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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Type: Document

Following Labor and Delivery Unit Closures in Rural New Hampshire, Driving Time to the Nearest Unit Doubled
Examines the impact of the closure of 9 labor and delivery units in rural New Hampshire on the driving time to open units between 2000 and 2018. Explores the association between proximity to an open labor and delivery unit and women's health and socioeconomic characteristics.
Author(s): Stacey McMorrow, Sarah Benatar, Timothy J. Fisher
Date: 10/2021
Sponsoring organization: Urban Institute
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2021 CMS Hospital Quality Star Ratings of Rural Hospitals
Results of a study comparing the 2021 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Hospital Quality Star Rating results for rural and urban hospitals, comparing the 2021 and 2016 results for rural hospitals, and identifying implications for the usefulness of these ratings for rural hospitals. Features statistics including percentages of hospitals by Star Ratings with breakdowns by urban or rural location, and numbers of unrated rural hospitals by Medicare payment classification, net patient revenue, and census region.
Author(s): Laura Bozovich, Randall John, Kristie Thompson, George H. Pink
Date: 10/2021
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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The Veterans Community Care Program: Background and Early Effects
Provides an overview of the Veterans Community Care Program (VCCP), and discusses the impact of the program on veterans' access to care and the Veterans Health Administration's (VHA) spending on community care. Explores other effects of VCCP, including care coordination, healthcare quality, and utilization of VHA facilities.
Date: 10/2021
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Budget Office
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COVID-19: Additional Actions Needed to Improve Accountability and Program Effectiveness of Federal Response
Discusses the federal government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Provides an overview of federal actions on healthcare and economic policy areas through September 2021, including data on COVID-19 relief spending, testing, worker health and safety, and child nutrition programs. Offers 16 new recommendations to federal agencies regarding the proper use of relief funding, occupational health and safety, and fraud risks to unemployment insurance programs that would improve the federal response and preparation for future public health emergencies.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 10/2021
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Urban-Rural Differences in Unintentional Injury Death Rates Among Children Aged 0–17 Years: United States, 2018–2019
Describes rates of unintentional injury death for children in 2018-2019 based on data from the National Vital Statistics System, offering rural/urban comparisons and breaking down data by contributing mechanisms.
Author(s): Matthew F. Garnett, Merianne Rose Spencer, Holly Hedegaard
Date: 10/2021
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Overdose Prevention Strategy
Examines trends in overdose deaths between 1999 and 2019. Describes the development and four priority areas of the new Overdose Prevention Strategy, as well as objectives for each priority area. Highlights examples of programs that address substance use disorder prevention and treatment in rural areas.
Date: 10/2021
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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Racial/Ethnic Differences in Mental Health Service Use among Adults and Adolescents (2015-2019)
Report showing rates of mental health service use by race and ethnicity, including American Indians and Alaska Natives. Breaks down data drawn from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health from 2015 to 2019.
Date: 10/2021
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Racial/Ethnic Differences in Substance Use, Substance Use Disorders, and Substance Use Treatment Utilization among People Aged 12 or Older (2015-2019)
Report showing rates of substance use, substance use disorders, and substance use treatment utilization by race and ethnicity, including American Indians and Alaska Natives. Breaks down data drawn from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health from 2015 to 2019.
Date: 10/2021
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Behavioral Health Equity Report 2021
Provides a breakdown and discussion of data drawn from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health from 2015 to 2019. Details youth and adult mental health and substance use indicators by race and ethnicity, income level, and metro or nonmetro county, among others.
Date: 10/2021
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Association Between Hospital Performance Metrics and Market Share
Research letter describing the association between publicly reported performance scores for 4,930 hospitals and hospital market share. Features descriptive statistics with breakdowns including acute care hospital or Critical Access Hospital, and percentage of hospital referral region population in rural areas.
Author(s): August Oddleifson, Xiao Xu, Patrick Liu, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 4(10)
Date: 10/2021
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