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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Infectious diseases

COVID-19: Lessons Learned from Interior and Treasury's Administration of CARES Act Funds Could Improve Federal Emergency Relief to Tribes
Examines how the U.S. Departments of Interior and Treasury distributed CARES Act funds to tribes, the impact on tribes accessing and using these funds. Highlights the challenges the agencies and tribes faced regarding this funding. Offers lessons learned and policy recommendations for the Department of the Treasury to improve future federal emergency relief funding for tribes.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 10/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Needs Assessment for Physical Activity Information During COVID-19 Among a Nationally Representative Sample of Parents and Children Ages 6–17 in the United States: A Cross-Sectional Study
Shares the results of a study examining the information needs of parents of children aged 6 to 10 and parent-child dyads of children aged 11 to 17 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Table 2 describes physical activity information needs by parent and child demographic data such as school status, work status, rurality, gender, and more.
Author(s): Ashleigh M. Johnson, Emily Kroshus, Pooja S. Tandon
Citation: BMC Public Health, 21, 1953
Date: 10/2021
Type: Document
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COVID-19: Additional Actions Needed to Improve Accountability and Program Effectiveness of Federal Response
Discusses the federal government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Provides an overview of federal actions on healthcare and economic policy areas through September 2021, including data on COVID-19 relief spending, testing, worker health and safety, and child nutrition programs. Offers 16 new recommendations to federal agencies regarding the proper use of relief funding, occupational health and safety, and fraud risks to unemployment insurance programs that would improve the federal response and preparation for future public health emergencies.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 10/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Vaccination Coverage by Age 24 Months Among Children Born in 2017 and 2018 — National Immunization Survey-Child, United States, 2018–2020
Examines vaccination coverage for selected vaccines and doses among children born in 2017 and 2018. Supplementary Table 2 includes data for metropolitan and nonmetro areas.
Additional links: Supplementary Table 2
Author(s): Holly A. Hill, David Yankey, Laurie D. Elam-Evans, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 70(41), 1435-1440
Date: 10/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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COVID-19 Contracting: Indian Health Service Used Flexibilities to Meet Increased Medical Supply Needs
Examines the Indian Health Service (IHS) National Supply Service Center (NSSC) contract obligations to obtain COVID-19-related products and medical supplies. Describes the contracting approaches used and challenges IHS officials faced.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 10/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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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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PrEP Care Continuum Engagement Among Persons Who Inject Drugs: Rural and Urban Differences in Stigma and Social Infrastructure
Study examining stigma related to drug use and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), as well as awareness of Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) treatment in New York City and rural southern Illinois. Highlights barriers and facilitators to willingness to take PrEP based on interviews with 57 people who inject drugs (PWID) who participate in syringe service programs, comparing rural and urban responses.
Author(s): Suzan M. Walters, David Frank, Brent Van Ham, et al.
Citation: AIDS and Behavior
Date: 10/2021
Type: Document
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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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Financial Guide for the Rural Health Care Leaders During COVID and Post-COVID
Highlights strategies for addressing the financial challenges RHCs and CAHs may face during and after a public health emergency such as COVID-19. Discusses how rural providers can improve financial performance in the face of lower inpatient and outpatient volumes, fewer elective surgeries, and the added cost of PPE, ventilators, and staff, among others. Details indicators of financial stress and recommends corresponding strategies.
Date: 10/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Resource Center
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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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