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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Health workforce

Connecting Unstably Housed Veterans Living in Rural Areas to Health Care: Perspectives From Health Care Navigators
Highlights a study of VA healthcare navigators (HCNs) effectiveness in helping rural veterans experiencing housing instability access healthcare services. Explores interpersonal, intrapersonal, and community-level barriers and facilitators to HCN services.
Author(s): Kalea Jones, Meagan Cusack, Gala True, et al.
Citation: Health Services Research, 59(S2), e14316
Date: 12/2024
Type: Document
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Effects of Rural Hospital Closures on Nurse Staffing Levels and Health Care Utilization at Nearby Hospitals
Analyzes healthcare utilization and nurse staffing levels when nearby rural hospitals close. Utilizes 2014-2019 American Hospital Association Survey data to examine vocational nurse/licensed practical nurse (LPN), registered nurse (RN), and advanced practice nurse (APN) staffing levels as well as inpatient and outpatient surgical operations and emergency department (ED) visits within 4 years of a hospital closure.
Author(s): Jing Dong, Siying Liu, Asefeh Faraz Covelli, Guido Cataife
Citation: Health Economics, 33(12), 2687-2707
Date: 12/2024
Type: Document
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Improving Access to Buprenorphine for Rural Veterans in a Learning Health Care System
Describes the development of a implementation strategy to increase rural buprenorphine prescribing at U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) healthcare systems based on existing successful strategies in 6 rural VAs. Discusses clinical needs to support increased prescribing related to mentorship, consulting services, and practitioner education.
Author(s): Jessica J. Wyse, Katherine Mackey, Kim A. Kauzlarich, et al.
Citation: Health Services Research, 59(S2), e14346
Date: 12/2024
Type: Document
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Advancing Health Equity in Rural, Tribal, and Geographically Isolated Communities: FY2024 Year in Review
Summarizes Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) activities in fiscal year 2024 to advance health equity for people living in rural, tribal, and geographically isolated communities. Covers six priority focus areas: applying a community-informed geographic lens; increasing the collection and use of standardized data; strengthening and supporting healthcare professionals; optimizing medical and communication technology; expanding access to comprehensive healthcare coverage, benefits, and services and supports; and driving innovation and value-based care.
Date: 11/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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An Aging America: Priorities and Policy Innovations
Presents themes that emerged during the National Academy of State Health Policy's 2024 pre-conference on aging. Highlights examples of innovative approaches in New York and North Dakota, as well as federal aging initiatives that support states.
Date: 11/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Academy for State Health Policy
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Supply and Geographic Distribution of Geriatric Physicians and Geriatric Nurse Practitioners
Results of a study to explore trends in the supply of geriatric physicians (GMDs) and geriatric nurse practitioners (GNPs) from 2010 to 2020, and disparities between metropolitan and nonmetropolitan counties. Features county-level maps showing geographic trends in older adults, GMDs, and GNPs among U.S. counties in 2010 and 2020, and statistics with breakdowns by metropolitan and nonmetropolitan counties.
Author(s): Ying Xue, Lusine Poghosyan, Qinyun Lin
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 7(11), e2444659
Date: 11/2024
Type: Document
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Re-Imagining Rural Health: Themes, Concepts, and Next Steps from the CMS Innovation Center "Hackathon" Series
Summarizes themes that emerged from Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Innovation Center's August 2024 Rural Health Hackathons, which aimed to inform potential payment and service delivery model development and to identify innovative solutions to address the access, care delivery, and workforce needs of rural, Tribal, frontier, and geographically isolated areas communities Describes lessons learned from previous Innovation Center models focused on rural health and how these lessons were applied during the development of new models. Outlines potential areas for the Innovation Center to explore to advance health in rural, Tribal, frontier, and geographically isolated areas.
Date: 11/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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The Declining Capacity of Nursing Facility Care in Rural Minnesota
Discusses the increasing demand for professional long-term care in Minnesota alongside the decreasing capacity of nursing facility availability. Provides information and statistics on projected demand through 2045, number of available nursing facilities and beds, changes in demand trends, workforce needs, and more, with breakdowns according to county and urbanicity.
Additional links: Summary
Author(s): Kelly Asche
Date: 11/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Policy and Development
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The Realities of Behavioral Health in Rural Communities
An infographic that provides information and data on behavioral health issues in rural communities, including mental health practitioner shortages, substance use, supportive strategies for hospitals and health systems, and more.
Date: 11/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Addressing Physician Shortage in Hawai'i - Kaua'i Medical Training Opportunities
Provides an overview of the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine's Kaua'i Medical Training Track (KMTT), a medical education rural training track focused on addressing physician shortages in rural Kaua'i County. Details features of the KMTT facilitating rural exposure and effective training.
Author(s): Kathleen Kihmm Connolly, Travis Hong, Lee Ellen Buenconsejo-Lum
Citation: Hawai'i Journal of Health & Social Welfare, 83(11), 306-308
Date: 11/2024
Type: Document
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