughout the Indian Health Service (IHS). Testimony discusses some of the challenges facing individual IHS facilities, as well as healthcare in Indian Country as a whole, and suggests various models to help address these challenges.
Date: 06/2017
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Senate Committee on Indian Affairs
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Factors Affecting States' Ability to Respond to Federal Medicaid Cuts and Caps: Which States Are Most At Risk?
Examines 30 key factors that contribute to state-by-state differences in Medicaid per enrollee spending including rural population, and uses the factors to rank and identify which states are at greatest risk if federal Medicaid cuts or caps are enacted. Presents findings across five main areas: Medicaid policy, demographics, health status, available tax revenue and state budget choices, and healthcare markets.
Author(s): Robin Rudowitz, Allison Valentine, Petry Ubri, Julia Zur
Date: 06/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Medicaid in Small Towns and Rural America: A Lifeline for Children, Families, and Communities
Uses data from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) to explore the changing levels of Medicaid coverage and uninsured rates at the county level by age. Addresses the role of Medicaid in the 46 states containing small-town and rural populations. Includes numerous charts, maps, and graphs to help illustrate the relationship between Medicaid growth and uninsured rates in rural areas, focusing on the time period from 2008-2009 to 2014-2015.
Additional links: Interactive Map: The Percent of Adults in Small Towns and Rural Areas Covered by Medicaid, 2014/15, Interactive Map: The Percent of Children in Small Towns and Rural Areas Covered by Medicaid, 2014/15, State Data on Adult Health Coverage in Small Towns and Rural Areas, State Data on Child Health Coverage in Small Towns and Rural Areas, State Data on Non-Elderly Health Coverage in Small Towns and Rural Areas, State Data on Seniors' Health Coverage in Small Towns and Rural Areas
Author(s): Jack Hoadley, Karina Wagnerman, Joan Alker, Mark Holmes
Date: 06/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Georgetown University Health Policy Institute, North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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