Healthcare Access in Rural Communities – Resources
Selected recent or important resources focusing on Healthcare Access in Rural Communities.
Partnering for Rural Transportation with Alisa Druzba and Steve Workman
An episode of the Exploring Rural Health podcast featuring Alisa Druzba and Steve Workman. Describes the development of the New Hampshire Mobility Management Network and how it provides options for rural residents. Focuses on the role of collaboration among local, state, and federal agencies in supporting long-term sustainability for transportation services.
Date: 04/2022
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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An episode of the Exploring Rural Health podcast featuring Alisa Druzba and Steve Workman. Describes the development of the New Hampshire Mobility Management Network and how it provides options for rural residents. Focuses on the role of collaboration among local, state, and federal agencies in supporting long-term sustainability for transportation services.
Date: 04/2022
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Public Transportation's Role in Rural Healthcare Access with Carol Wright Kenderdine
An episode of the Exploring Rural Health podcast featuring Carol Wright Kenderdine. Discusses transportation needs and challenges faced by rural older adults and people with disabilities. Explains the role of rural public transit agencies, national resources available to support transit, and how COVID-19 has spurred innovation in rural transportation.
Date: 03/2022
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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An episode of the Exploring Rural Health podcast featuring Carol Wright Kenderdine. Discusses transportation needs and challenges faced by rural older adults and people with disabilities. Explains the role of rural public transit agencies, national resources available to support transit, and how COVID-19 has spurred innovation in rural transportation.
Date: 03/2022
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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How States Can Expand Health Care Access in Rural Communities
Discusses policy options states could use to increase access to care and the supply of healthcare providers in rural areas. Covers financial assistance programs for medical and dental education; malpractice reform; scope of practice changes for advanced practice registered nurses, physician assistants, and dental health aide therapists; telemedicine parity; and mobile clinics.
Date: 02/2022
Sponsoring organization: Center for American Progress
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Discusses policy options states could use to increase access to care and the supply of healthcare providers in rural areas. Covers financial assistance programs for medical and dental education; malpractice reform; scope of practice changes for advanced practice registered nurses, physician assistants, and dental health aide therapists; telemedicine parity; and mobile clinics.
Date: 02/2022
Sponsoring organization: Center for American Progress
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The Problem Of The Color Line: Spatial Access To Hospital Services For Minoritized Racial And Ethnic Groups
Study examining healthcare access by race and geography, covering distances to hospital services for minoritized ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZTCAs). Discusses factors that lead to disparities in access for rural minority communities, including policy, rural hospital closures, and safety-net program issues.
Additional links: Story Map: The Problem Of The Color Line
Author(s): Jan M. Eberth, Peiyin Hung, Gabriel A. Benavidez, et al.
Citation: Health Affairs, 41(2), 237-246
Date: 02/2022
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Study examining healthcare access by race and geography, covering distances to hospital services for minoritized ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZTCAs). Discusses factors that lead to disparities in access for rural minority communities, including policy, rural hospital closures, and safety-net program issues.
Additional links: Story Map: The Problem Of The Color Line
Author(s): Jan M. Eberth, Peiyin Hung, Gabriel A. Benavidez, et al.
Citation: Health Affairs, 41(2), 237-246
Date: 02/2022
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High-Performing Rural Health System
Update to the September 2011 RUPRI Health Panel document "The High Performance Rural Health Care System of the Future." Describes affordable and accessible healthcare for all rural residents through a sustainable system delivering high quality, high value services. Defines pillars of accessibility, affordability, community health, and quality.
Author(s): Andrew Coburn, Alva O. Ferdinand, Alana Knudson, et al.
Date: 01/2022
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
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Update to the September 2011 RUPRI Health Panel document "The High Performance Rural Health Care System of the Future." Describes affordable and accessible healthcare for all rural residents through a sustainable system delivering high quality, high value services. Defines pillars of accessibility, affordability, community health, and quality.
Author(s): Andrew Coburn, Alva O. Ferdinand, Alana Knudson, et al.
Date: 01/2022
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
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Does Primary Care Availability Mediate the Relationship Between Rurality and Lower Life Expectancy in the United States?
