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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Access

Tapping Nurse Practitioners to Meet Rising Demand for Primary Care
Discusses the use of advanced practice nurses, specifically nurse practitioners, to increase access to primary care for those residing in Health Professional Shortage Areas. Reports that nurse practitioners working in primary care are more likely than primary care physicians to work in rural areas. Suggests that the use of nurse practitioners and physician assistants could help reduce the primary care provider shortage in 2020 by two-thirds.
Author(s): Amanda Van Vleet, Julia Paradise
Date: 01/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Community Connections: Ideas & Innovations for Hospital Leaders
Report from the American Hospital Association's Community Connections initiative highlighting ten innovative human service programs. These programs are organized into four categories: social and basic needs, health promotion, access and coverage, and quality of life. Some included programs address specific challenges faced in rural communities.
Date: 01/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Fewer Family Physicians Are in Solo Practices
Discusses the current trend of fewer family physicians engaging in a solo practice, which could affect access to healthcare in rural areas that are reliant on single physician facilities.
Author(s): Lars E. Peterson, Elizabeth Baxley, Carlos Roberto Jaén, Robert L. Phillips
Citation: Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, 28(1), 11-12
Date: 01/2015
Type: Document
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Oral Health Strategic Framework 2014–2017
Presents a framework for improving oral healthcare. Highlights the federal government's oral healthcare priorities and outlines 5 different oral health policy goals, such as integration into primary care, improve oral health literacy, and the advancement of research, among others.
Date: 2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
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Integration of Oral Health with Primary Care in Health Centers: Profiles of Five Innovative Models
Report highlights five different FQHC-based models for integrating oral healthcare into primary care. Features examples in both rural and urban locations.
Author(s): Hannah Maxey
Date: 2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Community Health Centers
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Eight Step Advocacy Plan for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Survivors of Sexual Assault: A Guide for Rural Dual/Multi-Service Advocates
Guide for rural sexual assault advocates, with information on providing appropriate services and identifying accommodations in services and changes in technology.
Author(s): Leah Green, Petty Chicoine, Stephanie Mathis, Jennifer Upah-Kyes
Date: 2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Resource Sharing Project
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Disparities in the Utilization of Laparoscopic Surgery for Colon Cancer in Rural Nebraska: A Call for Placement and Training of Rural General Surgeons
Examines demographic and clinical characteristics associated with receiving a laparoscopic colectomy and a rural versus urban analysis of patients who received either a laparoscopic or an open colectomy procedure in rural Nebraska. Includes data for both surgical procedures by insurance payer, cancer location and stage at diagnosis, gender, and marital status, among others.
Author(s): Kelli Gruber, Amr S. Soliman, Kendra Schmid, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 31(4), 392-400
Date: 2015
Type: Document
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An Optimization Framework for Measuring Spatial Access over Healthcare Networks
Examines spatial access, a dimension of healthcare access, using an optimization framework involving supply, demand, and network structure. Includes optimization models, maps, and accessibility estimates.
Author(s): Zihao Li, Nicoleta Serban, Julie L. Swann
Citation: BMC Health Services Research, 15, 273
Date: 2015
Type: Document
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Population-Based Geographic Access to Endocrinologists in the United States, 2012
Describes the variability in geographic accessibility to endocrinologists in the U.S. Provides analysis by age group at the state and county-levels, rural versus urban, and travel time to receive care.
Author(s): Hua Lu, James B. Holt, Yiling J. Cheng, et al.
Citation: BMC Health Services Research, 15, 541
Date: 2015
Type: Document
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Authorities and Mechanisms for Purchased Care at the Department of Veterans Affairs
Presents an independent assessment of the Purchased Care component from the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014. Discusses the system used to fill in gaps in care for veterans that live in rural areas or far from a VA Medical Center (VAMC). Compares the VA's system to other payer models in the federal government.
Author(s): Michael D. Greenberg, Caroline Batka, Christine Buttorff, et al.
Date: 2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: RAND Corporation
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