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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Access

Oral Health in Michigan
An overview of oral health in Michigan describing the oral health status of Michigan residents, with information by broad region and by county. Discusses issues related to rural dental health access. Provides data on the dental health workforce, including county-level provider-to-population ratios for dentists and dental hygienists.
Author(s): Margaret Langelier, Simona Surdu
Date: 04/2015
Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Workforce Studies
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The Oral Health of American Indian and Alaska Native Children Aged 1-5 Years: Results of the 2014 IHS Oral Health Survey
Reports on tooth decay among American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) preschool children. Includes a comparison to tooth decay among other racial/ethnic groups. Also provides information on untreated decay and use of dental sealants.
Author(s): Kathy R. Phipps, Timothy L. Ricks
Date: 04/2015
Sponsoring organization: Indian Health Service
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An Interview with Gina Capra
The Director of the Veterans Health Administration's Office of Rural Health (ORH) discusses the Veterans Choice Program and other VA activities underway to connect rural veterans to the healthcare services they need.
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 04/2015
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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The Health and Well-Being of Children in Rural Areas: A Portrait of the Nation 2011–2012
Describes data from the National Survey of Children's Health demonstrating the health and well-being of children, as well as the family environment and the characteristics of the community that affect rural children and their families.
Date: 04/2015
Sponsoring organization: Maternal and Child Health Bureau
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The Value Proposition of Retail Clinics
Describes the role retail clinics can play in improving healthcare access, including in rural areas. Discusses the potential of telehealth use at retail clinics. Offers recommendations for optimizing the value of retail clinics to meet individual and community health needs.
Author(s): Deborah Bachrach, Jonah Frohlich, Allison Garcimonde, Keith Nevitt
Date: 04/2015
Sponsoring organization: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
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Sole Community Hospitals: Early Indications Show That TRICARE's Revised Reimbursement Rules Have Not Affected Access to Care
Reports on the impact of a January 2014 revision to TRICARE's reimbursement for Sole Community Hospitals (SCHs), which serve primarily rural areas. The new TRICARE reimbursement rules approximate Medicare's for these hospitals. Looks at the impact of revised SCH reimbursement on healthcare access for servicemembers and their dependents. Findings based on claims data, as well as interviews with 10 SCHs and with national stakeholders. Appendices include information on SCHs with a high number of TRICARE admissions.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 04/2015
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Travel Time and Attrition From VHA Care Among Women Veterans: How Far is Too Far?
Examines whether travel time impacts women veterans decisions to drop Veterans Health Administration care, with a comparison of the impact of travel time on rural and urban women veterans (see Figure 2).
Author(s): Sarah A. Friedman, Susan M. Frayne, Eric Berg, et al.
Citation: Medical Care, 53(4 Suppl 1), S15-S22
Date: 04/2015
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Addressing Chronic Disease Through Community Health Workers: A Policy and Systems-Level Approach
Provides guidelines for the integration of community health workers (CHWs) into community based chronic disease prevention programs. Includes examples from a variety of CHW programs, some of which serve rural communities.
Date: 04/2015
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Intimate Partner Violence in Rural America
Policy brief examining rates of intimate partner violence (IPV) affecting women in rural areas. Discusses factors affecting IPV rates, including Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), poverty, rural human services infrastructure, and rural healthcare. Offers policy recommendations to address rural IPV.
Date: 03/2015
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
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A Guidebook of Professional Practices for Behavioral Health and Primary Care Integration: Observations from Exemplary Sites
Assists primary care and behavioral health practices in identifying professional practices that have developed a successful workforce model of integrated care. Several primary care organizations with effective integrated behavioral health and primary care participated in the study including 3 in rural areas.
Author(s): Deborah J. Cohen, Melinda M. Davis, Jennifer D. Hall, Emma C. Gilchrist, Benjamin F. Miller
Date: 03/2015
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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