Rural Health
Resources by State: Alabama
Description of a Collaborative Rural Dental Scholar Program
Discusses a series of initiatives to increase Alabama's rural dental workforce through a partnership between The University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry and The University of Alabama College of Community Health Sciences. Describes the interventions designed to get rural students interested and participating in oral health training. Details a summer program for high school students, a pathway program for post-grads, and scholarships for participating students.
Author(s): Carly Timmons McKenzie, Paul Drake Lavender
Citation: Journal of Dental Education, 89(9), 1356-1361
Date: 09/2025
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Discusses a series of initiatives to increase Alabama's rural dental workforce through a partnership between The University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry and The University of Alabama College of Community Health Sciences. Describes the interventions designed to get rural students interested and participating in oral health training. Details a summer program for high school students, a pathway program for post-grads, and scholarships for participating students.
Author(s): Carly Timmons McKenzie, Paul Drake Lavender
Citation: Journal of Dental Education, 89(9), 1356-1361
Date: 09/2025
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2024-2025 Alabama AHEC Annual Report
Reports on activities in 2024-2025, with sections on the Alabama AHEC Scholars Program, pathway programs, webinars, community health workers, community events, tax incentives, community-based training, and continuing education. Mentions rural throughout.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Alabama AHEC Network
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Reports on activities in 2024-2025, with sections on the Alabama AHEC Scholars Program, pathway programs, webinars, community health workers, community events, tax incentives, community-based training, and continuing education. Mentions rural throughout.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Alabama AHEC Network
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Appalachian Diseases of Despair: Final Report
Analyzes the impact of diseases of despair on mortality within Appalachia, focusing on mortality from alcohol, prescription drug, and illegal drug overdose; suicide; and alcoholic liver disease/cirrhosis of the liver. Includes data through 2023, with demographics and breakdowns by subregion, county economic status, and levels of rurality.
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Appalachian Regional Commission, East Tennessee State University Center for Rural Health Research, NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
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Analyzes the impact of diseases of despair on mortality within Appalachia, focusing on mortality from alcohol, prescription drug, and illegal drug overdose; suicide; and alcoholic liver disease/cirrhosis of the liver. Includes data through 2023, with demographics and breakdowns by subregion, county economic status, and levels of rurality.
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Appalachian Regional Commission, East Tennessee State University Center for Rural Health Research, NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
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Palliative Video Consultation and Symptom Distress Among Rural Inpatients: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Results of a study to assess whether culturally-based palliative care video consultation improves symptom distress compared with usual inpatient care without palliative care. Uses data collected from July 2020 to December 2023 from 3 rural hospitals in Alabama, Mississippi, and South Carolina.
Author(s): Marie A. Bakitas, Shena Gazaway, Felicia Underwood, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 8(7), e2519426
Date: 07/2025
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Results of a study to assess whether culturally-based palliative care video consultation improves symptom distress compared with usual inpatient care without palliative care. Uses data collected from July 2020 to December 2023 from 3 rural hospitals in Alabama, Mississippi, and South Carolina.
Author(s): Marie A. Bakitas, Shena Gazaway, Felicia Underwood, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 8(7), e2519426
Date: 07/2025
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Selected Rural Healthcare Facilities in Alabama
Shows the state's Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), Rural Emergency Hospitals (REHs), and Rural Health Clinics (RHCs), as well as Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) sites and short term/PPS (Prospective Payment System) hospitals located in rural areas.
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Shows the state's Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), Rural Emergency Hospitals (REHs), and Rural Health Clinics (RHCs), as well as Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) sites and short term/PPS (Prospective Payment System) hospitals located in rural areas.
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Telehealth-Readiness, Healthcare Access, and Cardiovascular Health in the Deep South: A Spatial Perspective
Examines the spatial distribution and social determinants of coronary heart disease (CHD) and CHD-related mortality across 428 counties in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and South Carolina. Explores how enabling resources, such as healthcare provider availability and broadband infrastructure; sociodemographic characteristics; and access barriers relate to cardiovascular burden.
