Skip to main content
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by State: Virginia

Rising Rates of Injection Drug Use Associated Infective Endocarditis in Virginia with Missed Opportunities for Addiction Treatment Referral: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Describes the geographic, clinical trends and characteristics of infective endocarditis related to injection drug use (IDU-IE). Study site serves a large rural area in West Virginia and Virginia. Counties of residence for patient admissions with IDU-IE were identified as rural or urban. Discusses opportunities for improved quality of care for people who inject drugs.
Author(s): Megan E. Gray, Elizabeth T. Rogawski McQuade, W. Michael Scheld, Rebecca A. Dillingham
Citation: BMC Infectious Disease, 18, 532
Date: 10/2018
Type: Document
view details
Factors Affecting the Development of Medicaid Hospital Payment Policies: Findings from Structured Interviews in Five States
Study examining Medicaid hospital payment policies with a focus on factors affecting payment mix and structure, the impact of state policies and financing methods, how states target hospital services or types such as rural hospitals, barriers to and drivers of change to payment methods, and more. Focuses on 5 states that made or are making significant hospital policy changes: Arizona, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, and Virginia. Appendix B includes state profiles.
Author(s): Thomas Marks, Kathy Gifford, Steven Perlin, Melisa Byrd, Timothy Beger
Date: 10/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
view details
Hospital Mergers and Public Accountability: Tennessee and Virginia Employ a Certificate of Public Advantage
Examines how state officials can use the certificate of public advantage (COPA) to supervise hospital mergers to benefit the public, particularly in rural areas where mergers may be sought to address financial challenges. Focuses on a case study where officials in Tennessee and Virginia developed COPAs in response to a proposed rural hospital merger affecting both their states. Addresses the role of the states, their processes, and policy implications for other states.
Author(s): Erin C. Fuse Brown
Date: 09/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Milbank Memorial Fund
view details
Kids SIPsmartER: A Feasibility Study to Reduce Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption among Middle School Youth in Central Appalachia
Reports on a study examining a school-based intervention, Kids SIPsmartER, aimed at decreasing sugar-sweetened beverage consumption among middle school students in rural Appalachian Virginia. Includes student demographic data, such as weight, physical activity, sugar-sweetened beverage consumption, and other health factors.
Author(s): Hannah Lane, Kathleen J. Porter, Erin Hecht, et al.
Citation: American Journal of Heath Promotion, 32(6), 1386-1401
Date: 07/2018
Type: Document
view details
Identifying Bright Spots in Appalachian Health: Statistical Analysis
Describes analysis used in assessing how Appalachia's 420 counties scored in 19 health indicators, and identifies counties with health outcomes that were better than expected. Features statistics and county-level maps showing economic status. Second in a series of reports exploring health issues in Appalachia.
Author(s): G. Mark Holmes, Nancy M. Lane, William Holding, et al.
Date: 07/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Appalachian Regional Commission, PDA, Inc., The Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research
view details
Where You Age Matters: Individual- and County-Level Predictors of Formal and Informal Care in Rural Appalachia
Examines the county-level social factors and individual-level personal characteristics of older adults in rural, Appalachian Virginia. Explores how these factors interact to predict if older adults receive formal or informal care and contribute to disparities of care. Discusses implications for researchers and policymakers to better align outreach and service delivery.
Author(s): Jyoti Savla, L. Rebecca Bivens, Karen A. Roberto, Rosemary Blieszner
Citation: Journal of Aging and Health, 31(5), 837-860
Date: 03/2018
Type: Document
view details
Recruitment and Retention: Overcoming the Rural EMS Dilemma
Reports on rural emergency medical services (EMS) workforce challenges and identifies innovative approaches to meet these challenges, highlighting programs in several states. Includes a list of 4 EMS recruitment and retention tactics for rural communities.
Author(s): Jenn Lukens
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 02/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
view details
Community Response Planning for Outbreaks of Hepatitis and HIV among People who Inject Drugs: A Case Study from Lenowisco Health District, A Rural Community in Virginia
Provides guidance to rural health departments when developing a comprehensive community response plan for hepatitis and HIV outbreaks among persons who inject drugs (PWIDs). Integrates key components of controlling and preventing communicable disease with emergency management strategies and community resource utilization. Offers lessons learned from the experiences of the LENOWISCO Health District located in the Appalachian region of Virginia. .
Date: 2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Association of County and City Health Officials
view details
Mental Health Disparities: Appalachian People
Breaks down the mental health disparities across Appalachia. Looks at behavioral health indicators, such as rates of depression, excessive drinking, and suicide, among others, as well as social determinants indicators, such as median household income, poverty, and education, among others.
Date: 2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: American Psychiatric Association
view details
Developing Smokeless Tobacco Prevention Messaging for At-Risk Youth: Early Lessons from "The Real Cost" Smokeless Campaign
Presents the findings of two separate qualitative research studies – strategic concept testing and creative concept testing - conducted with youth at risk or who had experimented with smokeless tobacco (SLT), to support the development of health messaging to inform youth on the consequences of SLT use. Focus groups were conducted with 252 rural male youth ages 12-17 from states with high prevalence of SLT associated with the target audience.
Author(s): Matthew W. Walker, Sarah A. Evans, Cameron Wimpy, Amanda T. Berger, Alexandria A. Smith
Citation: Health Equity, 2(1), 167–173
Date: 2018
Type: Document
view details