New Resources Identified in the Past 30 Days:

Federal Retail Pharmacy Program Contributions to Bivalent mRNA COVID-19 Vaccinations Across Sociodemographic Characteristics — United States, September 1, 2022–September 30, 2023
Reports on COVID-19 bivalent vaccine doses administered by pharmacies participating in the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program (FRPP) from September 1, 2022–September 30, 2023. Includes data on doses administered in urban and rural settings and discusses urban compared to rural contributions of FRPP pharmacies.
Author(s): Roua El Kalach, Nkenge Jones-Jack, Mattie A. Elam, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 73(13), 286-290
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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How Community-Based Organizations Expand Access to Summer Meals through Non-Congregate Feeding
A recorded webinar that discusses how organizations collaborated to provide non-congregate meals in rural areas during the summer months. Includes information on mobile meals, grab-and-go options, bulk distributions, and take-home meals.
Additional links: Slide Deck
Date: 03/2024
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: No Kid Hungry
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Interim Final Rule on Non-Congregate Summer Meals: What It Means for You This Summer
A recorded webinar that discusses the interim final rule (IFR) on non-congregate summer meals in rural areas. Provides information on definitions, eligibility, and allowable models and flexibilities.
Additional links: Slide Deck
Date: 03/2024
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: No Kid Hungry
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A Lack of Behavioral Health Providers in Medicare and Medicaid Impedes Enrollees' Access to Care
Examines the availability of behavioral health providers who actively serve Medicare or Medicaid enrollees in 20 counties, 10 urban and 10 rural, across 10 states in 2021. Explores the extent to which traditional Medicare, Medicare Advantage, and Medicaid enrollees received behavioral health services and whether they used telehealth or in-person services. Offers recommendations to encourage more behavioral health providers to serve these enrollees and expand coverage to additional behavioral health provider types. Includes rural and urban comparisons throughout.
Additional links: Report Highlights
Date: 03/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Medicare Payment for Rural or Geographically Isolated Hospitals
Displays data on Medicare payment adjustments for Sole Community Hospitals, Medicare-Dependent Hospitals, Low-Volume Hospitals, and Critical Access Hospitals. Includes information on the number of qualifying hospitals by state and eligibility criteria.
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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Pre-COVID-19 Hospital Quality and Hospital Response to Covid-19: Examining Associations Between Risk-adjusted Mortality for Patients Hospitalised with COVID-19 and Pre-COVID-19 Hospital Quality
Examines whether pre-pandemic hospital quality was associated with in-hospital and 30-day mortality rates among Medicare patients hospitalized with COVID-19 from April 1, 2020, through September 30, 2021. Explores the relationship between COVID-19 outcomes and hospital COVID-19 burden. Compares pre-pandemic hospital quality and COVID-19 outcomes by hospital characteristics, including urban/rural location and Critical Access Hospital status.
Author(s): Doris Peter, Shu-Xia Li, Yongfei Wang, et al.
Citation: BMJ Open, 14(3), e077394
Date: 03/2024
Type: Document
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Protecting, Connecting and Thriving: Rural Public Health and Healthcare
Webinar recording of a panel discussing rural public health topics including rural health disparities, mortality, COVID-19, Medicaid coverage, primary care, graduate medical education, and services for veterans. Transcript is available in the video description.
Date: 04/2024
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organizations: The RURAL Study, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
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Schools Bringing Summer Meals to Kids: Learnings & Promising Practices from Non-Congregate Feeding
A recorded webinar that provides case studies from 3 school districts who successfully operated a mobile non-congregate meal program in rural areas during the summer months.
Additional links: Slide Deck
Date: 03/2024
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: No Kid Hungry
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Successful Non-Congregate Meal Service Models for Rural Areas: Implementation Guide (2024 Update)
Provides models that inform implementation of non-congregate meal services in rural areas. Includes background on policy decisions and legislative definitions.
Date: 03/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: No Kid Hungry
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Swimming Upstream on the Path to Thriving
Explores challenges and opportunities for equitable economic development in rural, disadvantaged communities. Discusses the impact of persistent poverty, local entrepreneurship supports, community development strategies and policies, and investment models. Highlights the relationship between community health and prosperity, including discussion of the value of local hospitals and medical centers.
Author(s): May Erouart, Amanda Weinstein
Date: 03/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Center on Rural Innovation
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