Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Access
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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