Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Policy
Challenges and Recommendations for Improving Access to Evidence-Based COPD Management among Rural Veterans: Rural Primary Care Provider Perspectives
Highlights a study on the perspectives of primary care providers serving rural veterans on the challenges of providing evidence-based COPD management care in rural communities. Details key barriers and makes policy recommendations.
Author(s): Talitha Wilson, R. Adams Dudley, Ken M. Kunisaki, et al.
Citation: Journal of General Internal Medicine, 38, 2843-2845
Date: 04/2023
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Highlights a study on the perspectives of primary care providers serving rural veterans on the challenges of providing evidence-based COPD management care in rural communities. Details key barriers and makes policy recommendations.
Author(s): Talitha Wilson, R. Adams Dudley, Ken M. Kunisaki, et al.
Citation: Journal of General Internal Medicine, 38, 2843-2845
Date: 04/2023
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Best Practices for COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing
Summarizes findings of an environmental scan of testing and vaccination policies and programs serving people who are medically or socially at disproportionate risk for COVID-19 and related adverse outcomes. Identifies populations at disproportionate risk, including rural residents, and their barriers to COVID-19 testing, COVID-19 vaccination, and routine vaccination. Describes programs that aim to overcome these barriers and increase access to testing and vaccination services. Discuss the implications of these programs' strategies and approaches for future pandemics and public health crises.
Date: 04/2023
Sponsoring organizations: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, Mathematica
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Summarizes findings of an environmental scan of testing and vaccination policies and programs serving people who are medically or socially at disproportionate risk for COVID-19 and related adverse outcomes. Identifies populations at disproportionate risk, including rural residents, and their barriers to COVID-19 testing, COVID-19 vaccination, and routine vaccination. Describes programs that aim to overcome these barriers and increase access to testing and vaccination services. Discuss the implications of these programs' strategies and approaches for future pandemics and public health crises.
Date: 04/2023
Sponsoring organizations: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, Mathematica
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Challenges and Solutions for Disaster Behavioral Health in Rural and Remote Communities
Describes the scope and diversity of rural and remote populations across the nation, highlighting sources of strength and struggle, including the effects of stigma, for rural Americans and rural healthcare providers. Explores potential approaches to disaster behavioral health in rural and remote areas, including governmental and policy approaches, community-based approaches, and telemedicine.
Date: 04/2023
Sponsoring organization: SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center
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Describes the scope and diversity of rural and remote populations across the nation, highlighting sources of strength and struggle, including the effects of stigma, for rural Americans and rural healthcare providers. Explores potential approaches to disaster behavioral health in rural and remote areas, including governmental and policy approaches, community-based approaches, and telemedicine.
Date: 04/2023
Sponsoring organization: SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center
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Evaluation of the Maternal Opioid Misuse (MOM) Model Second Annual Report (Implementation Year 1)
Provides an overview of the Maternal Opioid Misuse Model, which provides evidence-based integrated care and care coordination for pregnant and postpartum Medicaid beneficiaries with opioid use disorder (OUD). Describes activities MOM Model awardees undertook during the MOM Model's first implementation year, July 1, 2021–June 30, 2022. Discusses barriers pregnant and postpartum people with OUD face in accessing high-quality, continuous care, specifically in rural areas.
Additional links: Findings at a Glance
Date: 04/2023
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Insight Policy Research
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Provides an overview of the Maternal Opioid Misuse Model, which provides evidence-based integrated care and care coordination for pregnant and postpartum Medicaid beneficiaries with opioid use disorder (OUD). Describes activities MOM Model awardees undertook during the MOM Model's first implementation year, July 1, 2021–June 30, 2022. Discusses barriers pregnant and postpartum people with OUD face in accessing high-quality, continuous care, specifically in rural areas.
Additional links: Findings at a Glance
Date: 04/2023
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Insight Policy Research
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National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services Meeting Summary, Bend, Oregon, April 26-28, 2023
Summarizes the 92nd meeting of the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services (NACRHHS), which was held in Bend, Oregon. Presents an overview of national, tribal, and state perspectives on the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Program.
Date: 04/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
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Summarizes the 92nd meeting of the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services (NACRHHS), which was held in Bend, Oregon. Presents an overview of national, tribal, and state perspectives on the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Program.
