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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Policy

Growing the State Offices of Rural Health
Brief video overview of the State Office of Rural Health (SORH) program, which was launched by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy in 1991. Discusses the mission of SORHs and the role of networking in improving rural health.
Date: 11/2016
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Building the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy
Brief video overview of the creation of the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) in 1987. Also describes some of FORHP's early work, including the establishment of the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and the Rural Health Research Center program.
Date: 11/2016
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Evaluation of Hospital-Setting HCIA Awards: Third Annual Report, Final
Third and final report evaluating 10 Health Care Innovation Awards Round One projects undertaken in a hospital inpatient or emergency department. Presents awardee-specific information on program impact and lessons learned. Includes projects that involved Critical Access Hospitals and other rural hospitals. Includes projects focused on improved care for sepsis and projects using remote electronic intensive care unit (eICU) services.
Additional links: Addendum, March 2017
Date: 11/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Abt Associates, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Availability of Buprenorphine Treatment in Kentucky
Describes availability of opioid addiction treatment in Kentucky, with breakdowns by metropolitan, micropolitan, and other non-metropolitan areas, and distribution of various medical specialists authorized to prescribe buprenorphine in these areas.
Author(s): Elijah T. Myers, Tyrone F. Borders
Date: 11/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: University of Kentucky Institute for Rural Health Policy
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Federal Requirement for Physician Supervision of CRNAs
Discusses the federal requirement affecting participation in the Medicare program by Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) or Ambulatory Surgical Centers (ASCs) regarding physician supervision of Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs). Addresses the conditions for states to opt out of the physician supervision Medicare rule if they meet certain conditions and the research comparing the outcomes between states that opt-out and those that do not.
Author(s): Steve Barnett, John H Everett, Pat Schou
Date: 11/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Task Force on Ensuring Access in Vulnerable Communities
Report from a task force created by the American Hospital Association (AHA) charged with identifying access-related challenges facing vulnerable communities and examining ways in which hospitals can ensure access is maintained. Includes sections identifying characteristics of vulnerable rural and underserved communities, essential healthcare services to be maintained, emerging strategies, barriers to implementation, policy and advocacy issues, and more. Includes examples of emerging strategies and best practices from around the U.S.
Additional links: Executive Summary, Rural Chart Pack, Video
Date: 11/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Freestanding Emergency Departments: An Alternative Model for Rural Communities
Describes the freestanding emergency department (FSED) model as an option for rural communities that can no longer support inpatient services. Looks at both hospital-based and independent FSEDs, examines financial viability of the model, and features rural FSEDs in Illinois and Arizona.
Author(s): Jenn Lukens
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 11/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Evaluation of Policy Options for Increasing the Availability of Primary Care Services in Rural Washington State
Analyzes policy options that the Washington state legislature has considered to address a perceived shortage of primary care physicians in rural Washington. Provides background on the rural primary care workforce within the state and projects the impacts each policy option would have through 2025. Policy options considered include: opening a new medical school at Washington State University (WSU), increasing the number of residency positions in the state, increasing loan repayment incentives to encourage rural practice, increasing Medicaid payment rates for rural physicians, and encouraging the use of alternative primary care models.
Additional links: Summary and Key Findings
Author(s): Mark W. Friedberg, Grant R. Martsolf, Chapin White, et al.
Date: 11/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: RAND Corporation
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Building on the History of the State Offices of Rural Health: Celebrating 25 Years of Service
Provides an overview of the history of the State Offices of Rural Health program and National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health. Highlights the work of the SORHs in Minnesota, South Carolina, and Oklahoma.
Author(s): Jenn Lukens
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 11/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Health Insurance CO-OPs: Product Availability and Premiums in Rural Counties
Describes the role of CO-OPs, their regional distribution, and national prevalence in rural and urban counties. Compares the number of products available in counties with and without CO-OP plans in 2014 and 2015.
Author(s): Erika C. Ziller, Zachariah Croll, Andrew F. Coburn
Date: 10/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center
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