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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Public health

A Quality Improvement Initiative Addressing STI Services Provided in Rural South Carolina Primary Care Clinics
Provides an overview of HIV and STI trends in South Carolina and best practices for testing and prevention. Discusses barriers to HIV and STI treatments in rural areas and a pilot project to increase STI testing among Pre-exposure Prophylaxis PrEP patients. Includes county-level HIV and STI statistics in South Carolina as well as national trends.
Author(s): Sayward Harrison
Date: 2022
Type: Presentation Slides
Sponsoring organization: University of South Carolina
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COVID-10 Vaccines: Studying Historical Successes (and Failures) for Equity-Centered Approaches to Vaccinating Indigenous Communities, Undocumented Immigrants, and Communities of Color: Proceedings of a Workshop--In Brief
Proceedings of a public webinar focused on previous historical efforts to vaccinate people, highlighting what was successfully and what was unsuccessful. Panelists include the incident commander for managing COVID-19 on the Umatilla Indian Reservation, the chief medical officer for Alaska, a researcher with the Farmworker Association of Florida, the director of emergency social medicine at the University of Illinois College of Medicine, and a professor at the Loma Linda University School of Pharmacy.
Additional links: Read Online
Author(s): Board on Population Health and Public Health Practice
Date: 2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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Guidance on PFAS Exposure, Testing, and Clinical Follow-Up
Report examining the effects of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which are common in well water in rural areas and have been linked to adverse health effects including cancer, thyroid dysfunction, changes in cholesterol, and reductions in birth weight. Recommends that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and public health departments support clinicians in communities where PFAS contamination has been identified, by creating educational materials on PFAS exposure, potential health effects, the limitations of testing, and the benefits and harms of testing.
Additional links: Read Online
Author(s): Board on Population Health and Public Health Practice
Date: 2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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2022 School Pulse Panel
Provides data on COVID-19 impacts in 2022 from a sample of elementary, middle, high, and combined-grade public schools across the U.S. Examines impacts such as absenteeism, student behavior, staffing and learning modes, mitigation strategies and common concerns, and health-related issues such as nutrition, policies (including vaccination status), and mental health. Allows user to view data by region, minority and poverty status, and school size, level, and location (city, suburban, town, rural).
Date: 2022
Type: Website
Sponsoring organization: Institute of Education Sciences
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Civic Engagement and Civic Infrastructure to Advance Health Equity
Presents discussions from a workshop on civic engagement and civic infrastructure held by the Roundtable on Population Health Improvement. Topics include participation in democratic processes, civic inclusion and engagement, and the public health impacts of civic participation, including for tribal communities.
Additional links: Read Online
Author(s): Board on Population Health and Public Health Practice
Date: 2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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Caring for People with Serious Illness: Lessons Learned from the COVID-19 Pandemic: Proceedings from a Workshop
Proceedings from a three-part workshop to explore the initial responses to the pandemic by healthcare teams providing care to people with serious illness, the impact of the pandemic on the healthcare workforce, use of telehealth, issues related to communicating with the public about health emergencies, and policy opportunities to improve care for people with serious illness. Mentions rural throughout.
Additional links: Read Online
Date: 2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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Community-Based Medication Disposal Pilot Initiative in Southwest Tribal Communities
Describes a public health pilot project testing a community-based prescription drug disposal system in tribal communities to increase awareness about the dangers of prescription drug accumulation in the home resulting in misuse and abuse of prescription drugs, and to improve drug disposal practices. Project provided drug deactivation bags for in-home use, and medication drop boxes were available in 29 healthcare facilities in mostly rural areas of Arizona, Minnesota, Nevada and Oklahoma.
Author(s): Isaac Ampadu, Robert Morones, Andrea Tsatoke, et al.
Citation: Injury Epidemiology, 8(Suppl 2), 67
Date: 12/2021
Type: Document
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Alaska Native Health Status Report
Provides an overview of Alaskan Native health, with a focus on sociodemographics and social determinants of health (SDOH); mortality; morbidity; maternal, infant, and child health; adolescent health; adult health; preventive care; and environmental health. Includes data and maps on health issues in Alaskan regions. Discusses advocacy, program planning, policy development, and evaluation related to Alaskan Native public health.
Date: 12/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium
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Rural COVID-19 Innovations
Brief summaries of promising practices, lessons learned, and other examples of rural communities addressing COVID-19 healthcare and health-related concerns, collected from March 2020 through December 2021. Includes efforts related to vaccination, health service provision, help for community members, and more.
Date: 12/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Environmental Scan of Evidence-Based Promising Practices & Strategies to Improve Vaccine Acceptance Among Racial and Ethnic Minority, Rural and other Underserved Groups
Offers evaluations and recommendations for evidence-based, promising practices and strategies to improve COVID-19 vaccine acceptance among rural and underserved groups. Uses information from a rapid environmental scan and analysis of published literature including peer-reviewed journal articles, commentary articles, and impact reports.
Author(s): Ankit Sanghavi, Afrida Faria, Cody Price, Aila Prieto
Date: 12/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Texas Health Institute
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