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Rural Health Information Hub

Healthcare Access in Rural Communities – Resources

Selected recent or important resources focusing on Healthcare Access in Rural Communities.

2023 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
Provides a comprehensive summary and data analysis of healthcare quality and access in the U.S. Addresses access to healthcare, patient safety, person-centered care, care coordination, effective treatment, healthy living, and care affordability. Focuses on the impact of COVID-19 on healthcare and healthcare systems.
Date: 12/2023
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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Improving Access to Health Care Coverage in Rural Communities with Medicaid and CHIP
A recorded webinar that provides strategies and best practices to improve outreach in an effort to enroll American Indian/Alaska Native communities (AI/AN) in Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Discusses the importance of healthcare access and offers resources and tools for enrollment outreach.
Additional links: Slides, Transcript
Date: 12/2023
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, National Rural Health Association
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Community Health Partners in Unexpected Places
Examines how health systems partner with community services such as libraries, barber shops, dollar stores, and others to improve access and reduce health disparities in minority and rural populations. Discusses strategies to increase the use of community health partners, such as co-designing with input from the community, procuring funding, building awareness of available programs, and utilizing novel means to conduct day-to-day operations.
Author(s): Michael K. Hole, Sunjay Letchuman, Allister Chang, Leonard L. Berry
Citation: Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 98(12), 1883-1841
Date: 12/2023
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Health Coverage Among American Indian and Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander People
Provides an overview of health insurance coverage for American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) and Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander (NHOPI) people. Provides additional information on demographics, work status, income, and English proficiency. Discusses issues of access, equity, and geographic isolation for these communities.
Author(s): Latoya Hill, Samantha Artiga
Date: 11/2023
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Nursing Students Bring Free Care to Rural Virginia with Student-Run Mobile Health Clinic
Features Old Dominion University's mobile health clinic, which provides healthcare services in rural southeastern Virginia while providing clinical opportunities to nursing students.
Author(s): Gretel Kauffman
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 11/2023
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Improving Access to Primary Care for Underserved Populations: A Review of Findings from Five Case Studies and Recommendations
Summarizes and synthesizes the findings from a series of five case studies that explored the impact of policy initiatives that aim to improve access to primary care. Covers increasing the availability of primary care providers, improving underserved communities' access to outpatient clinics, removing structural barriers to care, making primary care affordable, and improving comfort and communication between providers and patients. Presents recommendations for federal and state policymakers, primary care practices, medical schools, and other relevant stakeholders. Includes rural examples and considerations throughout.
Additional links: Executive Summary
Author(s): Maanasa Kona, Jalisa Clark, Emma Walsh-Alker
Date: 11/2023
Sponsoring organizations: Center on Health Insurance Reforms, Milbank Memorial Fund, National Institute for Health Care Reform
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Geographic Variation in Health Insurance Coverage: United States, 2022
Reports on rates of people who had private health insurance, public insurance, and who were uninsured according to the 2022 National Health Interview Survey. Presents coverage rates by urbanization level for adults aged 18-64 and for children aged 0-17.
Author(s): Emily P. Terlizzi, Robin A. Cohen
Date: 11/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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Health is Primary: Charting a Path to Equity and Sustainability
Examines factors driving the downward trends in primary care, including fewer clinicians practicing primary care, fewer available appointments, lower spending on primary care, and fewer adults reporting that they have a usual source of primary care. Features a literature review, supply and demand analysis, and recommendations for potential solutions. Mentions rural throughout.
Additional links: Slide Presentation
Author(s): Alison Huffstetler, Ann Greiner, Anam Siddiqi, et al.
Date: 11/2023
Sponsoring organizations: Primary Care Collaborative, Robert Graham Center
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Rural Health: Addressing Barriers to Care
An infographic that presents data on rural versus urban health disparities and barriers to healthcare in rural America. Includes interactive data on percentage of rural residents by state, rural life expectancy and chronic health conditions, hospital closures and lack of access to healthcare, rural workforce shortages, and more. Provides strategies to improve rural access to healthcare.
Author(s): Carrie Cochran-McClain
Date: 10/2023
Sponsoring organizations: National Institute for Health Care Management, National Rural Health Association
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Medicaid and CHIP Renewals Webinar Focused on Reaching Special Populations: Reaching American Indian and Alaska Native Populations
A recorded webinar with strategies and resources to use in communicating with American Indian and Alaska Native people enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP about how to maintain health insurance coverage. Transcript provided, along with the link and password to access the webinar recording.
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Last Updated: 12/26/2024