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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by State: Texas

Texas SORH Fosters Quality Champions in Rural Hospitals Across the State
Details how the Texas State Office of Rural Health (SORH) developed a Quality Improvement Training Program (QITP) and associated fellowship program to improve rural healthcare quality in the state's hospitals. The QITP trains participants, helps them become certified for the Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ) exam, and encourages them to complete quality improvement projects within local hospitals.
Author(s): Beth Blevins
Date: 08/2020
Sponsoring organization: National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health
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Epidemiology of the 2020 Pandemic of COVID-19 in the State of Texas: The First Month of Community Spread
Provides an overview of COVID-19 spread in Texas from March 1 - April 8, 2020, comparing urban and rural rates. Examines data from national and state sources, analyzing case fatality and incidence rates in relation to county information, demographics including race/ethnicity, and availability of healthcare resources. Figure 1 offers a county map of Texas indicating COVID-19 prevalence rate and percentage of African American residents.
Author(s): Swapnil Khose, Justin Xavier Moore, Henry E. Wang
Citation: Journal of Community Health, 45, 696-710
Date: 06/2020
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Maternal Mortality: Trends in Pregnancy-Related Deaths and Federal Efforts to Reduce Them
Examines trends in pregnancy-related deaths between 2007 and 2016, Analyzes data by cause of death and patient demographic characteristics. Appendix III lists ongoing Department of Health and Human Services funding opportunities to address maternal mortality, including the Rural Maternity and Obstetrics Management Strategies (RMOMS) Program. Appendix V provides an overview of efforts to reduce maternal mortality in California, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, and Texas.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 03/2020
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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The High Obesity Program: A Collaboration Between Public Health and Cooperative Extension Services to Address Obesity
Describes the activities of Programs to Reduce Obesity in High Obesity Areas, also known as High Obesity Program (HOP), developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in partnership with land grant universities and local Cooperative Extension Offices. HOP was designed to implement evidence-based strategies to improve physical activity and nutrition in mostly rural communities with high rates of obesity to reduce obesity and prevent or control diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.
Author(s): Sahra Kahin, Ashleigh Murriel, Anu Pejavara, Terrence O'Toole, Ruth Petersen
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 17
Date: 03/2020
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Val Verde Regional Medical Center Implements SMART ER
Describes Val Verde Regional Medical Center's (VVRMC) progress as part of the Small Rural Hospital Transition (SRHT) Project focused on care transitions and healthcare quality. VVRMC is a 47-bed hospital in Del Rio, Texas. Discusses how VVRMC collected data and implemented protocols to improve patient satisfaction.
Date: 02/2020
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Resource Center
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A Best Practices Approach to Treating Maternal Hemorrhage
Provides an overview of how Titus Regional Medical Center in Mount Pleasant, Texas, developed and implemented protocols to improve maternal hemorrhage outcomes. Discusses the impact and lessons learned from implementing the protocols as well, as future maternal health improvement goals at the medical center.
Date: 02/2020
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Improving the Care of Students with Diabetes in Rural Schools Utilizing an Online Diabetes Education Program for School Personnel
Analyzes the impact of Diabetes Care at School: Bridging the Gap, an online diabetes education program, to determine the knowledge and confidence of school personnel who provide care to students with diabetes in rural areas.
Author(s): Cassity Gutierrez
Citation: Rural and Remote Health, 20(1), 5596
Date: 02/2020
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Potential Predictors of Hospital Length of Stay and Hospital Charges among Patients with All-terrain Vehicle Injuries in Rural Northeast Texas
Examines which factors associated with all-terrain vehicle injuries are predictive of hospital length of stay and hospital charges in rural Northeast Texas. Analyzes how facility of treatment, injury severity, and initial emergency department vital signs are correlated to hospital length of stay and cost of care.
Author(s): Anastasia Miller, Jeanie D. Gallegly, Gabriela Orsak, et al.
Citation: Journal of Injury and Violence Research, 12(1), 55-62
Date: 01/2020
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Texas Rural Acute Care Hospital Closures
Identifies rural hospital closures by year and county for Texas between 1965-2019. Includes notes on whether they later reopened with full or partial services.
Date: 01/2020
Sponsoring organization: Texas Organization of Rural & Community Hospitals
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Border Health Status Report of the 44 U.S. Counties at the U.S.- Mexico Border
A review of selected 20 topic health indicators using public use data obtained from 44 counties, mostly rural, located along the U.S.-Mexico border region and within the states of Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas. Offers health indicator data for selected measurable objectives having baseline data on overall mortality, and mortality rates for diabetes, heart disease, cervical cancer, breast cancer, unintentional injuries, and road traffic-related. Health indicator data is also provided for non-measurable objectives, due to a lack of baseline data, on asthma, maternal mortality, gonorrhea, and congenital syphilis.
Author(s): Nicole Baker, Nicole Baker, Juan Albertorio, Alfonso Rodríguez-Lainz
Date: 2020
Sponsoring organization: United States-México Border Health Commission
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