Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Access
Combatting the Opioid Epidemic with Provider and Public Education
Highlights from a conversation with Fred Wells Brason II, discussing community-based efforts to reduce opioid misuse and abuse in rural communities. Brason helped found Project Lazarus in Wilkes County, North Carolina, which reduced the overdose rate in Wilkes County by 72 percent over three years. The Project Lazarus model has since spread to more than 20 states and focuses on cross-sector collaboration, public and provider education, and increasing access to treatment.
Citation: Transforming Care: Reporting on Health System Improvement
Date: 03/2017
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
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Highlights from a conversation with Fred Wells Brason II, discussing community-based efforts to reduce opioid misuse and abuse in rural communities. Brason helped found Project Lazarus in Wilkes County, North Carolina, which reduced the overdose rate in Wilkes County by 72 percent over three years. The Project Lazarus model has since spread to more than 20 states and focuses on cross-sector collaboration, public and provider education, and increasing access to treatment.
Citation: Transforming Care: Reporting on Health System Improvement
Date: 03/2017
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
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Anticipating Economic Returns of Rural Telehealth
Discusses the quantifiable and nonquantifiable benefits of utilizing telehealth services in rural areas across the U.S. Provides tables showing estimated savings on travel expenses, lost wages, and hospital costs by state. Outlines some of the challenges facing telehealth and makes recommendations for future improvements. Links to a video showing the author presenting portions of the paper at a Foundation for Rural Service event.
Additional links: Video Presentation
Author(s): Rick Schadelbauer
Date: 03/2017
Sponsoring organization: NTCA: The Rural Broadband Association
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Discusses the quantifiable and nonquantifiable benefits of utilizing telehealth services in rural areas across the U.S. Provides tables showing estimated savings on travel expenses, lost wages, and hospital costs by state. Outlines some of the challenges facing telehealth and makes recommendations for future improvements. Links to a video showing the author presenting portions of the paper at a Foundation for Rural Service event.
Additional links: Video Presentation
Author(s): Rick Schadelbauer
Date: 03/2017
Sponsoring organization: NTCA: The Rural Broadband Association
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Veterans Health Administration: Actions Needed to Better Recruit and Retain Clinical and Administrative Staff
Testimony before the House Subcommittee on Health and the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs detailing the Veterans Health Administration's (VHA) challenges in attracting, hiring, and retaining top healthcare talent, including in rural locations. Also discusses the VHA's capacity to perform key human resources functions and makes recommendations for future improvements.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 03/2017
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Testimony before the House Subcommittee on Health and the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs detailing the Veterans Health Administration's (VHA) challenges in attracting, hiring, and retaining top healthcare talent, including in rural locations. Also discusses the VHA's capacity to perform key human resources functions and makes recommendations for future improvements.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 03/2017
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Global Budget Process as an Alternative Payment Model
Analyzes the all-payer hospital rate-setting system of McCready Health in rural Maryland. Discusses the Total Patient Revenue (TPR) system and corresponding essential functions such as rate setting, strategic planning, and care coordination.
Date: 03/2017
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Value
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Analyzes the all-payer hospital rate-setting system of McCready Health in rural Maryland. Discusses the Total Patient Revenue (TPR) system and corresponding essential functions such as rate setting, strategic planning, and care coordination.
Date: 03/2017
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Value
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Emerging Strategies to Ensure Access to Health Care Services: Indian Health Services Strategy
Outlines federal policy solutions and facility-level strategies to improve care coordination between Indian Health Service (IHS) facilities and other healthcare providers.
Date: 03/2017
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Outlines federal policy solutions and facility-level strategies to improve care coordination between Indian Health Service (IHS) facilities and other healthcare providers.
