Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Emergency preparedness and response
COVID-19 and the Rural Health Workforce: Recommendations to Improve Health in Illinois
Provides an overview of the healthcare workforce in rural Illinois and describes the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Offers policy recommendations to strengthen the rural health workforce in the state, improve service delivery, and enhance access to specialty care via telehealth services.
Date: 10/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Southern Illinois University (SIU) Medicine Department of Population Science and Policy
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Provides an overview of the healthcare workforce in rural Illinois and describes the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Offers policy recommendations to strengthen the rural health workforce in the state, improve service delivery, and enhance access to specialty care via telehealth services.
Date: 10/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Southern Illinois University (SIU) Medicine Department of Population Science and Policy
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State of Telehealth: Removing Barriers to Access and Improving Patient Outcomes
Presents a recording of an October 7, 2021, hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation Subcommittee on Communications, Media, and Broadband. Examines the importance of access to telehealth services, telehealth utilization during the COVID-19 pandemic, the impact of the pandemic on telehealth regulations, and the role of broadband access in the public health response. Features testimony from the American Academy of Family Physicians, Project ECHO, Avel eCare, and the Federal Communications Commission.
Additional links: American Academy of Family Physicians Testimony, Avel eCare Testimony, Federal Communications Commission Testimony, Project ECHO Testimony
Date: 10/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
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Presents a recording of an October 7, 2021, hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation Subcommittee on Communications, Media, and Broadband. Examines the importance of access to telehealth services, telehealth utilization during the COVID-19 pandemic, the impact of the pandemic on telehealth regulations, and the role of broadband access in the public health response. Features testimony from the American Academy of Family Physicians, Project ECHO, Avel eCare, and the Federal Communications Commission.
Additional links: American Academy of Family Physicians Testimony, Avel eCare Testimony, Federal Communications Commission Testimony, Project ECHO Testimony
Date: 10/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
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State Cross-Agency Collaboration During the COVID-19 Pandemic Response
Examines cross-agency approaches to COVID-19 response efforts in Illinois, Indiana, and Rhode Island. Identifies key themes, lessons, and best practices for other states to consider when preparing for future public health emergencies. Highlights efforts to serve rural populations.
Author(s): Elinor Higgins, Rebecca Cooper
Date: 10/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Academy for State Health Policy
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Examines cross-agency approaches to COVID-19 response efforts in Illinois, Indiana, and Rhode Island. Identifies key themes, lessons, and best practices for other states to consider when preparing for future public health emergencies. Highlights efforts to serve rural populations.
Author(s): Elinor Higgins, Rebecca Cooper
Date: 10/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Academy for State Health Policy
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Disaster Resiliency and Recovery Resources: A Guide for Rural Communities
Provides an overview of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD) programs and services for rural residents, businesses, and communities impacted by disasters, as well as programs that support long-term planning and recovery efforts. Includes information on technical assistance providers to help rural planning and recovery efforts. Highlights examples of how three rural communities used USDA RD programs to aid their recovery.
Date: 09/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: USDA Rural Development
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Provides an overview of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD) programs and services for rural residents, businesses, and communities impacted by disasters, as well as programs that support long-term planning and recovery efforts. Includes information on technical assistance providers to help rural planning and recovery efforts. Highlights examples of how three rural communities used USDA RD programs to aid their recovery.
Date: 09/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: USDA Rural Development
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Overview of Barriers and Facilitators in COVID-19 Vaccine Outreach
Provides an overview of lessons learned from infectious disease outbreaks about barriers to vaccine uptake. Describes examples of promising and innovative COVID-19 vaccination outreach strategies, including strategies to build vaccine confidence in rural communities. Identifies best practices that could be used to inform outreach in areas with low vaccination rates. Highlights online tools and resources to assist with the design of vaccine outreach programs.
Author(s): Aldren Gonzales, Euny C. Lee, Violanda Grigorescu, et al.
Date: 09/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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Provides an overview of lessons learned from infectious disease outbreaks about barriers to vaccine uptake. Describes examples of promising and innovative COVID-19 vaccination outreach strategies, including strategies to build vaccine confidence in rural communities. Identifies best practices that could be used to inform outreach in areas with low vaccination rates. Highlights online tools and resources to assist with the design of vaccine outreach programs.
Author(s): Aldren Gonzales, Euny C. Lee, Violanda Grigorescu, et al.
