July 26, 2017
Mario Gutierrez, MPH, Executive Director of the Center for Connected Health Policy's National Telehealth Policy Resource Center, discusses the important role telehealth plays for rural patients in delivering healthcare directly to their homes and communities.
July 26, 2017
Kristi Henderson, DNP, CFNP, CACNP, FAEN, Vice President of Innovation and Virtual Care at Ascension's Texas Ministry, outlines three challenges hindering telehealth's growth: outdated reimbursement models, policies and regulations, and the complexity surrounding telehealth integration.
July 26, 2017
Gary Capistrant, MPA, Chief Policy Officer of the American Telemedicine Association, explains potential federal changes, the possibility of a national telehealth network, and collaboration between healthcare providers may be keys to telehealth's success.
July 12, 2017
Colorectal cancer stands out as a cancer with increased incidence and mortality rates in rural areas – rates that are likely influenced by lack of screening. Using different approaches, two rural healthcare organizations in Idaho and Kentucky show how they are saving lives by improving colorectal cancer screening rates in their communities.
June 28, 2017
For the past few decades, suicide rates for working-aged men have been at a steep incline. Healthy Men Michigan is a unique campaign that evaluates the risk of depression and suicide in Michigan men through an anonymous online survey. Male-dominated industries and other organizations are drawn to the campaign's creative methods that appeal to working-aged men.
June 14, 2017
Dr. Octavio Martinez discusses the current state of the U.S. mental health system, the particular challenges faced in rural America, and the work of the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health to improve the mental health care system in Texas.
May 31, 2017
Public agencies and private non-profit groups have mutual interests in improving the health of rural Americans. The Federal Office of Rural Health Policy and philanthropy organizations worked together to create a unique funding opportunity, the Rural Health Care Coordination Network Partnership Program. Two health care organizations and their philanthropy partners share how coordinated efforts benefit patients with diabetes, congestive heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
May 17, 2017
Lyme and other tick-borne illnesses have become the most prolific zoonotic diseases in our nation. Because of their proximity to tick environments, rural areas are more susceptible. In this article, we hear from a Lyme disease patient, a scientist, psychiatrist, nonprofit leader, and a medical doctor about the spread and what's being done about it.
May 3, 2017
From over-the-counter medication use, to decisions about personal or family disease treatments, health literacy impacts the most everyday of health decisions. But, distance and internet connectivity challenges make it difficult for rural residents to get health information. To navigate health information gaps, school nurses, newspapers, public libraries, churches, public health departments, and hub-and-spoke academic institutions are working in creative ways.
April 19, 2017
Every rural provider has a horror story attached to low health literacy. Health literacy, or getting, understanding, and using health information, involves two sides. Researchers and experts explain that by understanding both the skills and demands side of health literacy, providers and organizations can help their patients move to improved health.
