Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Broadband
State Strategies for Strengthening Rural Health: Insights from NASHP's 2025 Annual Conference
Summarizes a session from the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) 2025 Annual Conference regarding state strategies to improve access to care in rural communities. Highlights policies from North Dakota, Washington, and West Virginia related to workforce and capacity challenges, broadband and telehealth, behavioral health access points, and linking health and social care.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Academy for State Health Policy
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Summarizes a session from the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) 2025 Annual Conference regarding state strategies to improve access to care in rural communities. Highlights policies from North Dakota, Washington, and West Virginia related to workforce and capacity challenges, broadband and telehealth, behavioral health access points, and linking health and social care.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Academy for State Health Policy
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Forces Driving Change in Rural North Carolina
Examines major forces driving change in rural North Carolina communities, which influence people, communities, and businesses. Includes sections on rural healthcare inequities, social determinants of health, and the long-term impact of COVID-19 on rural people. Features a county-level map showing health outcome rankings as of 2022, and statistics on the number of healthcare professionals per 10,000 people, with breakdowns by urban, suburban, and rural areas.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: NC Rural Center
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Examines major forces driving change in rural North Carolina communities, which influence people, communities, and businesses. Includes sections on rural healthcare inequities, social determinants of health, and the long-term impact of COVID-19 on rural people. Features a county-level map showing health outcome rankings as of 2022, and statistics on the number of healthcare professionals per 10,000 people, with breakdowns by urban, suburban, and rural areas.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: NC Rural Center
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The Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program: Issues for the 119th Congress
Provides an overview of the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program, which was created in 2021 to provide broadband service to locations that lack access. Describes concerns that have been raised by stakeholders regarding the implementation of the BEAD Program. Presents options for Congress related to overseeing and addressing concerns about the BEAD Program.
Date: 08/2025
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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Provides an overview of the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program, which was created in 2021 to provide broadband service to locations that lack access. Describes concerns that have been raised by stakeholders regarding the implementation of the BEAD Program. Presents options for Congress related to overseeing and addressing concerns about the BEAD Program.
Date: 08/2025
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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Oregon by the Numbers - Key Measures for Oregon and Its Counties
Breaks down demographic and socioeconomic data in Oregon by county. Highlights data on various measures for each county such as food insecurity, unemployment rate, adult smoking, broadband access, and percent rural versus urban, among others.
Additional links: En Español
Date: 08/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Ford Family Foundation, Oregon State University Rural Studies Program
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Breaks down demographic and socioeconomic data in Oregon by county. Highlights data on various measures for each county such as food insecurity, unemployment rate, adult smoking, broadband access, and percent rural versus urban, among others.
Additional links: En Español
Date: 08/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Ford Family Foundation, Oregon State University Rural Studies Program
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The Current Landscape of Rural, Remote, and Frontier Mental Health in America
Fact sheet highlights a number factors in rural and frontier communities that affect mental health access. Discusses population-based considerations, barriers to access, and education and training.
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: American Psychological Association
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Fact sheet highlights a number factors in rural and frontier communities that affect mental health access. Discusses population-based considerations, barriers to access, and education and training.
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: American Psychological Association
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Access and Quality of Mental Health Services in Rural and Urban America
Research brief documenting recent trends in mental healthcare access and quality in urban and rural communities. Features state-level maps showing locations of mental health facilities, a county-level map with shadings showing driving distances to any mental health facility or access to telehealth, and statistics on ZIP code area demographics, with breakdowns by urban, large rural, and small rural area.
Author(s): Peiyin Hung, Sophia N.D. Negaro, Rachel M. Hantman, et al.
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: University of South Carolina Rural Health Research Center
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Research brief documenting recent trends in mental healthcare access and quality in urban and rural communities. Features state-level maps showing locations of mental health facilities, a county-level map with shadings showing driving distances to any mental health facility or access to telehealth, and statistics on ZIP code area demographics, with breakdowns by urban, large rural, and small rural area.
Author(s): Peiyin Hung, Sophia N.D. Negaro, Rachel M. Hantman, et al.
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: University of South Carolina Rural Health Research Center
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Tribal Broadband Deployment: Federal Funding and Considerations for Congress
Provides an overview of the status of broadband access in tribal areas. Describes federal funding programs related to broadband deployment, including funding exclusive to tribal entities. Discusses policy issues and considerations for Congress related to federal broadband deployment funding for tribal entities.
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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Provides an overview of the status of broadband access in tribal areas. Describes federal funding programs related to broadband deployment, including funding exclusive to tribal entities. Discusses policy issues and considerations for Congress related to federal broadband deployment funding for tribal entities.
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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Telehealth-Readiness, Healthcare Access, and Cardiovascular Health in the Deep South: A Spatial Perspective
Examines the spatial distribution and social determinants of coronary heart disease (CHD) and CHD-related mortality across 428 counties in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and South Carolina. Explores how enabling resources, such as healthcare provider availability and broadband infrastructure; sociodemographic characteristics; and access barriers relate to cardiovascular burden.
Author(s): Ruaa Al Juboori, Dylan Barker, Andrew Yockey, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 22(7), 1020
Date: 06/2025
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Examines the spatial distribution and social determinants of coronary heart disease (CHD) and CHD-related mortality across 428 counties in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and South Carolina. Explores how enabling resources, such as healthcare provider availability and broadband infrastructure; sociodemographic characteristics; and access barriers relate to cardiovascular burden.
Author(s): Ruaa Al Juboori, Dylan Barker, Andrew Yockey, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 22(7), 1020
Date: 06/2025
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Broadband Programs: Agencies Need to Further Improve Their Data Quality and Coordination Efforts
Examines federal agencies' use of broadband availability information and the extent to which the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ensures the quality of data in its National Broadband Map. Explores the extent to which agencies' coordination of broadband funding programs aligns with leading practices for interagency collaboration, among other issues. Compares the FCC's practices for ensuring the quality of information in its National Broadband Map against relevant federal internal control standards.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Examines federal agencies' use of broadband availability information and the extent to which the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ensures the quality of data in its National Broadband Map. Explores the extent to which agencies' coordination of broadband funding programs aligns with leading practices for interagency collaboration, among other issues. Compares the FCC's practices for ensuring the quality of information in its National Broadband Map against relevant federal internal control standards.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Farm Bill Primer: Rural Development Title
Provides an overview of the rural development provisions of the 2018 Farm Bill, including provisions related to rural broadband, water and waste disposal, and business creation and economic development. Offers considerations Congress may consider in the 2025 reauthorization of the Farm Bill related to the ReConnect Program and rural health challenges.
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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Provides an overview of the rural development provisions of the 2018 Farm Bill, including provisions related to rural broadband, water and waste disposal, and business creation and economic development. Offers considerations Congress may consider in the 2025 reauthorization of the Farm Bill related to the ReConnect Program and rural health challenges.
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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