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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Women

Maternal and Obstetric Care Challenges in Rural America from the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
Webinar recording discusses a National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services' policy brief on the challenges of providing maternal and obstetric care in rural communities. Features presentations from representatives of the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Mercer University, and MSMP Anesthesia Services LLC.
Additional links: Audio Recording, PowerPoint Handout, Webinar Transcript
Date: 08/2020
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Alcohol Use and Co-Use of Other Substances Among Pregnant Females Aged 12–44 Years — United States, 2015–2018
Examines self-reported drinking in the past 12 months, current drinking, binge drinking, and the co-use of other substances among pregnant females aged 12–44 years. Includes data for metropolitan, micropolitan, and rural areas.
Author(s): Lucinda J. England, Carolyne Bennett, Clark H. Denny, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 69(31), 1009-1014
Date: 08/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Providing Maternity Care in a Rural Northern Iowa Community
Describes how a rural Critical Access Hospital in Iowa has sustained its maternity care practice and offers suggestions for other rural hospitals and communities seeking to retain local access to pregnancy and childbirth services.
Author(s): Alexandria Kristensen-Cabrera, Julia D. Interrante, Carrie Henning-Smith, Katy Kozhimannil
Date: 08/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Spatial Barriers as Moral Failings: What Rural Distance Can Teach Us about Women's Health and Medical Mistrust
Explores the perceptions of rural women about their access to healthcare, including maternal care. Discusses some of the perceived barriers to healthcare access by rural women, such as spacial distance and mistrust of healthcare providers.
Author(s): Michele Statz, Kaylie Evers
Citation: Health and Place, 64, 102396
Date: 07/2020
Type: Document
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Health Care Access for Infants and Toddlers in Rural Areas
Research brief describing how rural children are more likely to face a unique combination of challenges that negatively impact their health and development, such as fewer healthcare providers, barriers to accessing care, and higher rates of poverty. Includes rural/urban comparisons for each state, with information on the percentage of infants and toddlers lacking health insurance, receiving recommended vaccinations, attending a preventive medical appointment, and more.
Author(s): Jessie Laurore, Gayane Baziyants, Sarah Daily
Date: 07/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Child Trends
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Employment Changes Following Breast Cancer Diagnosis: The Effects of Race and Place
Explores financial burdens for women across racial categories associated with cancer diagnosis and treatment, including out-of-pocket costs, time away from work, and difficulty coordinating clinical care. Examines data from the Carolina Breast Cancer Study in 44 North Carolina counties to analyze financial implications when comparing rural-urban and racial categories.
Author(s): Jennifer C Spencer, Jason S Rotter, Jan M Eberth, et al.
Citation: Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 112(6), 647-650
Date: 06/2020
Type: Document
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The Supply and Rural-Urban Distribution of the Obstetrical Care Workforce in the U.S
Highlights the supply of obstetrical care workers in rural and urban areas in the U.S. Compares rates of midwives, advanced practice midwives, obstetricians, and family practice physicians who deliver babies per 100,000 women of childbearing age in rural counties. Features a state-by state analysis and state-level profiles.
Additional links: State-level Reports
Author(s): Davis Patterson, Holly Andrilla, Lisa Garberson
Date: 06/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Report to Congress on Medicaid and CHIP, June 2020
Semi-annual report to Congress from the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC). Discusses care integration for beneficiaries dually eligible for Medicaid and Medicare, recommendations for increasing enrollment in Medicare Shared Savings Programs, the role of Medicaid in relation to TRICARE, how to address increasing mortality and morbidity among pregnant and postpartum women, and the effects of substance use disorder on pregnant and postpartum women and their infants. Includes rural references throughout.
Date: 06/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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A Cohort Comparison of Differences Between Regional and Buncombe County Patients of a Comprehensive Perinatal Substance Use Disorders Program in Western North Carolina
Presents a study on access to perinatal substance use disorder care in rural counties in western North Carolina compared to the more urban Buncombe County. Analyzes a hub-and-spoke model that aims to provide perinatal substance use disorder care across the state and discusses the barriers to care in rural areas.
Author(s): Shelley L. Galvin, Melinda Ramage, Catherine Leiner, et al.
Citation: North Carolina Medical Journal, 81(3), 157-165
Date: 05/2020
Type: Document
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Maternal and Obstetric Care Challenges in Rural America
Provides an overview of the clinical factors and social determinants of health that may increase the risk of maternal morbidity and mortality in rural communities. Discusses the impact of insurance coverage status, hospital and obstetric unit closures, and workforce shortages on rural maternal health. Describes the role of the Department of Health and Human Services in addressing maternal health outcomes. Offers policy recommendations to reduce rural maternal health disparities.
Date: 05/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
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