Rural Health
Resources by Type: Document
Exploring Associations Between Well-Being, Mental Distress, and Five Dimensions of Social Capital in Rural Georgia
Explores the role social capital plays in supporting mental health and well-being in rural communities. Bases findings on surveys collected from residents of 6 rural counties in Georgia. Breaks down findings by rates of mental health and well-being by dimension of social capital: trust, diversity of interactions, reciprocity, civic engagement, and voting.
Author(s): Alexis Joanna Smith, Lauren M Bigger, Robin E McGee, et al.
Citation: Family and Community Health, 49(3), 192-196
Date: 07/2026
view details
Explores the role social capital plays in supporting mental health and well-being in rural communities. Bases findings on surveys collected from residents of 6 rural counties in Georgia. Breaks down findings by rates of mental health and well-being by dimension of social capital: trust, diversity of interactions, reciprocity, civic engagement, and voting.
Author(s): Alexis Joanna Smith, Lauren M Bigger, Robin E McGee, et al.
Citation: Family and Community Health, 49(3), 192-196
Date: 07/2026
view details
Understanding Smokeless Tobacco Use in Rural United States: A Narrative Synthesis of Contributing Factors and Prevention Efforts
Narrative review examining research on smokeless tobacco (SLT) use in rural areas. Covers prevalence, risk factors, and prevention strategies, giving particular attention to youth SLT use.
Author(s): Mariyam Abbas, Steven A. Cohen
Citation: Public Health in Practice, 11, 100801
Date: 06/2026
view details
Narrative review examining research on smokeless tobacco (SLT) use in rural areas. Covers prevalence, risk factors, and prevention strategies, giving particular attention to youth SLT use.
Author(s): Mariyam Abbas, Steven A. Cohen
Citation: Public Health in Practice, 11, 100801
Date: 06/2026
view details
Is Access to Primary Care Clinicians Improving in North Carolina? A 2025 Update
Blog post providing updated information on the ratio of North Carolina population to primary care clinicians. Provides county-level maps with shadings showing better or worse access to primary care as of 2025 and percentage change in access from 2017-2025.
Author(s): Evan Galloway
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organizations: Sheps Health Workforce NC, The Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research
view details
Blog post providing updated information on the ratio of North Carolina population to primary care clinicians. Provides county-level maps with shadings showing better or worse access to primary care as of 2025 and percentage change in access from 2017-2025.
Author(s): Evan Galloway
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organizations: Sheps Health Workforce NC, The Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research
view details
Rural–Urban Variation in Guideline-Concordant Management of Early-Stage Kidney, Prostate, and Testicular Cancer in the United States (2010–2022)
Examines how receipt of guideline-concordant management of early-stage kidney, prostate, and testicular cancers varied among rural and urban populations, using 2010-2022 SEER data.
Author(s): Canan D. Dirican, Samer Jumean, Anas Al Mardini, Michael Maroules
Citation: Urologic Oncology: Seminars and Original Investigations, 44(6), 189-196
Date: 06/2026
view details
Examines how receipt of guideline-concordant management of early-stage kidney, prostate, and testicular cancers varied among rural and urban populations, using 2010-2022 SEER data.
Author(s): Canan D. Dirican, Samer Jumean, Anas Al Mardini, Michael Maroules
Citation: Urologic Oncology: Seminars and Original Investigations, 44(6), 189-196
Date: 06/2026
view details
Nursing in the Rural West: Challenges and Opportunities for Supporting Rural Students and Communities
Provides a regional perspective on nursing workforce needs in Western rural areas, based on discussions with stakeholders from Wyoming, New Mexico, and Colorado. Highlights rural nursing student supports, clinical placements, faculty development, and preceptor development.
Author(s): Colleen Falkenstern
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education
view details
Provides a regional perspective on nursing workforce needs in Western rural areas, based on discussions with stakeholders from Wyoming, New Mexico, and Colorado. Highlights rural nursing student supports, clinical placements, faculty development, and preceptor development.
Author(s): Colleen Falkenstern
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education
view details
National Health Center Financial and Operational Performance Analysis: 2021–2024
Examines financial and operational characteristics of Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) from 2021-2024. Explores FQHC growth and expansion, patient and payer mix, revenue and growth mix, staffing and productivity, operational trends, financial performance, and quality of care. Compares data on rural FQHCs to urban and national FQHC data.