Author(s): Ruaa Al Juboori, Dylan Barker, Andrew Yockey, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 22(7), 1020
Date: 06/2025
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Examines the spatial distribution and social determinants of coronary heart disease (CHD) and CHD-related mortality across 428 counties in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and South Carolina. Explores how enabling resources, such as healthcare provider availability and broadband infrastructure; sociodemographic characteristics; and access barriers relate to cardiovascular burden.
Author(s): Ruaa Al Juboori, Dylan Barker, Andrew Yockey, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 22(7), 1020
Date: 06/2025
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The Appalachian Region: A Data Overview from the 2019-2023 American Community Survey Chartbook
State- and county-level information on population, age, household characteristics, housing occupancy, education, labor force, employment, transportation, income, health insurance coverage, disability, and veteran status, for the 13 Appalachian states. Features statistics with breakdowns by 5 levels of population density. Includes data explorer options for Appalachian categories such as population and age, education, income and poverty, computer and broadband access, rural Appalachia versus rural America, and employment and commuting.
Additional links: Full Report
Author(s): Sara Srygley, Nurfadila Khairunnisa, Diana Elliott
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Appalachian Regional Commission, Population Reference Bureau
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State- and county-level information on population, age, household characteristics, housing occupancy, education, labor force, employment, transportation, income, health insurance coverage, disability, and veteran status, for the 13 Appalachian states. Features statistics with breakdowns by 5 levels of population density. Includes data explorer options for Appalachian categories such as population and age, education, income and poverty, computer and broadband access, rural Appalachia versus rural America, and employment and commuting.
Additional links: Full Report
Author(s): Sara Srygley, Nurfadila Khairunnisa, Diana Elliott
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Appalachian Regional Commission, Population Reference Bureau
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Fluoride Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors: Adults in Rural Alabama
Highlights a study on rural adults knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors regarding fluoride use in water and toothpaste as method of cavity prevention. Bases findings on a survey of 291 adults in Green Hill, Alabama.
Author(s): Alex Harper, Steven M. Levy, Wei Shi
Citation: Journal of Primary Care and Community Health, 16
Date: 06/2025
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Highlights a study on rural adults knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors regarding fluoride use in water and toothpaste as method of cavity prevention. Bases findings on a survey of 291 adults in Green Hill, Alabama.
Author(s): Alex Harper, Steven M. Levy, Wei Shi
Citation: Journal of Primary Care and Community Health, 16
Date: 06/2025
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A Picture of the Loss of Rural Obstetrical Service in Alabama 1980 to 2025
County-level maps showing counties with hospitals offering obstetrical service in 1980 and those offering service as of March 2025.
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Alabama Office of Primary Care and Rural Health
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County-level maps showing counties with hospitals offering obstetrical service in 1980 and those offering service as of March 2025.
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Alabama Office of Primary Care and Rural Health
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Millions in US Live in Places Where Doctors Don't Practice and Telehealth Doesn't Reach
Discusses U.S. regions that experience healthcare workforce shortages and lack access to telehealth. Includes interactive county-level map showing behavioral healthcare deserts, primary care deserts, broadband deserts, dead zones, life expectancy, household income, and percentage of rural residents. Provides comparisons of chronic disease for those with and without digital access and showcases county-level dead zones in Alabama.
Author(s): Sarah Jane Tribble, Holly K. Hacker Data, Lydia Zuraw
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Discusses U.S. regions that experience healthcare workforce shortages and lack access to telehealth. Includes interactive county-level map showing behavioral healthcare deserts, primary care deserts, broadband deserts, dead zones, life expectancy, household income, and percentage of rural residents. Provides comparisons of chronic disease for those with and without digital access and showcases county-level dead zones in Alabama.
Author(s): Sarah Jane Tribble, Holly K. Hacker Data, Lydia Zuraw
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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