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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Health disparities

Health Equity Series: Food Insecurity
Reports on disparities related to food security in Missouri. Includes a brief history of the topic and a discussion on food access. Covers other socio-economic factors that can contribute to food insecurity. Sections 15 and 20 focus specifically on rural versus urban comparisons.
Author(s): Cindy Calender
Date: 12/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Missouri Foundation for Health
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A Cross-Sectional Study on Health Differences Between Rural and Non-Rural U.S. Counties Using the County Health Rankings
Examines the rural and urban differences in health and healthcare within the U.S. using data accessed from the 2013 County Health Rankings and Roadmaps. Vital health factors evaluated include mortality, morbidity, health behaviors, clinical care, social and economic factors, and the physical environment.
Author(s): Timothy J. Anderson, Daniel M. Saman, Martin S. Lipsky, M. Nawal Lutfiyya
Citation: BMC Health Services Research, 15, 441
Date: 10/2015
Type: Document
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Individual and Neighborhood Predictors of Mortality among HIV-Positive Latinos with History of Injection Drug Use, Florida, 2000–2011
Examines disparities as well as individual and neighborhood predictors of mortality in HIV-positive Latinos with a history of injection drug use (IDU) in Florida. Provides demographic and other information on individuals age 13 and older diagnosed with HIV, with data for those with and without a history of IDU. Offers zip code-level characteristics, including rural/urban location. Includes implications for targeting prevention strategies in rural areas.
Author(s): Diana M. Sheehan, Mary Jo Trepka, Kristopher P. Fennie, et al.
Citation: Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 154, 243-250
Date: 09/2015
Type: Document
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Environmental Scan of Programs and Policies Addressing Health Disparities Among Rural Children in Poverty
Examines policies and programs aimed to address health disparities of rural children living in poverty and offers recommendations based on the findings. Provides an environmental scan of community- and state-level interventions aimed to address obesity, behavioral health, oral health, prenatal and postnatal care, and respiratory health.
Author(s): Brenda Natzke, Luke Horner
Date: 09/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Mathematica Policy Research
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Not Near Enough: Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Access to Nearby Behavioral Health Care and Primary Care
Analyzes the association of integrated behavioral health and primary care services with communities in rural areas and communities with higher percentages of African American and Hispanic people to gain a better understanding of the disparities in access to integrated care.
Author(s): Lynn M. VanderWielen, Emma C. Gilchrist, Molly A. Nowels, et al.
Citation: Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, 26(3) 1032–1047
Date: 08/2015
Type: Document
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The Intersection of Residence and Area Deprivation: The Case of Hospitalizations from Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions among Children
Analyzes the role of residence and community deprivation on potentially avoidable hospitalizations among children. Examines rates of potentially avoidable hospitalizations by rural/urban geography across 9 states and discusses policy and research implications of the findings. Part 2 of a 2-part series.
Additional links: Fact Sheet
Author(s): Nathan Hale, Janice C. Probst, Ashley Robertson
Date: 08/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural and Minority Health Research Center (formerly the South Carolina Rural Health Research Center)
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Area Deprivation Is Higher among Rural Counties — but Not All Rural Counties Are Deprived
Examines the role of residence and community deprivation on potentially avoidable hospitalizations among children. Introduces the Area Deprivation Index, applies the index to counties across the United States, and analyzes rates of potentially avoidable hospitalizations by urban and rural locations across 9 states. (Part 1 of a 2-part series.)
Additional links: Fact Sheet
Author(s): Nathan Hale, Janice C. Probst, Ashley Robertson
Date: 08/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural and Minority Health Research Center (formerly the South Carolina Rural Health Research Center)
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Rural Health Care Disparities Created by Medicare Regulations
Transcript of a July 28, 2015, U.S. House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee, Subcommittee on Health hearing concerning rural healthcare disparities created by Medicare regulations. Features testimony from the Arizona Center for Rural Health and leaders from two Critical Access Hospitals and one rural hospital. Covers physician shortages; graduate medical education; the impact of regulatory changes such as the 96-hour rule, the two-midnight rule, and physician supervision requirements; and more.
Additional links: Carrie Saia, Holton Community Hospital - Testimony, Daniel Derksen, Arizona Center for Rural Health - Testimony, Shannon Sorensen, Brown County Hospital - Testimony, Tim Joslin, Community Regional Medical Centers - Testimony
Date: 07/2015
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: House Ways and Means Committee, Subcommittee on Health
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Government and Philanthropies Join Forces for Rural Health
Overview of the work of the Rural Health Philanthropy Partnership, a collaboration between rural federal programs and rural-focused trusts and foundations. Describes a care coordination program the group developed, and discusses an upcoming focus on the priority area of leadership in health equity.
Author(s): Becca Cruger
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 06/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Disparities in Colorectal Cancer Treatment Delay Within Appalachia – The Role of For-Profit Hospitals
Discusses the timeliness of colorectal cancer (CRC) treatment in rural hospitals of the Appalachian regions of Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina. Study uses data from the 2006-2008 Central Cancer Registry (CCR) as well as Medicare claims to identify delays between diagnosis and treatment in healthcare facilities with various funding models.
Author(s): Eric E. Seiber, Fabian Camacho, Muhammad Fazal Zeeshan, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 31(4), 382-391
Date: 05/2015
Type: Document
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