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Rural Health
Resources by Type: Document

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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Strengthening the System: Alaska's Comprehensive Integrated Mental Health Program Plan 2020-24
Details Alaska's mental health integration plan. Discusses 9 goals that cover different aspects of mental health coverage, such as suicide prevention, substance use disorder prevention, and early childhood mental health.
Date: 02/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Alaska Department of Health, Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority
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Effect of Travel Distance and Rurality of Residence on Initial Surveillance for Hepatocellular Carcinoma in VA Primary Care Patient with Cirrhosis
Highlights a study on the effect of travel distance on hepatocellular carcinoma surveillance for veterans with cirrhosis who are being treated by the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). Merges VHA and CMS data and breaks it down by demographics and travel distance to both VA and non-VA medical centers and the patients' primary care providers, among other measures.
Author(s): Yolanda Rodriguez Villalvazo, Jennifer S. McDanel, Lauren A. Beste, et al.
Citation: Health Services Research, 55(1), 103-112
Date: 02/2020
Type: Document
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Polysubstance Use in Rural West Virginia: Associations between Latent Classes of Drug Use, Overdose, and Take-Home Naloxone
Examines the relationship between overdose experiences and polysubstance use by rural people who inject drugs (PWID) based on surveys of 420 individuals in West Virginia. Classifies substance use involving stimulants and opioids and discusses implications for take-home naloxone interventions.
Author(s): Kristin E. Schneider, Allison O'Rourke, Rebecca Hamilton White, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Drug Policy, 76, 102642
Date: 02/2020
Type: Document
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Minnesota's Licensed Dental Assistant Workforce, 2016-2017
Provides an overview of Minnesota's dental assistant workforce using data from the Minnesota Board of Dentistry and the 2016-2017 Dental Assistant Survey. Presents information on demographics, education, employment, and geographical distribution.
Date: 02/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Department of Health - Office of Rural Health and Primary Care
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Safety in Numbers: Hospital Performance on Leapfrog's Surgical Volume Standard Based on Results of the 2019 Leapfrog Hospital Survey
Compares hospital and surgeon volume for 8 high-risk procedures to Leapfrog's minimum volume standards. Identifies the percent of rural hospitals that meet Leapfrog's volume standard for each procedure, as well as the percent of rural hospitals that do not electively perform these procedures.
Date: 02/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Leapfrog Group
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Recruiting and Retaining Behavioral Health Workers in Rural America: A Toolkit for Action
Explores successful tactics and programs, and elements missing from many current efforts to recruit and retain behavioral health workers. Describes funding opportunities, pipeline programs, telehealth initiatives, innovative approaches to recruitment and retention, and legislative changes in 2019 that helped promote recruitment and retention.
Author(s): Nancy Baum, Jaque King
Date: 02/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Center for Health and Research Transformation, University of Michigan Behavioral Health Workforce Research Center
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A Prospective Cohort Analysis of Gut Microbial Co-metabolism in Alaska Native and Rural African People at High and Low Risk of Colorectal Cancer
Presents a study examining the role of diet and gut microbiota in rates of colorectal cancer. Compares the diets of Alaska Natives, who have the highest rates of colorectal cancer in the world, with the diets of rural Africans, who have some of the lowest.
Author(s): Soeren Ocvirk, Annette S Wilson, Joram M Posma, et al.
Citation: The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 111(2), 406-419
Date: 02/2020
Type: Document
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Suppers in Virginia Give Rural Folks a Chance to Meet and Share Information
Describes community suppers, which are events organized by the Virginia State Office of Rural Health (VA SORH) to encourage health-related discussion among rural community members. Topics include wellness, examples of community success, and suggestions for improvement.
Author(s): Beth Blevins
Date: 02/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health
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