Date: 03/2017
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Veterans' Health Care: Preliminary Observations on Veterans' Access to Choice Program Care
Reports on the Veterans Choice Program, which allows veterans to receive care from non-VA providers if certain conditions are met. Outlines the process the VA has established for scheduling appointments, discusses what is known about the timeliness of appointments for routine and urgent care, and lays out plans to improve the timeliness of the Choice Program.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 03/2017
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Reports on the Veterans Choice Program, which allows veterans to receive care from non-VA providers if certain conditions are met. Outlines the process the VA has established for scheduling appointments, discusses what is known about the timeliness of appointments for routine and urgent care, and lays out plans to improve the timeliness of the Choice Program.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 03/2017
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Evaluation of the Health Care Innovation Awards: Community Resource Planning, Prevention, and Monitoring: Third Annual Report
Third annual evaluations of 24 Health Care Innovation Awards Round One projects focused on enhancing care coordination and healthcare access through the use of health information technology, care coordination/patient navigation, and health promotion and prevention services. Discusses awardees' progress and impact over the 3-year funding period from 2012 to 2015. Includes profiles of rural-focused projects, as well as projects serving rural and urban areas.
Additional links: Addendum, August 2017
Date: 03/2017
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, RTI International
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Third annual evaluations of 24 Health Care Innovation Awards Round One projects focused on enhancing care coordination and healthcare access through the use of health information technology, care coordination/patient navigation, and health promotion and prevention services. Discusses awardees' progress and impact over the 3-year funding period from 2012 to 2015. Includes profiles of rural-focused projects, as well as projects serving rural and urban areas.
Additional links: Addendum, August 2017
Date: 03/2017
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, RTI International
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Regional Transportation Planning Organization Peer Exchange Summary
Summarizes a September 2016 peer learning exchange of eleven rural regional transportation planning representatives. Discusses the role of rural clinics and senior centers as gathering places for public engagement related to transportation. Describes public health involvement in safety planning, with Eagle County, Colorado as an example.
Author(s): Carrie Kissel
Date: 03/2017
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Development Organizations
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Summarizes a September 2016 peer learning exchange of eleven rural regional transportation planning representatives. Discusses the role of rural clinics and senior centers as gathering places for public engagement related to transportation. Describes public health involvement in safety planning, with Eagle County, Colorado as an example.
Author(s): Carrie Kissel
Date: 03/2017
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Development Organizations
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Women's Health Care: The Experiences and Behaviors of Rural and Urban Lesbians in the USA
Results of a national study of 895 urban and rural lesbians, highlighting healthcare disparities in terms of access to preventive care, screening, and treatment. Features demographic statistics with breakdowns by urban and rural location.
Author(s): K. Nikki Barefoot, Jacob C. Warren, K. Bryant Smalley
Citation: Rural and Remote Health, 17(1), 3875
Date: 03/2017
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Results of a national study of 895 urban and rural lesbians, highlighting healthcare disparities in terms of access to preventive care, screening, and treatment. Features demographic statistics with breakdowns by urban and rural location.
Author(s): K. Nikki Barefoot, Jacob C. Warren, K. Bryant Smalley
Citation: Rural and Remote Health, 17(1), 3875
Date: 03/2017
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Bringing Produce to the People: Implementing a Social Marketing Food Access Intervention in Rural Food Deserts
Evaluates the implementation of a mobile farmer's market in California that was intended to increase access to fresh produce in a rural area. Discusses the program, evaluation methods used, and lessons learned.
Author(s): A. Susana Ramirez, Lillian K. Diaz Rios, Zulema Valdez, Erendira Estrada, Ariana Ruiz
Citation: Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 49(2), 166-174
Date: 02/2017
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Evaluates the implementation of a mobile farmer's market in California that was intended to increase access to fresh produce in a rural area. Discusses the program, evaluation methods used, and lessons learned.
Author(s): A. Susana Ramirez, Lillian K. Diaz Rios, Zulema Valdez, Erendira Estrada, Ariana Ruiz
Citation: Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 49(2), 166-174
Date: 02/2017
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