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The Rural Monitor
Articles by Topic: Hospitals

Remote Patient Monitoring Helps Rural Patients Recover at Home

July 14, 2021
Essentia Health created the Remote Patient Monitoring program to allow some patients to recover at home while still having access to medical attention. Program launch was accelerated to treat COVID-19 patients, but Essentia plans to continue the program after the pandemic to treat other chronic diseases.

Pulmonary Rehabilitation: Benefiting Rural Individuals, Benefiting Rural Population Health

June 30, 2021
On the list of leading causes of death, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, impacts millions of rural Americans and their quality of life. Though limited treatments are available for COPD, research indicates that pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) provides major benefits, yet is currently under-prescribed and facing challenges from COVID-19 and from reimbursement policies. Researchers discuss the potential that tele-PR might bring to rural areas, and rural healthcare leaders highlight the benefits of their PR programs for service areas.

Still Stealing Rural America's Breath: An Update on Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

June 16, 2021
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, is a condition that continues to steal rural America's breath. Researchers, philanthropists, and healthcare professionals talk about new rural research efforts and the impact of COVID-19 on COPD. Also discussed is the importance of pulmonary rehabilitation, an impactful treatment long known to improve quality of life and now backed by new research proving it decreases death rates in select patients.

Lakewood Engage Tackles Food Insecurity in Rural Minnesota

December 23, 2020
To address the issue of food insecurity in the rural Minnesota communities it serves, Lakewood Health System created Lakewood Engage, a community-based program with multiple initiatives including a "Food Farmacy," home delivery, and a farmers market.

Listening to Rural Stories: Q&A with Alisa Druzba

November 25, 2020
Alisa Druzba, director of the New Hampshire's Office of Rural Health and Primary Care, discusses her journey to becoming a SORH director, the ways her state has been affected by the pandemic, and the favorite parts of her job.

Nursing Preparedness: Words from Researchers and Rural Nurses

November 10, 2020
Job preparedness is essential for quality caregiving, professional success, and satisfaction. Three rural registered nurses join a nursing doctoral candidate to share their stories about the path to their profession and their perspective on rural nursing preparedness.

Contact Tracing: Training New Workers and Connecting with Rural Residents

September 9, 2020
Contact tracing is an important step in preventing further spread of the coronavirus. Alaska's AHEC program, a center for public health in Washington, and a national public health foundation share their training strategies while an IHS hospital in Arizona discusses its in-person contact tracing initiative.