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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Emergency preparedness and response

The Rural Health Safety Net Under Pressure: Understanding the Potential Impact of COVID-19
Examines the stability of the rural health safety net at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Outlines key factors that will influence the impact of COVID-19 on rural healthcare, including access to intensive care unit beds, outpatient service revenues, and rural provider days cash on hand. Highlights provisions of the CARES Act aimed at mitigating the impact of the pandemic on rural hospitals.
Date: 2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Chartis Center for Rural Health
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Key Findings from RAND Health Care Research on Telehealth Policy
Brief examining the implications of telehealth policy for emergency response, treatment for substance use disorder and opioid use disorder, access to care for service members and rural populations, and healthcare equity.
Author(s): Lori Uscher-Pines, Shira H. Fischer
Date: 2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: RAND Corporation
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Beyond the Headlines: Funding Disasters in Rural Communities
Recording of a December 9, 2021, webinar with panelists from three nonprofits discussing a variety of responses funders can offer when assisting in the disaster recovery efforts of rural communities. Responses include: hiring language or cultural-specific staff; helping survivors access government assistance; supporting community coalitions or long-term recovery groups; and collaborating with regional organizations to build resilience, response, and recovery networks.
Date: 12/2021
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Center for Disaster Philanthropy
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What a Pandemic Has Taught Us About the Potential for Innovation in Rural Health: Commencing an Ethnography in Canada, the United States, Sweden, and Australia
Examines success stories of rural communities responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. Utilizes ethnographic research to explore healthcare response in communities with fewer than 7,000 inhabitants and not near large healthcare centers.
Author(s): Samuel Petrie, Dean Carson, Paul Peters, et al.
Citation: Frontiers in Public Health, 9
Date: 12/2021
Type: Document
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High-Risk Outreach for COVID-19 Mortality Reduction in an Indigenous Community
Explores the public health disparities in rural indigenous communities based on COVID-19 mortality rates. Discusses methods for mortality reduction in pandemic response procedures and general public health policy in Native American communities.
Author(s): Myles J. Stone, Ryan M. Close, Christopher K. Jentoft, et al.
Citation: American Journal of Public Health, 111(11), 1939–1941
Date: 11/2021
Type: Document
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North Dakota Department of Health Biennial Report: 2019-2021
Highlights the goals and accomplishments of the North Dakota Department of Health during the 2019-2021 biennium, in the areas of community health, emergency preparedness and response, environmental health, health resources, medical services, and local public health units. Includes information on rural healthcare facilities and rural health promotion programs.
Date: 11/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Dakota Department of Health
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Missouri Health Assessment
Describes the Missouri state health status assessment, community themes and strengths, state health system assessment, and forces of change. Mentions rural throughout and includes statistics showing disparities between urban and rural areas for various health issues.
Date: 11/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services
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Losses, Gains, and Changes to the Food Environment in a Rural Kentucky County during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Results of a study conducted in rural Laurel County, Kentucky, regarding changes to the food environment during the COVID-19 pandemic. Offers suggestions for future programming to address inequitable access and response during public health emergencies.
Author(s): Makenzie L. Barr, Courtney Martin, Courtney Luecking, Kathryn Cardarelli
Citation: Nutrients, 13(11), 3929
Date: 11/2021
Type: Document
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Rural Telehealth and Healthcare System Readiness Measurement Framework: Final Report
Presents a performance measurement framework to guide quality and performance improvement for healthcare services delivered via telehealth in rural areas in response to disasters. Covers five domains — access to care and technology; costs, business models, and logistics; experience; effectiveness; and equity — rural-specific measurement issues, and potential solutions. Includes recommendations for rural telehealth measurement for time-sensitive emergencies, public health emergencies, and disasters.
Date: 11/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Quality Forum
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Critical Access Hospitals' Initial Response to COVID-19 by System Affiliation
Summarizes results of a survey of Critical Access Hospital (CAH) executives in eight states regarding the initial response to COVID-19 through August 2020. Presents data by system-affiliated and independent CAH status. Discusses COVID-19 case volume, personal protective equipment (PPE) supply, and the perceived impact of system affiliation status on facilities' overall response to COVID-19.
Author(s): Ira Moscovice, Madeleine Pick, Megan Lahr
Date: 11/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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