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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Primary care

The Path to Coordinated Federal Leadership to Strengthen Primary Health Care
Discusses the potential of a Secretary's Council on Primary Care within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Describes primary care's role in addressing policy challenges related to health equity, payment, workforce training, pandemic recovery and resilience, the opioid crisis, and mental health. Offers recommendations to include and strengthen high-quality primary care as part of a long-term vision of a high-value healthcare system. Includes rural references throughout.
Author(s): Robert L. Phillips Jr., Christopher Koller, Alice Hm Chen
Date: 11/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Milbank Memorial Fund
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Beliefs and Barriers to Care Of Primary Care Practitioners Toward Melanoma Screening and Education In Rural Texas
Research letter that examines primary care practitioner (PCP) perceptions regarding melanoma screenings. Analyzes survey responses from 180 PCPs in rural, medically underserved areas (MUAs) of Texas. Includes data on provider demographic and clinic information, melanoma screening practices, and patient education.
Author(s): Smriti Prasad, Samantha Black, Henry W. Chen, et al.
Citation: Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 87(5), 1102-1104
Date: 11/2022
Type: Document
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The Future of Telehealth After COVID-19: New Opportunities and Challenges
Provides an overview of the current evidence regarding telehealth's impact on equitable access to care and on quality of care, patient outcomes, and cost. Describes the COVID-19 pandemic-related regulatory flexibilities for mental health and substance use disorder services. Discusses the importance of telehealth on primary and specialty care during the public health emergency (PHE). Offers recommendations for Medicare telehealth policies to promote better outcomes for Medicare beneficiaries and value for the Medicare program.
Additional links: Medicare Telehealth Utilization and Spending Impacts 2019-2021, Webinar Recording
Author(s): Julia Harris, Sabah Bhatnagar, Brady Newell, et al.
Date: 10/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Bipartisan Policy Center
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Rural Health Clinics: Focusing on the Patient
Brief overview of the history of Rural Health Clinics (RHCs), from their origins in the Rural Health Clinic Services Act of 1977, and into the present, as they continue to provide an array of vital services to rural communities.
Date: 10/2022
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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A Career of Influencing Rural Healthcare Delivery: Bill Finerfrock and the NARHC Origin Story
Reviews the founding of the National Association of Rural Health Clinics (NARHC), with insights from long-time NARHC executive director Bill Finerfrock about collaborative work with other rural health organizations to support the Rural Health Clinic program.
Author(s): Kay Miller Temple
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 10/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Rural Health Clinic Program at 45 Years: Created for Access and Still Delivering Care
Features rural health policy experts, researchers, and clinicians discussing the impact of the Rural Health Clinic (RHC) program on outpatient healthcare delivery.
Author(s): Kay Miller Temple
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 10/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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The Involvement of Rural Health Clinic Practitioners in Cancer Treatment Decisions and Survivorship Care
Results of a survey examining how practitioners from 153 Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) in 36 states are involved in their patients' cancer treatment and survivorship decisions. Features statistics on RHC characteristics, proportions of RHC practitioners who provide care or engage in joint decisions with another practitioner, RHC practitioner roles in cancer survivorship care, and experience with follow-up care for cancer survivors.
Author(s): Whitney E. Zahnd, Allie F. Silverman, Stella Self, et al.
Date: 10/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural and Minority Health Research Center (formerly the South Carolina Rural Health Research Center)
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Arizona Medically Underserved Areas: Biennial Report 2022
Biennial report for Arizona containing a list of Primary Care Areas (PCAs) by county, maps of medically underserved areas, and a list of Arizona State Loan Repayment Program sites. Describes methodology for designating PCAs as Medically Underserved Areas (AzMUAs), including ratio of population to primary care, travel distance to a primary care physician, and health insurance status, among other factors.
Date: 10/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Arizona Department of Health Services
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Family Physicians and Maternal Health in Rural America, with Julie Wood and Zita Magloire
An episode of the Exploring Rural Health podcast featuring Dr. Julie Wood, senior vice president of research, science and health of the public at the American Academy of Family Physicians, and Dr. Zita Magloire, a practicing family physician in Cairo, Georgia. Focuses on rural family physicians and the challenges and joys of providing maternal care in rural areas.
Date: 10/2022
Type: Audio
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Council on Graduate Medical Education (COGME) Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education Support Letter
Comment letter from the Council on Graduate Medical Education (COGME) regarding the Doctors of Community (DOC) Act, which would permanently authorize and expand funding for the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education (THCGME) program. Provides an overview of the DOC Act, the THCGME program, and its impacts.
Date: 10/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Council on Graduate Medical Education
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