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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Emergency preparedness and response

Healthcare System Readiness Measurement Framework
Offers an all-hazards measurement framework to help healthcare systems evaluate their readiness to respond to disasters and emergencies. The framework was developed to cover mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery at the request of the Department of Health and Human Services. Includes some considerations specific to rural areas.
Date: 06/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Quality Forum
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Disaster Exposure and Mental Health Among Puerto Rican Youths After Hurricane Maria
Results of a survey administered to 96,108 public school students between February and June 2018. Features statistics including percentage by educational region of students reporting exposure to stressors that warrant mental health services.
Author(s): Rosaura Orengo-Aguayo, Regan W. Stewart, Michael A. de Arellano
Citation: JAMA Network Open 2(4)
Date: 04/2019
Type: Document
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Hospital-Based Incident Command Systems: Small and Rural Hospitals
Provides slides and additional links from a webinar featuring case studies of how rural, Indian Health Service, and Critical Access Hospitals responded to emergencies and used Incident Command Systems in Tennessee, Nebraska, Texas, South Dakota, Georgia, and Utah. Features training examples and actual situations - shooting incidents, school bus accidents, water contamination, and more - addressing challenges faced and lessons learned.
Date: 03/2019
Type: Presentation Slides
Sponsoring organization: Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response
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Planning and Partnerships: Coordinating Rural Resources for Emergency Preparedness and Response
Discusses how rural healthcare facilities can prepare for natural and man-made disasters, the need for flexibility, and the importance of learning from others' experiences. Includes examples of rural communities and providers responding to a tornado in Iowa, an earthquake in Alaska, and an armed hostage standoff in South Dakota.
Author(s): Tami Lichtenberg
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 03/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Hope after Disaster: Rural Resilience and Recovery
Offers articles on various aspects related to emergency preparedness, response, and recovery for rural disasters. Focuses on how the 2019 flooding in Iowa showed connections between recovery and rural housing, how using risk models can minimize risks, lessons learned from rural wildfires in California, and more.
Citation: Rural Voices, 23(1)
Date: 2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
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2019 National Tribal and Rural Training Needs Assessment
Reports findings from a survey of rural and tribal first response organizations to understanding their training needs. Includes information on demographics, core capabilities, training needs, and training information and delivery preferences.
Author(s): Kay Lang, Christopher Murtagh, Richards P. Davis
Date: 2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Center for Best Practices in Law Enforcement, Rural Domestic Preparedness Consortium
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Updating the Costs of Compliance for California's Hospital Seismic Safety Standards
Updates progress made on California's implementation of a bill intended to improve hospital building standards to prepare for earthquakes. Analyzes the legislation's affordability for hospitals, particularly Critical Access Hospitals; future costs of compliance; factors influencing prioritization of compliance strategies; and policy alternatives.
Author(s): Benjamin L. Preston, Tom LaTourrette, James R. Broyles, et al.
Date: 2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: California Hospital Association, RAND Corporation
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Medical Surge and the Role of Health Clinics
Results of a study exploring the scope and level of implementation of emergency management activities among health clinics, including Federally Qualified Health Centers and Rural Health Clinics. Uses information from 175 online surveys with health clinic leaders from 38 states. Features statistics from participating clinics, with breakdowns by urban, suburban, rural, and remote locations, and type of clinic.
Additional links: Summary
Date: 10/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response
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Opioid Crisis: Status of Public Health Emergency Authorities
Examines the effectiveness of public health emergency authorities' response to the opioid crisis. Discusses the different public health emergency authorities selected by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the activities underway to combat the opioid crisis.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 09/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Rural and Frontier Healthcare Coalitions: A Preparedness and Response Snapshot
Summarizes interviews with rural and frontier healthcare coalitions from nine states. Describes the characteristics of healthcare coalitions. Covers strengths, barriers, and opportunities for rural and frontier healthcare coalitions.
Author(s): Shannon Davis
Date: 09/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Association of County and City Health Officials
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