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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Access

Geographic Accessibility of Pulmonologists for Adults with COPD
Examines county-level geographic access to pulmonologists for adults with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Includes statistics describing the distance in miles to a pulmonologist or primary care physician for adults living in rural areas. Figure 1 overlays locations of pulmonologists with county estimates of adults with COPD. Figure 2 overlays the locations of primary care physician locations with county estimates of adults with COPD.
Author(s): Janet B. Croft, Hua Lu, Xingyou Zhang, James B. Holt
Citation: Chest, 150(3), 544-553
Date: 09/2016
Type: Document
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Oklahoma Integrated HIV Prevention and Care Plan 2017-2021
Provides a needs assessment and plan to address HIV prevention and care as required by the Ryan White Treatment and Modernization Act. Examines incidence for chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, Hepatitis C, and HIV/AIDS by race/ethnicity, gender, age group, and county. Discusses the HIV care continuum, along with challenges for rural access to care, and efforts to provide care.
Date: 09/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Oklahoma State Department of Health
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Task Force on Ensuring Access in Vulnerable Communities, Rural and Frontier: Executive Summary and Report
Reviews characteristics of South Dakota's rural and frontier communities. Identifies innovative healthcare delivery and payment models and makes state and federal policy recommendations to improve rural health. Highlights the importance of Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs). Linked map includes locations of South Dakota CAHs, Rural Health Clinics, and more.
Additional links: South Dakota Vulnerable Communities Task Force Map
Date: 09/2016
Type: Document, Map/Mapping System
Sponsoring organization: South Dakota Association of Healthcare Organizations
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National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services Meeting Minutes, Albuquerque, New Mexico, September 14-16, 2016
Provides a summary of the 80th meeting of the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services (NACRHHS), which was held in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The main meeting discussion focused on rural-relevant social determinants of health.
Date: 09/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
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Opioid Addiction: Laws, Regulations, and Other Factors Can Affect Medication-Assisted Treatment Access
Examines current federal laws and regulations related to the medication-assisted treatment (MAT) of opioid dependency, and discusses how these laws affect access to treatment, including in rural areas. Also explores other factors that affect access to treatment such as cost, insurance coverage, practitioner availability, and perceived value. Provides detailed descriptions about the uses and concerns of the three medications currently approved by the FDA for use in opioid MAT - methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 09/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Aging in Rural and Frontier Oregon: Challenges Facing Rural and Frontier Home Health Agencies
Provides an overview of the services and challenges affecting home health agencies offering assistance to the aging population in rural Oregon by county. Includes discussion on healthcare access, home health agency regulation and reimbursement, recruitment and retention of healthcare providers, and physician compliance.
Author(s): Callie Walsh-Bailey, Jamie Horst
Date: 09/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Oregon Office of Rural Health
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Age-Associated Perceptions of Physical Activity Facilitators and Barriers Among Women in Rural Southernmost Illinois
Results of a qualitative study of 14 focus groups in a 7-county rural area, comprising 110 women divided into 4 age groups. Explores the women's narratives, including knowledge of physical activity, behavior, and access to physical activity facilities. Includes demographic information on participants.
Author(s): Kristine Zimmermann, Leslie R. Carnahan, Nadine R. Peacock
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 13
Date: 09/2016
Type: Document
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Off the Rails in Rural South Carolina: A Qualitative Study of Healthcare Provider Perspectives on the Long-term Health Impact of the Graniteville Train Disaster
Results of interviews with 30 healthcare providers who treated survivors of the 2005 train derailment and chlorine spill in Graniteville, South Carolina. Explores long-term psychological, physical, and social effects of technological disasters on rural communities' health and access to health services, and perspectives of healthcare providers.
Author(s): Lucy Annang Ingram, Chiwoneso Tinago, Robin Estrada, et al.
Citation: Rural and Remote Health, 16(3), 3906
Date: 09/2016
Type: Document
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Findings from the Field: Medicaid Delivery Systems and Access to Care in Four States in Year Three of the ACA
Explores the experiences of four states that participated in Medicaid expansion as part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA): Colorado, Connecticut, Kentucky, and Washington. Examines what each state is doing to transition, from outreach and enrollment activities, to improving delivery systems and access to care. Contains rural-specific content and information on how the states are dealing with the expanded Medicaid population. Addresses how Community Health Centers have responded to the Medicaid expansion.
Author(s): Samantha Artiga, Robin Rudowitz, Jennifer Tolbert, Julia Paradise, Melissa Majerol
Date: 09/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Utility of the Living (Well Through) Intergenerational Fitness and Exercise Program as a County-Delivered Extension Program
Evaluates the suitability of the county Extension to deliver the Living (well through) Intergenerational Fitness and Exercise (LIFE) program, a group-based exercise program for rural residing older adults providing low-cost, effective physical activities to address chronic health conditions and improve health-related quality of life.
Author(s): Ashleigh J. Sowle, Sarah L. Francis, Jennifer A. Margrett, Warren D. Franke
Citation: Journal of Extension, 54(4), rb5
Date: 08/2016
Type: Document
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