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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Access

Rural Promising Practice Issue Brief: Training Community Clergy Partners to Increase Access to Care for Rural Veterans
Presents a toolkit and web-based module for the development, implementation, and evaluation of a mental health training program for clergy to help rural veterans. Discusses in-person and web-based training methods implemented in the pilot program. Includes outcomes regarding the increase of access to mental healthcare and clinical impact for rural veterans, among other factors.
Additional links: Overview
Author(s): James Goalder, Kristen Wing, Eric Crawford, Keith Ethridge
Date: 11/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Veterans Health Administration's Office of Rural Health
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Availability of Buprenorphine Treatment in Kentucky
Describes availability of opioid addiction treatment in Kentucky, with breakdowns by metropolitan, micropolitan, and other non-metropolitan areas, and distribution of various medical specialists authorized to prescribe buprenorphine in these areas.
Author(s): Elijah T. Myers, Tyrone F. Borders
Date: 11/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: University of Kentucky Institute for Rural Health Policy
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Exploring Transit's Contribution to Livability in Rural Communities: Case Study of Valley City, ND, and Dickinson, ND
Examines the connection between transit and rural livability by conducting surveys and interviews in 2 rural North Dakota communities: Valley City and Dickinson. Criteria for the survey included rider diversity, trip purpose, transit utilization, transit patronage, service variety, and ease of outreach. Discussion covers several factors of livability including access to quality healthcare.
Author(s): Ranjit Godavarthy, Jeremy Mattson
Date: 11/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute
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Task Force on Ensuring Access in Vulnerable Communities
Report from a task force created by the American Hospital Association (AHA) charged with identifying access-related challenges facing vulnerable communities and examining ways in which hospitals can ensure access is maintained. Includes sections identifying characteristics of vulnerable rural and underserved communities, essential healthcare services to be maintained, emerging strategies, barriers to implementation, policy and advocacy issues, and more. Includes examples of emerging strategies and best practices from around the U.S.
Additional links: Executive Summary, Rural Chart Pack, Video
Date: 11/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Early Elective Delivery and Vaginal Birth After Cesarean in Rural US Maternity Hospitals
Results of a telephone survey of 263 rural hospitals in nine states, describing policies related to early elective delivery and vaginal birth after cesarean procedures. Includes statistics with breakdowns by birth volume, types and numbers of clinicians delivering babies, and types of operating rooms for cesareans.
Author(s): Demetra Heinrich, Rachel Vogel, Katy Kozhimannil
Citation: Rural and Remote Health, 16(4), 3956
Date: 11/2016
Type: Document
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Understanding Barriers to Cervical Cancer Screening in Women With Access to Care, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2014
Results of a national study examining nonfinancial barriers to cervical cancer screening among women aged 45-60, of whom a higher proportion of those who were rarely or never screened reported multiple chronic conditions. Features demographic statistics with breakdowns including disease history for eleven chronic conditions and metropolitan or nonmetropolitan residence status.
Author(s): Anatasha Crawford, Vicki Benard, Jessica King, Cheryll C. Thomas
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 13
Date: 11/2016
Type: Document
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Innovations in Rural Health System Development: Service Delivery Advances in Care Coordination, Emergency Care, and Telehealth
Offers examples of emergency services, telehealth technology, and care coordination initiatives with a focus on Maine, and how they impact rural service delivery and safeguard rural access to critical health services.
Author(s): Amanda Burgess, Andrew Coburn
Date: 10/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Maine Health Access Foundation, Maine Rural Health Research Center
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Most U.S. School Districts Have Low Access to School Counselors: Poor, Diverse, and City School Districts Exhibit Particularly High Student-to-Counselor Ratios
Examines trends in school counselor access. Discusses health-related roles counselors play, including meeting students' personal and social needs, supporting wellness programs, and advocating for students with disabilities. Includes data for rural areas.
Author(s): Douglas J. Gagnon, Marybeth J. Mattingly
Date: 10/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Carsey School of Public Policy
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Rural Strategies That Work: Lifting up Federal Policies That Are Responsive to the Assets and Challenges of Rural America
Memorandum to the Obama-era White House Rural Council member agencies outlining strategies for the design and delivery of programs in rural America to meet the contemporary challenges of the nation and the unique challenges faced by rural communities. Discusses how policies can address the issues of geographic isolation (including travel to healthcare), limited financial resources, low population density, and poverty.
Author(s): Tom Vilsack, Shaun Donovan, Cecilia Muñoz, Jeffrey Zients
Date: 10/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: White House Rural Council (Obama Administration)
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Indian Health Service Hospitals: Longstanding Challenges Warrant Focused Attention to Support Quality Care
Study completed in response to concerns over inadequate quality of care being provided in Indian Health Service (IHS) hospitals. Included in the report are findings from a series of leadership and staff interviews, questionnaires, and document reviews. Recommendations for improving quality of care are made to IHS and the Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Services. Additional recommendations for improving quality through oversight measures can be found in the companion report: Indian Health Service Hospitals: More Monitoring Needed to Ensure Quality Care Addresses healthcare access difficulties, health workforce challenges, and more.
Date: 10/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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