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Rural Health
Resources by Type: Document

The Effects of Medicaid Expansion under the ACA: Studies from January 2014 to January 2020
Updates a literature review on the impact of state Medicaid expansions on insurance coverage, access to care, and economic measures. Addresses the impact of Medicaid expansion on rural insurance rates and hospital finances.
Author(s): Madeline Guth, Rachel Garfield, Robin Rudowitz
Date: 03/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Child Hunger In Rural America
Discusses food insecurity impacts on children in rural America, with a focus on geographic isolation, lack of opportunities, limited resources, and programmatic barriers. Includes metro versus nonmetro comparisons of percent of households experiencing food insecurity.
Date: 02/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Feeding America, No Kid Hungry
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Examining Food Insecurity in the Rural United States: A Qualitative Study
Explores the difficulties families experience when trying to provide nutritious food to children, as well as related issues of food insecurity in 6 rural counties of the U.S. Discusses perceptions of food benefits, family circumstances, and participant suggestions to improve food access.
Author(s): Lindsey Haynes-Maslow, Lauri Andress, Carmen Byker-Shanks, et al.
Date: 02/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Feeding America, No Kid Hungry
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Digital Prosperity: How Broadband Can Deliver Health and Equity to All Communities
Examines the role broadband plays in impacting health and equity in rural and urban areas, and identifies policy reforms to reduce these barriers. Outlines how government and marketplaces influence access to broadband, and offers case studies demonstrating effective methods to develop more equitable outcomes.
Author(s): Adie Tomer, Lara Fishbane, Angela Siefer, Bill Callahan
Date: 02/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Brookings Institution
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Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Community Resilience Building Workshop - Northern Hilltowns Collaborative: Summary of Findings for the Towns of Chesterfield, Cummington, Goshen, and Worthington, MA
An overview of how four rural communities in western Massachusetts developed a municipal vulnerability preparedness (MVP) plan to improve their resilience to the increased frequency of natural and climate-related hazards. With funding from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, a series of workshops were held to engage the four communities in planning and implementing a climate change action plan. Discusses common community concerns and challenges related to transportation and communication services, power outages, drinking water, and waste management.
Date: 02/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs
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The Rural Health Safety Net Under Pressure: Rural Hospital Vulnerability
Examines financial and operational metrics for closed hospitals in the 36 months prior to closure. Identifies 453 rural facilities vulnerable to closure and the performance variables that have the greatest impact on a facility's likelihood of closure.
Date: 02/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Chartis Center for Rural Health
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Can Age-Friendly Planning Promote Equity in Community Health Across the Rural-Urban Divide in the US?
Utilizes the AARP Livability Index to explore differences in physical and built environment and social environment when comparing rural/urban counties. AARP Livability Index includes data breakdowns such as neighborhood, housing, transportation, and engagement, among others. Discusses additional factors such as income and population that impact community health in rural areas. Explores age-related community planning and its relationship to health challenges and community livability.
Author(s): Xue Zhang, Mildred E. Warner, Elaine Wethington
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(4), 1275
Date: 02/2020
Type: Document
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Urban–Rural Infant Mortality Disparities by Race and Ethnicity and Cause of Death
Analyzes data on infant mortality across county-classifications and broken down by race/ethnicity and large metro, medium/small metro, and nonmetropolitan areas. Notes differences regarding cause of death by race/ethnicity, including sudden unexpected infant death, congenital anomalies, and preterm-related.
Author(s): Lindsay S. Womack, Lauren R. Rossen, Ashley H. Hirai
Citation: American Journal of Preventative Medicine, 58(2), 254-260
Date: 02/2020
Type: Document
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Val Verde Regional Medical Center Implements SMART ER
Describes Val Verde Regional Medical Center's (VVRMC) progress as part of the Small Rural Hospital Transition (SRHT) Project focused on care transitions and healthcare quality. VVRMC is a 47-bed hospital in Del Rio, Texas. Discusses how VVRMC collected data and implemented protocols to improve patient satisfaction.
Date: 02/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Resource Center
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Underserved Communities: Enhancing Care with Graduate Medical Education
Provides an overview of the current supply of rheumatology healthcare providers in rural America and future projected workforce shortages. Discusses strategies to improve access to care and address rheumatology workforce shortages such as increasing residency and fellowship positions in Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs), telemedicine, the J-1 visa waiver program, and the National Health Service Corps.
Author(s): Vaneet Kaur Sandhu, Donna Jose, Candace H Feldman
Citation: Rheumatic Diseases Clinics of North America, 46(1), 167-178
Date: 02/2020
Type: Document
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