Top 10 Rural Monitor Articles of 2023

Here is a countdown of the most-read articles of the year:

#10 – 'Planting Seeds of Change': In Rural Counties, Expanding Jail-Based Mental Health Services is a Community Effort

In rural communities, where funding is often limited and mental health resources may be scarce, ensuring incarcerated people have access to needed care can be a challenge.

Published September 6, 2023

#9 – Rural Pharmacies Provide Multi-Faceted Value to Rural Communities

Rural community pharmacies are often vital sources for prescriptions, vaccinations, patient education, and other healthcare needs, but the RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis reported a decrease in the number of rural pharmacies from 2003 to 2021. A pharmacy chain in the Midwest, a pharmacy-based research network in the South, and an Illinois school of pharmacy discuss the rewards and challenges of operating in rural areas.

Published July 12, 2023

#8 – How One New Mexico County is Taking a Community-Wide Approach to Treating Alcohol and Substance Use Disorders

A community consortium in McKinley County brings together a range of local organizations and entities to take a holistic approach to recovery.

Published February 22, 2023

#7 – Changing the Narrative — Rural Healthcare Opportunities and the Role of Emerging Leaders

While rural healthcare faces many challenges, it also possesses strengths and potential, such as its leadership. The NRHA's Rural Health CEO Certification Program and Rural Health Fellows works to strengthen current leaders' skills, while the University of Iowa's and the University of South Carolina's Master of Health Administration programs, NRHA's Student Constituency Group, and the Oregon Rural Practice-based Research Network help shape future leaders.

Published June 7, 2023

#6 – Perspectives on the Long of COVID: From Doomscrolling to Rural Management Strategies

In the wake of acute COVID-19 comes another public health concern: Millions of rural Americans are experiencing Long COVID. With a federal agency representative weighing in on rural research efforts, a Tennessee rural health researcher shares his Long COVID story alongside a New York rural healthcare system who shares their story about the condition's management options.

Published March 8, 2023

#5 – The Frontier of Harm Reduction: Expanding Services for Rural People Who Use Drugs

In response to rising rates of overdose death and injection-related disease, rural organizers across the country are testing innovative harm reduction strategies to expand potentially life-saving services to some of the most marginalized members of their communities.

Published July 26, 2023

#4 – In a Maternity Desert, a New Kind of Home Visitation Program Brings Care to At-Risk Mothers

Project Swaddle uses community paramedics to bring wrap-around care to pregnant and postpartum patients.

Published August 9, 2023

#3 – Better Together: Rural Hospital High-Value Networks

Three rural healthcare experts discuss how rural hospital high-value networks can create economies of scale and value-based care capacity in order to enter into value-based payment contracts.

Published April 19, 2023

#2 – 'A Life-Changing Partnership': First Tribally-Affiliated Medical School in the U.S. Builds Workforce Pipeline to Underserved Communities

Oklahoma State University's College of Osteopathic Medicine at the Cherokee Nation prepares future doctors to work in rural and tribal settings where healthcare workers are in short supply.

January 11, 2023

#1 – A Rural Therapist and School Program Address Teen Mental Health

Rural teens face a higher prevalence of behavior problems, anxiety, and suicide rates than their urban peers, but there are fewer behavioral health providers in rural areas to help these teens. A trauma therapist in rural West Virginia and a school program in rural Wisconsin incorporate teenagers' strengths and interests and connect them with trusted adults in order to improve their mental health.

Published January 25, 2023