Date: 09/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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Assessing the Impact of COVID-19 on Low-Income Households and Communities in North Carolina
Discusses impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on efforts to combat poverty and promote self-sufficiency in low-income communities across North Carolina. Presents excerpts from interviews with community leaders, and identifies takeaways related to the pandemic's impact on individuals, organizational strategies, partnerships and collaboration, and public health. Highlights rural communities and Black North Carolinians throughout, and covers topics including vaccination, internet access, mental health, and more. Provides recommendations for community action agencies.
Author(s): James H. Johnson Jr., Jeanne Milliken Bonds, Allan M. Parnell
Date: 08/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: North Carolina Community Action Association, Urban Investment Strategies Center
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Discusses impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on efforts to combat poverty and promote self-sufficiency in low-income communities across North Carolina. Presents excerpts from interviews with community leaders, and identifies takeaways related to the pandemic's impact on individuals, organizational strategies, partnerships and collaboration, and public health. Highlights rural communities and Black North Carolinians throughout, and covers topics including vaccination, internet access, mental health, and more. Provides recommendations for community action agencies.
Author(s): James H. Johnson Jr., Jeanne Milliken Bonds, Allan M. Parnell
Date: 08/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: North Carolina Community Action Association, Urban Investment Strategies Center
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Understanding the Rural Swing Bed: More than Just a Reimbursement Policy
Provides an overview of the swing bed program and its role as a patient-centric post-acute care solution that helps rural hospitals serve their communities. Discusses the impact of the program, reimbursement, quality measures, and more.
Author(s): Kay Miller Temple
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 08/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Provides an overview of the swing bed program and its role as a patient-centric post-acute care solution that helps rural hospitals serve their communities. Discusses the impact of the program, reimbursement, quality measures, and more.
Author(s): Kay Miller Temple
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 08/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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COVID-19: HHS's Collection of Hospital Capacity Data
Examines the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) implementation of the HHS Project, which was launched in April 2020 to collect national and state-level hospital capacity data. Discusses reporting requirements and challenges, use of the data collected, and lessons learned regarding the collection of hospital capacity data during a public health emergency.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 08/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Examines the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) implementation of the HHS Project, which was launched in April 2020 to collect national and state-level hospital capacity data. Discusses reporting requirements and challenges, use of the data collected, and lessons learned regarding the collection of hospital capacity data during a public health emergency.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 08/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Rural Community Pharmacies' Preparedness for and Responses to COVID-19
Analyzes emergency preparedness for COVID-19 in rural, southeastern community pharmacies and how emergency preparedness responses varied by level of rurality. Utilizes survey data from 62 pharmacists part of the Rural Research Alliance of Community Pharmacies (RURAL-CP), examining COVID-19 information source use, interest in COVID-19 testing, infection control procedures, disaster preparedness training, medication supply impacts, and demographic characteristics, comparing responses from pharmacists located in large rural town, small rural town, and isolated rural town.
Additional links: Poster Presentation
Author(s): Delesha M. Carpenter, Tessa Hastings, Salisa Westrick, et al.
Citation: Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy, 17, 1327-1331
Date: 07/2021
Type: Document
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Analyzes emergency preparedness for COVID-19 in rural, southeastern community pharmacies and how emergency preparedness responses varied by level of rurality. Utilizes survey data from 62 pharmacists part of the Rural Research Alliance of Community Pharmacies (RURAL-CP), examining COVID-19 information source use, interest in COVID-19 testing, infection control procedures, disaster preparedness training, medication supply impacts, and demographic characteristics, comparing responses from pharmacists located in large rural town, small rural town, and isolated rural town.
Additional links: Poster Presentation
Author(s): Delesha M. Carpenter, Tessa Hastings, Salisa Westrick, et al.
Citation: Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy, 17, 1327-1331
Date: 07/2021
Type: Document
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State Medicaid Telehealth Policies Before and During the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency
Examines state Medicaid telehealth coverage, policies, and utilization before and after the COVID-19 public health emergency. Discusses issues and opportunities for optimizing telehealth, including equity considerations for rural and lower-income communities.
Author(s): Rose C. Chu, Christie Peters, Nancy De Lew, Benjamin D. Sommers
Date: 07/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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Examines state Medicaid telehealth coverage, policies, and utilization before and after the COVID-19 public health emergency. Discusses issues and opportunities for optimizing telehealth, including equity considerations for rural and lower-income communities.
Author(s): Rose C. Chu, Christie Peters, Nancy De Lew, Benjamin D. Sommers
Date: 07/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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