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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by State: Texas

Urban–Rural Differences in School Districts' Local Wellness Policies and Policy Implementation Environments
Compares urban and rural local wellness policies (LWPs) and implementation environments of 117 Texas school districts. Provides data on LWP goals, including nutrition and physical activity goals, as well as availability of district wellness plans, LWP assessments, and school health advisory councils. Highlights implications for rural school policy and student health.
Author(s): Swati Iyer, Timothy J. Walker, Alexandra L. MacMillan Uribe, et al.
Citation: Nutrients, 16(6), 801
Date: 03/2024
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Advancing Oral Health Equity in Texas: A Community-Driven Approach
Report offering priority areas for increasing oral health equity in Texas. Discusses oral healthcare access, workforce, and integrating oral and medical healthcare. Discusses rural throughout.
Date: 02/2024
Sponsoring organization: Texas Health Institute
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Understanding the Social Determinants (Drivers) of Rural Suicide: A Focus on North Texas
Webinar discussing social determinants of health (SDOH) as a driver for suicide. Includes both national and Texas-specific statistics. Discusses unique factors for rural populations and rural subgroups at the highest risk. Offers resources and strategies for addressing rural SDOH disparities for suicide prevention. Captions available in the video player.
Date: 01/2024
Sponsoring organization: University of Texas at Arlington Center for Rural Health and Nursing
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Mapping Access to Children's Hospitals in Texas
Compares the population of Texas children with the location of children's hospitals to assess distance to care, evaluate bed availability, and highlight areas of disparity. Discusses vehicle access, travel times, and rural health disparities.
Author(s): Shadi Maleki, Nathaniel Dede-Bamfo, Elizabeth Ekren, Milad Mohammadalizadehkorde, Melinda Villagran
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 21(2), 140
Date: 01/2024
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2024 Rural Community Innovations: Transportation Planning Grant
Summarizes the efforts to increase accessible transportation services by 11 grantees of the 2024 National Aging and Disability Transportation Center's Rural Community Innovations Transportation Planning Grant. Includes a report highlighting lessons learned by the grantees discussing community partnerships, outreach, and sustainability. Features programs from Maine, Michigan, New York, Massachusetts, Montana, Texas, Washington, Georgia, and Missouri.
Additional links: 2024 Rural Planning Grants Key Learnings and Final Report
Date: 2024
Sponsoring organization: National Aging and Disability Transportation Center
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A Guide to Understanding Mental Health Systems and Services in Texas
Presents an overview of the mental health system in Texas to help policymakers, advocates, and individuals, including the structure of and services provided by Texas state agencies. Discusses implications and outcomes of rural mental health and substance abuse prevention policy and programs.
Date: 2024
Sponsoring organization: Hogg Foundation for Mental Health
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Rural Maternity Innovation Summit Reports
Findings from a March 2024 Clifton, Texas summit that brought together leaders from six innovative and sustainable rural maternity programs. The site report provides case studies, sharing information on maternity services, staffing, financial strategies, and more. The leader report shares strategies and identifies leadership competencies, values, and character traits that support the leaders' abilities to meet the challenges in providing sustainable rural maternity services in rural communities.
Author(s): Erin E. Sullivan, Benjamin Anderson, Mark Deutchman
Date: 2024
Sponsoring organization: University of Colorado School of Medicine Rural Program
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2024 Texas State Flood Plan
Flood plan for Texas, offering policy recommendations, a summary of existing infrastructure and projects, current and projected flood risks, goals of the plan, costs, and challenges, including for rural areas.
Additional links: Appendix B: Ranked Lists of Recommended Flood Risk Reduction Solutions
Author(s): Reem Zoun, Tressa Olsen, Matt Nelson
Date: 2024
Sponsoring organization: Texas Water Development Board
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Policy, Systems, and Environmental Strategies Generated by Stakeholders to Support Food Security in Rural Communities
Examines policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) strategies in rural communities of Arizona, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, and Texas that address food insecurity. Provides recommendations based on interview data such as improving ease of program enrollment, providing more awareness of services, and making program use more hassle-free.
Additional links: Arizona Brief, Full Report, Georgia Brief, Kentucky Brief, Michigan Brief, Texas Brief
Author(s): Carmen Byker Shanks, Shelly Palmer, Emily Shaw, et al.
Date: 12/2023
Sponsoring organization: No Kid Hungry
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Water and Wastewater in the U.S.-Mexico Border Region: Twentieth Report of the Good Neighbor Environmental Board to the President and Congress of the United States
Report discussing drinking water and wastewater needs along the U.S.-Mexico border. Offers recommendations regarding coordination of services for underserved and tribal communities, infrastructure funding, and long-term planning. Discusses issues specific to rural areas, colonias, and tribal communities such as environmental risks, health disparities, and more. Lists federal funding sources.
Author(s): P. Ganster, I. Coronado, J. McNeece, et al.
Date: 12/2023
Sponsoring organizations: Good Neighbor Environmental Board, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
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