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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Community health workers

Rx for the Rural Healthcare Workforce and Access to Care
Podcast with Tom Morris of the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy about trends related to the rural healthcare workforce and efforts to overcome challenges. Discusses the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, rural hospital closures, telehealth, graduate medical education in rural areas, community health workers and community paramedics, funding opportunities to promote healthcare access in rural areas, the opioid crisis, and more.
Author(s): Jessica Nicholson
Date: 05/2022
Type: Audio
Sponsoring organization: The Conference Board
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Evaluating the Dissemination and Implementation of a Community Health Worker-Based Community Wide Campaign to Improve Fruit and Vegetable Intake and Physical Activity among Latinos along the U.S.-Mexico Border
Describes a culturally tailored community-wide program to augment fruit and vegetable consumption and promote physical activity among 5,686 low-income Latinos of Mexican descent living in Texas. Features demographics and statistics on changes in fruit and vegetable consumption over the course of the intervention.
Author(s): Paul Gerardo Yeh, Belinda M. Reininger, Lisa A. Mitchell-Bennett, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(8), 4514
Date: 04/2022
Type: Document
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Medicaid Coverage of Community Health Worker Services
Provides an overview of types of community health workers (CHWs) and the services they provide. Summarizes studies examining the effects of CHW programs on health outcomes and costs. Discusses state approaches to covering CHW services through Medicaid, including the services covered, regulatory authorities used to provide Medicaid payment, the populations served, and training and certification requirements.
Date: 04/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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The Effectiveness of Policies to Improve Primary Care Access for Underserved Populations: An Assessment of the Literature
Review of research literature to assess whether policy initiatives targeting primary care access for rural and underserved populations has been effective in reducing healthcare disparities. Initiatives considered include availability, accessibility, accommodation, affordability, and acceptability.
Additional links: Fact Sheet: Alleviating Structural Barriers to Obtaining Primary Care Services, Fact Sheet: Bringing Outpatient Clinics into Communities, Fact Sheet: Ensuring Comfort and Communication in the Delivery of Primary Care Services, Fact Sheet: Increasing the Availability of Primary Care Clinicians, Fact Sheet: Removing Financial Barriers to Primary Care
Author(s): Maanasa Kona, Megan Houston, Nia Gooding
Date: 01/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Milbank Memorial Fund
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Community Health Worker (CHW) Impact in Maryland
Infographic showing the value and impact of community health workers (CHWs) in Maryland. Features statistics including percents of the top 5 services CHWs report providing for their clients, with breakdowns by urban and rural locations.
Date: 2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Maryland State Office of Rural Health
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Community Health Workers (CHWs) in Rural Maryland
Infographic describing the role and activities of community health workers (CHWs) in rural areas of Maryland. Features statistics on percent of CHWs providing services to vulnerable populations in rural Maryland, and substance use disorder support and funding for CHWs, with breakdowns by urban or rural location.
Date: 2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Maryland State Office of Rural Health
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Scaling a Community-Wide Campaign Intervention to Manage Hypertension and Weight Loss
Analysis of a public health intervention addressing hypertension and obesity among low-income Latino populations in the U.S.-Mexico border region in Texas. Discusses the impacts of the intervention in 10 cities and large metro areas, 2 small towns, and 6 rural areas and examines data using the RE-AIM Framework.
Author(s): Belinda M. Reininger, Lisa A. Mitchell-Bennett, MinJae Lee, et al.
Citation: Frontiers in Medicine, 8, 661353
Date: 11/2021
Type: Document
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The Use of Community Health Workers in Community Health Centers
Examines changes in the community health workers (CHWs) workforce among community health centers (CHCs) from 2016-2018 and factors associated with the use of CHWs. Features statistics on characteristics of CHCs in the study and factors associated with use of CHWs in CHCs, with breakdowns by rural location.
Author(s): Jeongyoung Park, Marsha Regenstein, Nicholas Chong, Chinelo L. Onyilofor
Citation: Medical Care, 59(10), S457-S462
Date: 10/2021
Type: Document
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Caring for America: Legislation to Support Patients, Caregivers, and Providers
Recording of a U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health hearing on legislation related to funding for behavioral and mental health services for the healthcare workforce; a loan repayment program for local, state, and tribal public health professionals; increasing diversity in allied health professions; improving health outcomes in underserved communities through the use of community health workers; and more. Includes testimony from the National Association of County and City Health Officials, Augusta University, Ballad Health, and others.
Additional links: Alan Levine, Ballad Health - Testimony, Brooks A. Keel, Augusta University - Testimony, Lisa Macon Harrison, National Association of County and City Health Officials - Testimony
Date: 10/2021
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: House Energy and Commerce Committee, Subcommittee on Health
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Out of the Shadows: Reducing the Rural Impact of Epilepsy
Provides an overview of epilepsy in rural areas, including the impact that driving restrictions can have on rural people with epilepsy. Discusses rural management approaches, including self-management programs, Seizure First Aid, and Seizure Safe Schools.
Author(s): Kay Miller Temple
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 10/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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