Analyzes if the availability of primary care providers (PCPs) is a factor in life expectancy outcomes in rural areas. Utilizes county-level statistics for the years 2010, 2015, and 2017 to see if rural counties with higher PCP density trended toward higher life expectancy. Includes descriptive statistics that show rural versus urban comparisons for life expectancy, race/ethnicity, education level, income, insurance and employment status, rate of elderly residents, and access to/cost of medical care.
Author(s): Arjun Sharma, Sanjay Basu
Citation: Journal of Primary Care & Community Health, 13
Date: 2022
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Analyzes if the availability of primary care providers (PCPs) is a factor in life expectancy outcomes in rural areas. Utilizes county-level statistics for the years 2010, 2015, and 2017 to see if rural counties with higher PCP density trended toward higher life expectancy. Includes descriptive statistics that show rural versus urban comparisons for life expectancy, race/ethnicity, education level, income, insurance and employment status, rate of elderly residents, and access to/cost of medical care.
Author(s): Arjun Sharma, Sanjay Basu
Citation: Journal of Primary Care & Community Health, 13
Date: 2022
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Trends in Racial, Ethnic, Sex, and Rural-Urban Inequities in Health Care in Medicare Advantage: 2009-2018
Presents an analysis of historical trends in inequities by race and ethnicity, sex, and rural-urban residence among Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare Advantage (MA) plans nationwide. Uses patient experience and clinical care measures to examine how inequities in healthcare have changed between 2009 and 2018, how scores for each beneficiary group have changed over time, and which inequities remained in 2018.
Date: 12/2021
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, RAND Corporation
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Presents an analysis of historical trends in inequities by race and ethnicity, sex, and rural-urban residence among Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare Advantage (MA) plans nationwide. Uses patient experience and clinical care measures to examine how inequities in healthcare have changed between 2009 and 2018, how scores for each beneficiary group have changed over time, and which inequities remained in 2018.
Date: 12/2021
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, RAND Corporation
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Health Disparities in Rural Women
Discusses the health disparities that exist for rural women in all categories of women's health, including obstetric and gynecologic outcomes and access to care. Covers programs to improve healthcare services for rural women and recommendations to reduce health disparities.
Date: 11/2021
Sponsoring organization: American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
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Discusses the health disparities that exist for rural women in all categories of women's health, including obstetric and gynecologic outcomes and access to care. Covers programs to improve healthcare services for rural women and recommendations to reduce health disparities.
Date: 11/2021
Sponsoring organization: American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
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Health Care in Rural America: Use, Affordability, and Access
Report on rural access to healthcare and the overall health of rural adults age 40 and older based on a survey from November 20 to December 18, 2020. Addresses disparities in health, income, and access to health insurance. Presents data on household income, mental health status, chronic conditions, concerns related to visiting healthcare facilities due to COVID-19, and more.
Additional links: Annotated Questionnaire
Date: 10/2021
Sponsoring organization: AARP
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Report on rural access to healthcare and the overall health of rural adults age 40 and older based on a survey from November 20 to December 18, 2020. Addresses disparities in health, income, and access to health insurance. Presents data on household income, mental health status, chronic conditions, concerns related to visiting healthcare facilities due to COVID-19, and more.
Additional links: Annotated Questionnaire
Date: 10/2021
Sponsoring organization: AARP
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Restoring Access to Maternity Care in Rural America
Examines regional partnerships to build rural access to maternity care through hub-and-spoke models of education and support from urban healthcare organizations to rural maternity providers, investments in telehealth, and remote monitoring systems. Discusses barriers to maternity care access in rural areas and highlights local examples of maternal health provider networks, investments in the rural maternity workforce, and policy implications of developing rural maternity care.
Author(s): Martha Hostetter, Sarah Klein
Date: 09/2021
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
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Examines regional partnerships to build rural access to maternity care through hub-and-spoke models of education and support from urban healthcare organizations to rural maternity providers, investments in telehealth, and remote monitoring systems. Discusses barriers to maternity care access in rural areas and highlights local examples of maternal health provider networks, investments in the rural maternity workforce, and policy implications of developing rural maternity care.
Author(s): Martha Hostetter, Sarah Klein
Date: 09/2021
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
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Additional resources are available related to this guide. See the full list of resources by topic for:
Last Updated: 3/24/2025