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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Access

Obesity Prevention and Treatment in Rural America Through Changes in Diet and Food Availability
Policy position paper regarding obesity prevention and treatment through rural-specific programming and equitable coverage. Offers policy recommendations to address obesity among rural populations.
Date: 02/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Health Care's Role in Rural Economic Development: How Work Support Programs Improve Health and Stimulate Rural Economies
Policy brief exploring how work support programs – Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Medicaid, and Child Care and Development Funds (CCDF) – and other state and federal programs can address social determinants of health, improve health, and stimulate economic activity in rural America. Offers policy recommendations to increase access to these programs in rural areas.
Author(s): David Jordan
Date: 02/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Parent-Reported Use of Pediatric Primary Care Telemedicine: Survey Study
Highlights a study on the use of telemedicine for primary care visits among children. Explores the role of telemedicine in expanding access to primary care, and discusses some of the barriers to care such as insurance coverage, low health literacy, and slow technology uptake in rural areas.
Author(s): Kristin N. Ray, Samuel R. Wittman, Sarah Burns, et al.
Citation: Journal of Medical Internet Research, 25, e42892
Date: 02/2023
Type: Document
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Health Policy for Rural Illinois, Data for Policy Development
Provides information on various metrics representing healthcare access, cost, quality, and equity in metro and nonmetro areas of Illinois. Includes further breakdowns of data by White, Hispanic, and Black categories and discusses policy issues related to health disparities in nonmetro areas and for disadvantaged races/ethnicities.
Author(s): Adee Athiyaman
Date: 02/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs
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Leadership Dialogue Series: Strengthening Rural Health Care with Jennifer Havens
Discussion between John Haupert, president and CEO of Grady Health System, and Jennifer Havens, CEO of UnityPoint Health – Grinnell Regional Medical Center (GRMC). Describes challenges facing rural hospitals and health systems, as well as access to maternal health services. Explores how GRMC has addressed these challenges and improved care delivery. Transcript is available by clicking the dots above the video description, then selecting Show Transcript.
Date: 02/2023
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Utilizing Innovations In Telehealth To Advance The Care Of Patients In Congregate Settings
Webinar describing best practices, lessons learned, and innovations developed in telehealth mobile technologies to support clinical screening, treatment, and care of isolated, high-risk rural populations in prison and nursing home facilities.
Additional links: Presentation Slides, Transcript
Author(s): Michael Patterson, David C. Gordon
Date: 02/2023
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Mid-Atlantic Telehealth Resource Center
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The Health of US Primary Care: A Baseline Scorecard Tracking Support for High-Quality Primary Care
Examines the support for implementing high-quality primary care in the United States across measures in five categories: financing, workforce, access, training, and research. Presents data on primary care financing trends from 2010 to 2020, the number of primary care physicians per capita in medically-underserved areas (MUAs) and non-MUAs by state, trends in financing primary care research, and more. Figure 7 shows the percentage of physician residents trained in an MUA or rural county by state in 2020. Appendix B includes data on the number and percentage of physician residents trained in an MUA, rural county, or both between the 2012-2013 academic year and the 2020-2021 academic year.
Additional links: Appendix B, Full Report
Date: 02/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Milbank Memorial Fund, Robert Graham Center, The Physicians Foundation
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Rural Hospitals: Community Cornerstones Facing Perilous Threats to Care
Infographic presenting data regarding the importance of rural hospitals to their communities. Includes information on workforce and financial challenges experienced by rural hospitals, as well as the impact of hospital closures on access to care. Provides recommendations on actions to support rural hospitals and communities.
Date: 02/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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The Role of Telehealth in Achieving a High Performing Rural Health System: Priorities in a Post-Pandemic System
Presents a review of the potential for expanded use of telehealth in rural America and the use of telehealth services during the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE). Examines the uses of telehealth in a high-performing rural health system. Expands on considerations outlined in the October 2020 publication The Evolving Landscape of National Telehealth Policies during a Public Health Emergency: Responsiveness to Rural Needs.
Author(s): Joel M. James, Keith J. Mueller, Joanne Constantin, et al.
Date: 02/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
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State-Based Recommendations to Support Rural Ambulance Agencies
Discusses challenges faced by rural ambulance agencies and emergency medical services (EMS) agencies. Identifies state-based policy opportunities to support rural ambulance agencies. Covers EMS as an essential service, professional management, EMS zones, and standby costs.
Author(s): A. Clinton MacKinney, Keith J. Mueller, Alva O. Ferdinand, et al.
Date: 02/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
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