This website is being reviewed for updates. Some information is offline. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Skip to main content
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Access

Changes in Buprenorphine Visits in Frontier and Remote Locations: Effects of the SARS-COV-2 Pandemic
Evaluated patient appointments offering buprenorphine prescriptions in the 55 weeks before and after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic to determine the impact of the pandemic and pandemic-era policies on buprenorphine access for frontier residents in the Great Plains region.
Author(s): Lisa M. McFadden
Citation: Drug and Alcohol Dependence Reports, 7, 100155
Date: 06/2023
view details
Arkansas State Plan on Aging: Fiscal Years 2024-2027
Provides direction for long-term care efforts in the state of Arkansas. Focuses on implementation of the Older American Act (OAA), COVID-19 recovery, equity, access to home and community-based services, and caregiving infrastructure. Highlights population data on rural Arkansas citizens and rural-specific priorities.
Date: 06/2023
Sponsoring organization: Arkansas Department of Human Services
view details
The Alaska State Plan for Senior Services FFY 2024 - FFY 2027
Provides an analysis of a statewide initiative to identify the issues and needs of seniors in Alaska to guide the development of senior health and human services in the state. Discusses the demographic trends and needs of this population based on ongoing needs assessment activities. Identifies specific goals, objectives, and performance measures developed by the State Plan for Senior Services Advisory Committee for FFY 2024-2027.
Date: 06/2023
Sponsoring organization: Alaska Department of Health
view details
Texans' Views and Experiences with End-of-Life Issues
Survey of 2,305 Texans regarding attitudes, experiences, and needs around illness and end-of-life issues. Discusses barriers to access of end-of-life care, race and ethnicity, insurance status, and more. Includes rural data throughout.
Additional links: Research Summary
Date: 06/2023
Sponsoring organizations: Perry Undem, St. David's Foundation
view details
Arkansas Rural Hospital Assessment: Final Report
An assessment of 18 rural Arkansas hospitals with regard to their financial stability, workforce challenges, facilities, distance from other facilities, sustainability, and more. Compares Critical Access Hospitals (CAH) and non-CAHs in the state. Discusses decision-making around the Rural Emergency Hospital designation.
Author(s): Alvarez & Marsal Public Sector Services LLC
Date: 06/2023
Sponsoring organization: Arkansas Department of Finance & Administration
view details
Reversing Population Decline in Rural Pennsylvania
Explores the factors that attract or discourage people from relocating to and staying in rural areas, and how those factors align with existing population shrinkage strategies in rural communities. Discusses the importance of access to healthcare when people make decisions about living in rural or urban areas.
Author(s): Bing Ran, Joseph Hafer
Date: 06/2023
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
view details
Indicators of Healthy Aging: A Guide to Explore Healthy Aging Data through Community Health Improvement
Provides an overview for local health departments (LHDs) and partners to assess the components of healthy aging in their communities through research, data, and practice. Focuses on tracking health indicators and the social determinants of health (SDOH) and how to use data while considering community-level factors that impact healthcare access, such as race/ethnicity, location/rurality, Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) status, and more.
Date: 06/2023
Sponsoring organizations: National Association of County and City Health Officials, Trust for America's Health
view details
Access to Medications for Opioid Use Disorder in Rural Versus Urban Veterans Health Administration Facilities
Explores rural veterans' access to medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) via the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) system. Highlights VHA efforts to expand access to MOUD within VHA facilities and aims to identify access levels for rural veterans via the VA's Community Care program. Breaks down data by type of MOUD and by rural or urban location.
Author(s): Jessica J. Wyse, Sarah Shull, Stephan Lindner, et al.
Citation: Journal of General Internal Medicine, 38(8), 1871-1876
Date: 06/2023
view details
Strengthening Outreach, Recruitment, and Engagement Approaches with Families: The Head Start REACH Case Study Report
Summarizes findings from the case studies of 6 urban and rural Head Start programs, including how Head Start programs identify families most in need of their services and how the programs reach and retain these families. Explores key themes about the eligibility, recruitment, selection, enrollment, and attendance/retention approaches that programs use to reach and support them.
Author(s): Harshini Shah, Tosin Shenbanjo, Caroline Lauver, et al.
Date: 06/2023
Sponsoring organization: Administration for Children and Families
view details
Expanded Report to Congress: Non-Emergency Medical Transportation in Medicaid, 2018–2021
Examines the Medicaid analysis of non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) using Transformed Medicaid Statistical Information System (T-MSIS) data from 2018-2021. Explores the number and percentage of Medicaid beneficiaries using NEMT, the average number of NEMT "ride days" per NEMT user per month enrolled in Medicaid, the types of medical services accessed when using NEMT, monthly trends in the use of NEMT versus telehealth services before and during the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE), and the volume of NEMT services used by type of NEMT delivery model. Offers recommendations for states and local stakeholders regarding Medicaid coverage of NEMT. Presents data by state and by beneficiary characteristics, including Medicaid eligibility category, health conditions, and urban-rural location.
Date: 06/2023
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
view details