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Rural Health
Resources by Type: Document

Innovations in Rural Health System Development: Recruiting and Retaining Maine's Health Care Workforce
Illustrates examples of rural-focused medical education programs to support an adequate supply of physicians in rural Maine. Discusses behavioral and oral health workforce development, and promising programs utilizing other types of healthcare workers such as community paramedics and community health workers (CHWs) to increase the availability and accessibility of healthcare in rural Maine and in other rural regions of the U.S.
Author(s): Amanda Burgess, Andrew F. Coburn
Date: 11/2016
Sponsoring organizations: Maine Health Access Foundation, Maine Rural Health Research Center
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Exploring Transit's Contribution to Livability in Rural Communities: Case Study of Valley City, ND, and Dickinson, ND
Examines the connection between transit and rural livability by conducting surveys and interviews in 2 rural North Dakota communities: Valley City and Dickinson. Criteria for the survey included rider diversity, trip purpose, transit utilization, transit patronage, service variety, and ease of outreach. Discussion covers several factors of livability including access to quality healthcare.
Author(s): Ranjit Godavarthy, Jeremy Mattson
Date: 11/2016
Sponsoring organization: Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute
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Measuring Rural Wealth Creation: A Guide for Regional Development Organizations
Presents concepts and samples to create a development plan for measuring progress in rural wealth creation for rural development organizations (RDOs) involved in community and economic development. Specifically identifies 8 forms of capital measures useful to evaluate progress in rural wealth creation including the skills, understanding, physical health and mental wellness of the individuals within the community.
Author(s): Carrie Kissel
Date: 11/2016
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Development Organizations
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Innovations in Rural Health System Development: Governance
Discusses the need for collaboration between healthcare facilities and their communities, including ideas for new approaches to governance to help make these transitions happen. Provides examples of hospital/health system collaborations and population health programs from throughout the U.S.
Author(s): Sara Kahn-Troster, Andrew F. Coburn
Date: 11/2016
Sponsoring organizations: Maine Health Access Foundation, Maine Rural Health Research Center
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Comparing the Community Benefit Spending of Critical Access, Other Rural, and Urban Hospitals
Examines the levels and types of community benefit spending by Critical Access, rural, and urban hospitals. Compares the spending by percentage of total expenses, as well as by category, direct patient care versus community-building activities.
Author(s): John Gale, Zach Croll, Andrew Coburn, Jamar Croom
Date: 11/2016
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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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
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
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Innovations in Rural Health System Development: Moving Rural Health Systems to Value-Based Payment
Offers examples of rural health system transformation models and strategies from Maine and other regions of the U.S. to assist rural communities in moving forward with value-based payment systems.
Author(s): Sara Kahn-Troster, Andrew F. Coburn
Date: 11/2016
Sponsoring organizations: Maine Health Access Foundation, Maine Rural Health Research Center
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Innovations in Rural Health System Development: Service Delivery Advances in Care Coordination, Emergency Care, and Telehealth
Offers examples of emergency services, telehealth technology, and care coordination initiatives with a focus on Maine, and how they impact rural service delivery and safeguard rural access to critical health services.
Author(s): Amanda Burgess, Andrew F. Coburn
Date: 11/2016
Sponsoring organizations: Maine Health Access Foundation, Maine Rural Health Research Center
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Reassessing Financial Peer Groups for Critical Access Hospitals
Policy brief analyzing the influence of hospital, geographic, and community characteristics on the financial performance and conditions of Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs). Discusses the current factors of net patient revenue, government ownership, provision of long-term care, and operation of a Rural Health Clinic (RHC), which are used to determine peer groups for the Critical Access Hospital Financial Indicators Report (CAHFIR).
Author(s): Walter L. Hawkins, Kristin L. Reiter, George H. Pink
Date: 11/2016
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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