This website is being reviewed for updates. Some information is offline. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Skip to main content
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Healthcare needs and services

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
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Policy and Development
view details
A Cross-Sectional Study of Stigma Towards Opioid Users among Rural Law Enforcement and Community Members in Tennessee
Examines stigma toward people who use opioids among 48 law enforcement officers (LEOs) and 393 community members in rural Tennessee. Compares perceptions of opioid use and opioid user demographics among LEOs and community members, including data on attitudes related to dangerousness, blame, social distance, and fatalism. Discusses the effects of stigma on access to harm reduction and treatment for opioid use disorder.
Author(s): Kahler W. Stone, Gabrielle M. Chesak, Angela S. Bowman, Michael Ayalon, Cynthia Chafin
Citation: Harm Reduction Journal, 21, 195
Date: 11/2024
view details
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
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
view details
Improving Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment for Unhealthy Alcohol Use in Diverse, Low-Resourced Primary Care Clinics
Examines primary care clinics participating in a practice-facilitator led implementation study aimed at improving screening brief intervention and referral to treatment (SBIRT) as well as medication-assisted treatment for alcohol use disorder (MAUD). Analyzes 66 clinics located in the northwestern U.S. from 2019-2022 and the supportive activities they used to improve SBIRT and MAUD. Includes commentary on rural and low-resourced primary care clinics.
Author(s): Melinda M. Davis, Jennifer Coury, Victoria Sanchez, et al.
Citation: BMC Health Services Research, 24, 1384
Date: 11/2024
view details
Texas Rural Hospital Grant Program Report
Reports on the establishment, functions, and achievements of the Rural Hospital Grant Program in Texas during the 2024 and 2025 state fiscal years. Provides an overview of program funding and awards, and details grant programs supporting hospital stabilization, maternal care, and Alternative Payment Model readiness.
Date: 11/2024
Sponsoring organization: Texas Health and Human Services
view details
How Emergency Departments Are Responding to the Opioid Crisis: Results from a Statewide Survey in Kentucky
Examines hospital emergency departments (EDs) in Kentucky and their substance use disorder (SUD) services. Utilizes 2023 survey data from ED directors and discusses themes such as use of buprenorphine, referrals to community providers, social work services, screening processes, care continuity and more. Includes feedback about access to and availability of SUD services in rural areas.
Author(s): Olivia K. Sugarman, Samantha J. Harris, Lauren Byrne, et al.
Citation: Addiction Science & Clinical Practice, 19, 78
Date: 11/2024
view details
Community Responses and Adaptations Following the Closure of a Rural Pharmacy and Primary Care Facility
Uses interviews with 26 community members to identify the impact of a pharmacy and primary healthcare facility closure in a rural Pennsylvania community. Discusses challenges for vulnerable populations, distance to care, social networks, delayed treatment, emergency medical services, alternative medicine, and more.
Author(s): Hazel Velasco Palacios, Kristina Brant, Danielle Rhubart, Jorden Jackson
Citation: Journal of Rural Health 41(2), e12896
Date: 11/2024
view details
New Mexico State Health Assessment, 2024
Assesses the health status of New Mexicans, identifies health needs and priorities, and details actions and strategies supporting public health in New Mexico. Highlights rural and tribal health and access disparities for select topics, including COVID-19, missing and murdered indigenous people, geographic access to healthcare and other services, and more.
Date: 11/2024
Sponsoring organization: New Mexico Department of Health
view details
Ask Your Relative: A Mixed Method Analysis of the Sexual Health and Healthy Relationship Q&As Submitted by American Indian Alaska Native Young Adults
Analyzes the Ask Auntie/Ask Your Relative (AYR) Q&A service that provides sexual health information to American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) youth. Provides information on AYR usage, types of questions asked, and answers and resources provided. Discusses the importance of cultural relevant resources to reduce sexual health disparities among AI/AN youth.
Author(s): Stephanie Craig Rushing, Amanda Gchachu Kakuska, Jane Manthei, et al.
Citation: BMC Public Health, 24, 3067
Date: 11/2024
view details
High-Risk Rural Surgical Patients and Poor Access to Elective Colorectal Cancer Surgery: Insight for Multilevel Intervention for Rural America
Examines factors associated with poor access to elective colorectal cancer (CRC) surgery for rural patients, utilizing 2007-2020 National Inpatient Sample data for 69,212 CRC surgery-related hospitalizations. Breaks down data by race and ethnicity, sex, age, insurance type, region, rural or urban facility, and other demographic, clinical, and facility factors. Discusses access barriers and health disparities experienced by rural populations.
Author(s): Yanick Tadé, Jillian Timperley, Danielle Dilsaver, et al.
Citation: Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery, 28(11), 1883-1889
Date: 11/2024
view details