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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Economics and the economy

USDA's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Contributed to Rural Economic Output, Jobs Following the Great Recession
Reports on the economic impacts of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in rural areas from 2009-2014 based on data from the USDA and U.S. Department of Commerce's Bureau of Economic Analysis. Discusses job creation, household spending, and food-sector investments.
Author(s): Cristina Miller, Katherine Ralston, Stephen Vogel
Citation: Amber Waves
Date: 12/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Rural Voices for Prosperity: A Report of the Governor's Blue Ribbon Commission on Rural Prosperity
Reports on feedback generated by the Blue Ribbon Commission on Rural Prosperity of Wisconsin and rural Wisconsin stakeholders about how to address challenges in rural communities and increase prosperity. Includes discussions about policy, culture and diversity, communication and broadband, childcare, education, health, transit, business and economy, housing, and public health infrastructure.
Date: 10/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Aspen Institute, Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation
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Affordability and Availability: Expanding Broadband in the Black Rural South
Report examining broadband access in African American communities in the rural South. Highlights economic, healthcare, and educational opportunities that accompany broadband access. Discusses financial and policy barriers to broadband access in the Black rural South and offers policy recommendations to increase access.
Author(s): Dominique Harrison
Date: 10/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies
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Impact of USDA's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) on Rural and Urban Economies in the Aftermath of the Great Recession
Reports on the effects of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefit spending on employment, output, and household incomes between 2009-2014. Describes the different impacts of SNAP benefit outlays on urban and rural economies.
Additional links: Report Summary
Author(s): Stephen Vogel, Cristina Miller, Katherine Ralston
Date: 10/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Reenvisioning Rural America
Examines census tracts designated as micropolitan, small town, and isolated rural by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural-Urban Commuting Area (RUCA) code system, offering a typology of tracts based on assets and strengths. Organizes rural census tracts into categories including accessible, energy-rich hubs; high-employment agricultural areas; centers of wealth and health; and more. Includes a data map with information on each category of rural census tract and population, government, and geographic information for each tract.
Date: 09/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Urban Institute
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Federal Data for Conducting Patient-Centered Outcomes Research on Economic Outcomes
Examines 29 federal and federally-funded healthcare data sources relevant to patient-centered outcomes research (PCOR) on economic outcomes to find gaps to aid future data collection efforts. Exhibit 2 reports on the overall characteristics for the 29 data sources by data source steward, how the data is collected, aggregation level, observation length, how often the data is collected, observable social determinants of health (SDOH) measures, and observable factors related to health equity, which includes rural-urban status. Exhibit A-2 outlines each characteristic mentioned above for all 29 data sources included in the analysis.
Date: 09/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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Redefining Rural: What Rural Prosperity and the Geography of Newly Affluent Rural Communities Tells Us About Rural Development
Examines rural prosperity data and changes for counties that grew in, maintained, or slipped in prosperity from 2000 to 2018, using American Community Survey (ACS) and U.S. Census Bureau data. Offers tables breaking down prosperity according to rates of high school degree holders, poverty rate, employment, housing vacancy, and income, including comparisons between rural and non-rural counties. Presents a case study analysis on rural prosperity in Texas.
Author(s): Kennedy O'Dell
Date: 08/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Economic Innovation Group
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Perceptions of Diseases of Despair by Members of Rural and Urban High-Prevalence Communities: A Qualitative Study
Reports on a study of community perceptions of despair-related illnesses based on 4 focus groups of 60 patients from 1 urban and 2 rural census blocks in central Pennsylvania where diseases of despair (DoD) are prevalent. Discusses perceived causes of DoD, such as economic instability, substance misuse, and fragmented family life; and intervention strategies at the community, local, and state level.
Author(s): Daniel R. George, Bethany Snyder, Lauren J. Van Scoy, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 4(7), e2118134
Date: 07/2021
Type: Document
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Examining Opportunities for Growth and Investment in Rural America
Video recording of testimony from rural healthcare and economic organization leadership to the U.S. House Agriculture Committee. Discusses broadband and telehealth, COVID-19 impacts on rural healthcare and economics, education, infrastructure, aging, and agriculture business issues. Transcript available in the video description.
Additional links: Testimony Transcripts
Date: 06/2021
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: U.S. House Committee on Agriculture
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Meet CEARH - The Center for Economic Analysis of Rural Health
Webinar recording discusses the economic impacts of rural healthcare systems on local, state, and national economies. Features a presentation by a representative of the Center for Economic Analysis of Rural Health (CEARH) outlining the products and services of CEARH.
Additional links: Audio Recording, PowerPoint Handout, Webinar Transcript
Date: 06/2021
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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