Rural Health
Resources by Type: Document
Barriers to Implementing a Pharmacist-Led COPD CARE Bundle in Rural Settings: A Qualitative Evaluation
Examines barriers to implementing the COPD Coordinated Access to Reduce Exacerbations (COPD CARE) program, a care bundle focused on improving chronic obstructive pulmonary disease care coordination among pharmacists, nurse care managers, and other pharmacy clinicians in the Veterans Affairs system. Describes themes from clinician interviews, including discussion of staffing challenges, limited referral availability, fragmentation of care, technological limitations, and more.
Author(s): Edward Christopher Portillo, Martha Maurer, Steven Do, et al.
Citation: BMJ Open Respiratory Research, 13, e003178
Date: 03/2026
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Examines barriers to implementing the COPD Coordinated Access to Reduce Exacerbations (COPD CARE) program, a care bundle focused on improving chronic obstructive pulmonary disease care coordination among pharmacists, nurse care managers, and other pharmacy clinicians in the Veterans Affairs system. Describes themes from clinician interviews, including discussion of staffing challenges, limited referral availability, fragmentation of care, technological limitations, and more.
Author(s): Edward Christopher Portillo, Martha Maurer, Steven Do, et al.
Citation: BMJ Open Respiratory Research, 13, e003178
Date: 03/2026
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Report to Congress on Medicaid and CHIP, March 2026
Reports on four aspects of Medicaid of interest to Congress: 1) the home- and community-based services (HCBS) workforce, 2) behavioral health in Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), 3) Medicaid for justice-involved youth, and 4) Medicaid for children in foster care.
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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Reports on four aspects of Medicaid of interest to Congress: 1) the home- and community-based services (HCBS) workforce, 2) behavioral health in Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), 3) Medicaid for justice-involved youth, and 4) Medicaid for children in foster care.
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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Rural Non-Congregate Summer Meals: How Sponsors Are Implementing This Option
A fact sheet that provides information on the implementation of the Rural Non-Congregate option as an expansion of the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) and the National School Lunch Program's Seamless Summer Option (SSO). Includes spotlights of local programs and their various meal service and distribution methods, delivery options, and partnerships.
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: Food Research & Action Center
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A fact sheet that provides information on the implementation of the Rural Non-Congregate option as an expansion of the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) and the National School Lunch Program's Seamless Summer Option (SSO). Includes spotlights of local programs and their various meal service and distribution methods, delivery options, and partnerships.
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: Food Research & Action Center
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Increasing Uptake of Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support (DSMES) in Rural Kentucky Primary Care Clinics: Findings From a Pilot Pragmatic Cluster-Randomized Trial
Provides findings from a quality improvement pilot study focused on increasing diabetes self-management education and support (DSMES) uptake via coaching and technical assistance in rural Kentucky primary care clinics.
Author(s): Mary E. Lacy, Jessica Elliott, Vance Drakeford, et al.
Citation: Journal of Primary Care & Community Health, 17
Date: 03/2026
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Provides findings from a quality improvement pilot study focused on increasing diabetes self-management education and support (DSMES) uptake via coaching and technical assistance in rural Kentucky primary care clinics.
Author(s): Mary E. Lacy, Jessica Elliott, Vance Drakeford, et al.
Citation: Journal of Primary Care & Community Health, 17
Date: 03/2026
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'Our Peers Can Be The Best Teachers': Rural Hospitals Learn From One Another at Innovation Potluck
Highlights the second annual Rural Workforce Innovation Potluck, which brought together healthcare professionals from around the country to share experiences in rural recruitment, retention, and bridging workforce gaps.
Author(s): Gretel Kauffman
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Highlights the second annual Rural Workforce Innovation Potluck, which brought together healthcare professionals from around the country to share experiences in rural recruitment, retention, and bridging workforce gaps.
Author(s): Gretel Kauffman
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Findings from the 2025 Minnesota Health Access Survey (MNHA): Uninsurance Rates in Minnesota
Provides data on Minnesota uninsurance rates according to year, demographics, and metro, large town, or small town/isolated rural.
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Department of Health
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Provides data on Minnesota uninsurance rates according to year, demographics, and metro, large town, or small town/isolated rural.
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Department of Health
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Rural Health Transformation Program: State Focus on Behavioral Health
Describes behavioral healthcare initiatives addressed in state Rural Health Transformation Program applications. Covers behavioral health integration in primary care, the behavioral health crisis continuum, the behavioral health workforce, payment approaches, and technology investments.
Author(s): Laura Galbreath
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: National Academy for State Health Policy
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Describes behavioral healthcare initiatives addressed in state Rural Health Transformation Program applications. Covers behavioral health integration in primary care, the behavioral health crisis continuum, the behavioral health workforce, payment approaches, and technology investments.
Author(s): Laura Galbreath
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: National Academy for State Health Policy
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Training Needs for Rural Primary Care Practice: A Scoping Review of Resident Physician Preparation
Results of a scoping review exploring what graduate medical education competencies and training primary care residents will need in order to practice effectively in rural areas of the United States. Study was limited to peer-reviewed English language articles published from 2013-2023.
Author(s): David F. Schmitz, Annie Koempel, Campbell Cook, Andrew W. Bazemore
Citation: Family Medicine, 58(3), 199-207
Date: 03/2026
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Results of a scoping review exploring what graduate medical education competencies and training primary care residents will need in order to practice effectively in rural areas of the United States. Study was limited to peer-reviewed English language articles published from 2013-2023.
Author(s): David F. Schmitz, Annie Koempel, Campbell Cook, Andrew W. Bazemore
Citation: Family Medicine, 58(3), 199-207
Date: 03/2026
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The Impact of Nurse Practitioner Full Practice Authority on Pediatric Care Experiences: A National Secondary Data Analysis
Examines the impact of full practice authority (FPA) for pediatric nurse practitioners (NPs) on pediatric primary healthcare access. Utilizes 2010–2019 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data to analyze policy changes related to FPA implementation according to patient access, experiences, and rurality.
Author(s): Joyce J. Fitzpatrick, Maxwell Mehlman, Alicia Plemmons, et al.
Citation: Journal of Pediatric Health Care, 40(2), 251-257
Date: 03/2026
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Examines the impact of full practice authority (FPA) for pediatric nurse practitioners (NPs) on pediatric primary healthcare access. Utilizes 2010–2019 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data to analyze policy changes related to FPA implementation according to patient access, experiences, and rurality.
Author(s): Joyce J. Fitzpatrick, Maxwell Mehlman, Alicia Plemmons, et al.
Citation: Journal of Pediatric Health Care, 40(2), 251-257
Date: 03/2026
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Assessment of Rebound in Cancer Diagnoses in California in 2022, by Stage, Sociodemographic Factors, and Rurality
Examines how cancer diagnoses differed in California in 2022 by sociodemographic and geographic group, using 2001-2022 NCI SEER data. See Supplementary Tables for data breakdowns by cancer type and level of rurality.
Author(s): Erin L. Van Blarigan, Alison J. Canchola, Li Zhu, et al.
Citation: Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, 35(3), 415-419
Date: 03/2026
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Examines how cancer diagnoses differed in California in 2022 by sociodemographic and geographic group, using 2001-2022 NCI SEER data. See Supplementary Tables for data breakdowns by cancer type and level of rurality.
Author(s): Erin L. Van Blarigan, Alison J. Canchola, Li Zhu, et al.
Citation: Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, 35(3), 415-419
Date: 03/2026
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