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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Access

Study Protocol of Sustaining Home Palliative Care for Patients with Heart Failure (Hf) and Their Family Caregivers in Rural Appalachia: A Mixed Methods Randomized Clinical Trial
Study protocol to examine an integrated nurse-led intervention bundle for patients with heart failure and their family caregivers regarding home supportive end-of-live palliative care in rural West Virginia. Discusses the assessment of the intervention's sustainability with rural stakeholders, visiting volunteers, and the West Virginia Faith Community Nurse Network.
Author(s): Ubolrat Piamjariyakul, Stephanie Young, Angel Smothers, et al.
Citation: BMC Palliative Care, 24(1)
Date: 03/2025
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A Picture of the Loss of Rural Obstetrical Service in Alabama 1980 to 2025
County-level maps showing counties with hospitals offering obstetrical service in 1980 and those offering service as of March 2025.
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Alabama Office of Primary Care and Rural Health
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Tennessee Maternal Health Strategic Plan, 2025-2030
Addresses Tennessee's maternal health outcomes. Outlines goals, strategies, and objectives that seek to build on existing partnerships and strengths while addressing challenges and gaps, to improve maternal health statewide. Mentions rural throughout.
Author(s): Hannah Dudney
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Tennessee Department of Health
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MedPAC Report to the Congress: Medicare Payment Policy, 2025
Annual review of Medicare payment policies, with recommendations to Congress. Includes discussion on Medicare payment policies directly affecting rural providers and beneficiaries. Addresses payment adequacy for Medicare fee-for-service payment systems, Medicare Advantage (MA), and Medicare Part D.
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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MedPAC Report to the Congress: Medicare Payment Policy: Skilled Nursing Facility Services: Chapter 6
Discusses payment adequacy for skilled nursing facility (SNF) services. Features statistics on SNF care provided by rural hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) via swing beds and Medicare margins for urban, rural, and frontier freestanding SNFs in 2023.
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Report to Congress on Medicaid and CHIP, March 2025
Reports on three aspects of Medicaid of interest to Congress: 1) improving the usability and transparency of the managed care external quality review process, 2) improvements on timely access to home- and community-based services (HCBS), and 3) ways to streamline Medicaid Section 1915 authorities for home-and community-based services and reduce the administrative burden.
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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Hawaii Community Health Needs Assessment: 2024 Update
Reports on health needs and health-related priorities for the state of Hawaii. Highlighted topics include financial security, food security, mental and behavioral health, housing, access to care, and more. Discusses rural-specific challenges throughout.
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: Healthcare Association of Hawaii
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Medicaid-Covered Health Care Visits During the Postpartum Year: Variation by Enrollee Characteristics and State
Examines 2018 Medicaid claims data in 46 states to evaluate the impact of extending postpartum coverage from 60 days to 1 year. Offers comparisons by state Affordable Care Act Medicaid expansion status and rural or urban residence, among other variables. Discusses access and healthcare disparities.
Author(s): Laura Barrie Smith, Claire O'Brien, Keqin Wei, Timothy A. Waidmann, Genevieve M. Kenney
Citation: Health Affairs Scholar, 3(2)
Date: 02/2025
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The Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas Prevention Program's First Ten Years: A Comprehensive Assessment, Phase II Summary Report
Reports on the activities, results, and administration of the Cancer Prevention Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) Prevention Program since 2010. Discusses CPRIT initiatives related to cancer screening and prevention in rural and Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs) throughout. See Appendices G and H for case studies on rural youth cancer prevention and cancer public health response in predominantly rural areas.
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: Texas Health Institute
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An Analysis of Telehealth in a Post-Pandemic Rural, Midwestern Community: Increased Comfort and a Preference for Primary Care
Discusses the implementation of telehealth in rural, underserved areas during the COVID-19 pandemic and if telehealth remains a sustainable option to provide healthcare. Utilizes 2023 data from 253 survey participants regarding internet access, telehealth usage, and telehealth perceptions.
Author(s): Chase Salmon, Kameron Bell, Eric Reyes, Ellen Ireland, Robin Danek
Citation: BMC Health Services Research, 25, 270
Date: 02/2025
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