Rural Health
News by Topic: Health disparities
Mar 24, 2023 - Two recent studies found that while deaths from heart disease are declining overall in the United States, people living in rural areas are at higher risk of dying from heart disease, and that Black rural men are at greatest risk for developing heart failure. Heart disease is the leading cause of death nationwide and one out of every three deaths in Georgia is attributed to heart disease.
Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution
CDC: Clinical Laboratory Improvement Advisory Committee
Federal Register
Mar 15, 2023 - Announcement of a virtual public meeting of the Clinical
Laboratory Improvement Advisory Committee (CLIAC) to be
held on April 12-13, 2023. Agenda items include agency
updates from CDC, CMS, and FDA. Agenda items will include
presentations and discussions on reports from two CLIAC
workgroups and the laboratory's role in advancing health
equity. The agenda and information on how to join the
meeting will be posted on the CLIAC website prior to the
meeting.
Source: Federal Register
Mar 10, 2023 - Mercer University's new Faith in Rural Health initiative, a partnership among the Georgia Rural Health Innovation Center, School of Medicine, and McAfee School of Theology, aims to support the physical, mental, and spiritual health of people in rural Georgia counties by coordinating efforts of clergy, physicians, and healthcare professionals.
Source: The Den
Mar 2, 2023 - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will hold a hybrid public meeting of the Board of Scientific Counselors, Center for Preparedness and Response (BSC, CPR) on March 30, 2023, from 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Eastern. The agenda includes updates on the Office of Policy, Planning, and Evaluation; CDCReady Responder; health equity; data modernization; and more. Registration is required.
Source: Federal Register
Feb 21, 2023 - A study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association showed that deaths from cardiovascular disease (CVD) consistently declined at the county level from 2009-2018. However, rural counties and counties with a higher percentage of black residents had higher CVD mortality rates than urban counties and counties with a lower percentage of black residents.
Source: EurekAlert
Feb 10, 2023 - Highlights some of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' policies to support rural providers, improve access to care in rural areas, and support the transformation of the rural health delivery system.
Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Feb 5, 2023 - Highlights the work of Josiah Hugs, a Native American liaison working with Billings Clinic, to bring attention to health equity concerns and intention to the care provided to Native American patients and their unique cultural needs.
Source: Billings Gazette
Feb 3, 2023 - A University of Michigan study found that women living in rural communities had lower rates of uninterrupted health insurance before, during, and after pregnancy compared to those in urban areas. Rural women also often have limited access to local obstetric services and live farther from care.
Source: U.S. News & World Report
Feb 2, 2023 - Announces new actions that will build on the work done in the first year of the reignited Cancer Moonshot, drawing us closer to ending cancer as we know it today. Priority areas include closing the screening gap, understanding and addressing environmental exposure, decreasing the impact of preventable cancers, bringing cutting-edge research through the pipeline to patients and communities, and supporting patients and caregivers.
Source: The White House
Feb 2, 2023 - Profiles Thomas Atkins, MD, a 2022 graduate of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and the first rural track medical resident in Nashville's family medicine program. The pilot program is a state-funded effort to eliminate a physician shortage in rural areas.
Source: The University of Tennessee Health Science Center
Feb 1, 2023 - A study published in The Lancet says that premature "deaths of despair" have affected American Indian and Alaska Native communities more than white communities. American Indians and Alaska Native people were not surveyed in a 2015 study that looked at death rates for 45-54 year-olds from 1999-2013.
Source: NPR
Jan 31, 2023 - The Virginia Consortium to Advance Healthcare in Appalachia will use $5.1 million in federal grant money to launch or expand several innovative programs to improve access to care in southwestern Virginia. The effort is aimed at tackling health inequity, improving rural healthcare, and expanding evidence-based models in telehealth for underserved communities.
Source: HealthLeaders
Jan 31, 2023 - A new program at the Washington State University College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences addresses workforce shortages by supporting rural pharmacies and increasing the number of rural pharmacists over the next 10 years. The curriculum includes hands-on experiences in rural clinics and a project focused on improving an aspect of rural health care. Students are eligible to receive a $10,000-a-year scholarship if they agree to practice for at least 3 years in rural Washington after graduation.
Source: The Spokesman-Review
Jan 27, 2023 - The Louisiana Health Disparities in Rural Areas Task Force has been studying health disparities in rural Louisiana and has developed several legislative recommendations. The volunteer group consists of medical experts charged with finding solutions to close the healthcare gap between rural and urban areas. Approximately 98% of the state's population lives in federally designated Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Source: Louisiana Illuminator
Jan 26, 2023 - Discusses disparities in access to breast cancer treatment between urban and rural patients, and how they might be addressed. Explores findings from a report by researchers from Cleveland Clinic that examined 2004-2012 data from the National Cancer Database.
Source: CancerNetwork
Jan 25, 2023 - Researchers from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and Vanderbilt University Medical Center conducted a long-term study of 27,115 adults in 12 southeastern states, and found that adults living in rural areas have a 19% higher risk of developing heart failure compared to their urban counterparts. Rural Black men participating in the study had a 34% higher risk of heart failure compared to urban Black men.
Source: National Institutes of Health