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: Capital Link
view details
Examines financial and operational characteristics of Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) from 2021-2024. Explores FQHC growth and expansion, patient and payer mix, revenue and growth mix, staffing and productivity, operational trends, financial performance, and quality of care. Compares data on rural FQHCs to urban and national FQHC data.
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: Capital Link
view details
Beyond Maternal Mortality: How Severe Morbidity Reveals Policy Gaps in Maternal Care
Provides information about severe maternal morbidity (SMM) in the United States across sociodemographic groups and discusses possible policy interventions, including rural-specific strategies. Examines data on SMM with data broken down by year, state, medical condition, patient demographics, cost of delivery, insurance type, rurality, and hospital type of metro non-teaching, metro teaching, or rural.
Author(s): Eugene Declercq, Laurie C. Zephyrin
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
view details
Provides information about severe maternal morbidity (SMM) in the United States across sociodemographic groups and discusses possible policy interventions, including rural-specific strategies. Examines data on SMM with data broken down by year, state, medical condition, patient demographics, cost of delivery, insurance type, rurality, and hospital type of metro non-teaching, metro teaching, or rural.
Author(s): Eugene Declercq, Laurie C. Zephyrin
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
view details
Syphilis Outbreak Field Outreach, Overdose Prevention, and Tribal Collaboration: Lessons Learned from Oklahoma State Department of Health
Details how the Oklahoma State Department of Health addressed a syphilis outbreak concurrently with overdose prevention efforts across rural, urban, and tribal areas via partnerships with the Southern Plains Tribal Health Board and other tribal and community organizations.
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organizations: National Association of County and City Health Officials, Oklahoma State Department of Health
view details
Details how the Oklahoma State Department of Health addressed a syphilis outbreak concurrently with overdose prevention efforts across rural, urban, and tribal areas via partnerships with the Southern Plains Tribal Health Board and other tribal and community organizations.
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organizations: National Association of County and City Health Officials, Oklahoma State Department of Health
view details
Validity of Area-Based Social Risk Indices Used at Higher-Level Geographies and Clinic Locations
Assesses the suitability of the Reproducible Area Deprivation Index (ReADI, Social Deprivation Index (SDI), and Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) for correctly representing patient risk and health outcomes at 5 geographic levels for both patient and clinic addresses. Discusses the usefulness of the social risk indices for researchers lacking small area location data.
Author(s): Nathaniel Hendrix, Nicole Gladish, Neil S. Kamdar, David H. Rehkopf
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 9(6)
Date: 06/2026
view details
Assesses the suitability of the Reproducible Area Deprivation Index (ReADI, Social Deprivation Index (SDI), and Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) for correctly representing patient risk and health outcomes at 5 geographic levels for both patient and clinic addresses. Discusses the usefulness of the social risk indices for researchers lacking small area location data.
Author(s): Nathaniel Hendrix, Nicole Gladish, Neil S. Kamdar, David H. Rehkopf
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 9(6)
Date: 06/2026
view details
A National Description of Emergency Medical Services Patient Utilization Patterns
Evaluates 9,508,809 emergency medical services encounters from 2024 to identify utilization patterns. Categorizes patients into single, moderate, high, and very-high utilization groups and explores various demographic and health conditions within those groups. Includes comparison of urban, rural, and super-rural areas for very-high utilization and single encounter groups.
Author(s): Antonio R. Fernandez, Jonathan Brent Myers, Scott S. Bourn, et al.
Citation: Health Affairs Scholar, 4(6)
Date: 06/2026
view details
Evaluates 9,508,809 emergency medical services encounters from 2024 to identify utilization patterns. Categorizes patients into single, moderate, high, and very-high utilization groups and explores various demographic and health conditions within those groups. Includes comparison of urban, rural, and super-rural areas for very-high utilization and single encounter groups.
Author(s): Antonio R. Fernandez, Jonathan Brent Myers, Scott S. Bourn, et al.
Citation: Health Affairs Scholar, 4(6)
Date: 06/2026
view details