Date: 04/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
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Midwives: Information on Births, Workforce, and Midwifery Education
Presents data on midwife-attended births, the midwifery workforce, and challenges to obtaining midwifery care. Discusses midwifery education programs, the number of students in these programs, midwifery educational challenges, and available federal financial support through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and the Indian Health Service (IHS). Describes challenges to measuring the quality of maternal healthcare, including midwifery care.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 04/2023
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Presents data on midwife-attended births, the midwifery workforce, and challenges to obtaining midwifery care. Discusses midwifery education programs, the number of students in these programs, midwifery educational challenges, and available federal financial support through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and the Indian Health Service (IHS). Describes challenges to measuring the quality of maternal healthcare, including midwifery care.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 04/2023
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Small and Disadvantaged Community Water Funding Roadmap
Provides information and background about water systems in the United States for rural and disadvantaged areas, such as solutions in water innovation, best practices for utilizing funding, and outlining policies needed to build water infrastructure. Includes contact information for regions and organizations working to build capacity in water infrastructure.
Date: 04/2023
Sponsoring organizations: The Water Center, University of Pennsylvania, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Veolia
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Provides information and background about water systems in the United States for rural and disadvantaged areas, such as solutions in water innovation, best practices for utilizing funding, and outlining policies needed to build water infrastructure. Includes contact information for regions and organizations working to build capacity in water infrastructure.
Date: 04/2023
Sponsoring organizations: The Water Center, University of Pennsylvania, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Veolia
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Assessing the Accuracy of California County Level COVID-19 Hospitalization Forecasts to Inform Public Policy Decision Making
Evaluates model performance and accuracy regarding the forecasting of infectious diseases by retroactively examining COVID-19 forecasting in California counties. Utilizes archived forecasts from the California Department of Public Health's California COVID Assessment Tool to analyze the accuracy of forecasts referenced with actual COVID-19 hospitalization. Discusses issues related to model accuracy, such as local transmission trends, variant prevalence, and county population size, and how accurate forecasting is important for public health planning and policy.
Author(s): Lauren A. White, Ryan McCorvie, David Crow, Seema Jain, Tomás M. León
Citation: BMC Public Health 23, 782
Date: 04/2023
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Evaluates model performance and accuracy regarding the forecasting of infectious diseases by retroactively examining COVID-19 forecasting in California counties. Utilizes archived forecasts from the California Department of Public Health's California COVID Assessment Tool to analyze the accuracy of forecasts referenced with actual COVID-19 hospitalization. Discusses issues related to model accuracy, such as local transmission trends, variant prevalence, and county population size, and how accurate forecasting is important for public health planning and policy.
Author(s): Lauren A. White, Ryan McCorvie, David Crow, Seema Jain, Tomás M. León
Citation: BMC Public Health 23, 782
Date: 04/2023
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Closed, Converted, Merged, and New Hospitals with Medicare Rural Designations: January 2018-November 2022
Provides an overview of four Medicare rural hospital designations - Critical Access Hospital, Low-Volume Hospital, Medicare Dependent Hospital, and Sole Community Hospital - and factors related to financial distress that these designations are intended to address. Explores the number of rural-designated hospitals that have closed, merged, converted, or opened between January 2018-November 2022 and compares the number of rural-designated hospitals with the number of non-designated hospitals. Outlines considerations for Congress regarding policy options for rural hospitals and access to healthcare services in rural areas.
Date: 04/2023
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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Provides an overview of four Medicare rural hospital designations - Critical Access Hospital, Low-Volume Hospital, Medicare Dependent Hospital, and Sole Community Hospital - and factors related to financial distress that these designations are intended to address. Explores the number of rural-designated hospitals that have closed, merged, converted, or opened between January 2018-November 2022 and compares the number of rural-designated hospitals with the number of non-designated hospitals. Outlines considerations for Congress regarding policy options for rural hospitals and access to healthcare services in rural areas.
Date: 04/2023
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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Broadband Speed: FCC Should Improve Its Communication of Advanced Telecommunications Capability Assessments
Examines the extent to which Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has communicated how it reviews, and determines whether to update, the broadband upload and download speed benchmark. Describes how the minimum speed requirements of selected federal and state broadband programs differ from FCC's benchmark and stakeholders' views on the implications of these differences.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 04/2023
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Examines the extent to which Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has communicated how it reviews, and determines whether to update, the broadband upload and download speed benchmark. Describes how the minimum speed requirements of selected federal and state broadband programs differ from FCC's benchmark and stakeholders' views on the implications of these differences.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 04/2023
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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