Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Access
How States Can Boost Behavioral Health Services in Rural Communities
Explores ways state officials can utilize federal funds to increase mental health and substance use treatment for rural communities. Highlights strategies for increasing access to behavioral health services in rural communities that can be funded through the Rural Health Transformation (RHT) Program.
Author(s): Alexandra Duncan, Kristen Mizzi Angelone
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: Pew Research Center
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Explores ways state officials can utilize federal funds to increase mental health and substance use treatment for rural communities. Highlights strategies for increasing access to behavioral health services in rural communities that can be funded through the Rural Health Transformation (RHT) Program.
Author(s): Alexandra Duncan, Kristen Mizzi Angelone
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: Pew Research Center
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Investing in Primary Care: The Nurse Practitioner Will See You Now
Describes opportunities to support advancement of preparation and growth for nurse practitioners (NPs) to meet the population's primary care needs. Explores the importance of NPs in rural and underserved communities, and Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Author(s): Jessica McCann, Margaret Flinter
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: Milbank Memorial Fund
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Describes opportunities to support advancement of preparation and growth for nurse practitioners (NPs) to meet the population's primary care needs. Explores the importance of NPs in rural and underserved communities, and Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Author(s): Jessica McCann, Margaret Flinter
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: Milbank Memorial Fund
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Supporting Individuals With Cognitive Impairment and Family Members in Rural Communities: Protocol for a Mixed Methods Digital Health Study
Study protocol for the Northern Arizona Memory Study (NAZMS), which will support dementia risk identification and promote understanding of cognitive health needs and supports via surveys and interviews of Alzheimer's disease and related dementia (ADRD) caregiver and care-receiver dyads in rural Northern Arizona. Details study design and implementation, and highlights the importance of culturally-tailored, accessible, and practical ADRD care supports and interventions for rural and tribal families in Arizona.
Author(s): Eric S Cerino, Megan C McCoy, Margarita Martinez, et al.
Citation: JMIR Research Protocols, 14, e77958
Date: 10/2025
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Study protocol for the Northern Arizona Memory Study (NAZMS), which will support dementia risk identification and promote understanding of cognitive health needs and supports via surveys and interviews of Alzheimer's disease and related dementia (ADRD) caregiver and care-receiver dyads in rural Northern Arizona. Details study design and implementation, and highlights the importance of culturally-tailored, accessible, and practical ADRD care supports and interventions for rural and tribal families in Arizona.
Author(s): Eric S Cerino, Megan C McCoy, Margarita Martinez, et al.
Citation: JMIR Research Protocols, 14, e77958
Date: 10/2025
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The Latest Trends in Health Workforce Legislation
Summarizes an August 2025 discussion of the National Conference of State Legislatures' Health Workforce Peer Learning Group regarding state healthcare workforce policy trends. Covers state policy levers to recruit and retain members of the health workforce and promote access to care. Includes rural references throughout.
Author(s): Kelsie George
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Conference of State Legislatures
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Summarizes an August 2025 discussion of the National Conference of State Legislatures' Health Workforce Peer Learning Group regarding state healthcare workforce policy trends. Covers state policy levers to recruit and retain members of the health workforce and promote access to care. Includes rural references throughout.
Author(s): Kelsie George
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Conference of State Legislatures
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Many Medicare Advantage and Medicaid Managed Care Plans Have Limited Behavioral Health Provider Networks and Inactive Providers
Examines the availability of behavioral health providers in selected Medicare Advantage (MA) and Medicaid managed care networks in 2023. Analyzes provider network lists and MA and Medicaid encounter data for four MA and two Medicaid managed care plans from 10 selected urban and rural counties across five states. Describes the proportion of the behavioral health workforce in each county included in the plans' networks. Discusses the extent to which managed care plans had inactive providers in their network and why these providers did not deliver services to enrollees. Includes data on the percentage of inactive providers in rural and urban counties. Offers recommendations to monitor and improve the accuracy of provider networks.
Additional links: Report Highlights
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Examines the availability of behavioral health providers in selected Medicare Advantage (MA) and Medicaid managed care networks in 2023. Analyzes provider network lists and MA and Medicaid encounter data for four MA and two Medicaid managed care plans from 10 selected urban and rural counties across five states. Describes the proportion of the behavioral health workforce in each county included in the plans' networks. Discusses the extent to which managed care plans had inactive providers in their network and why these providers did not deliver services to enrollees. Includes data on the percentage of inactive providers in rural and urban counties. Offers recommendations to monitor and improve the accuracy of provider networks.
Additional links: Report Highlights
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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On the Road to Early Detection: Woman's Hospital's Mobile Mammography
A podcast episode discussing a mobile mammography unit in Louisiana. Discusses differences in rural and urban breast cancer incidence and how a mobile unit increases access to preventive care.
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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A podcast episode discussing a mobile mammography unit in Louisiana. Discusses differences in rural and urban breast cancer incidence and how a mobile unit increases access to preventive care.
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Drone-Based Medication Delivery for Rural, Flood-Prone Coastal Communities
Discusses access to essential medical services and healthcare for rural communities in Virginia's flood-prone Eastern Shore. Utilizes geospatial data to examine the impact of drone-based medication delivery to overcome transportation barriers in these communities.
Author(s): Yin-Hsuen Chen, Amro M. El-Adle, Kevin J. O'Brien, Taylor Wentworth, Heather G. Richter
Citation: PLoS One, 20(10), e0333696
Date: 10/2025
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Discusses access to essential medical services and healthcare for rural communities in Virginia's flood-prone Eastern Shore. Utilizes geospatial data to examine the impact of drone-based medication delivery to overcome transportation barriers in these communities.
Author(s): Yin-Hsuen Chen, Amro M. El-Adle, Kevin J. O'Brien, Taylor Wentworth, Heather G. Richter
Citation: PLoS One, 20(10), e0333696
Date: 10/2025
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Transforming Rural Health Care Through Medicaid Innovation: Tip Sheet Series
Informational tip sheets discussing the use of Medicaid innovations to assist states in creating their Rural Health Transformation (RHT) Program applications. Discusses behavioral health, school-based services, and integrated care access. Provides examples, strategies, Medicaid policy information, and resources.
Additional links: Improving Access to Integrated Care for Dually Eligible Individuals in Rural Areas, Leveraging Peers and Lay Counselors to Address Behavioral Health Care Workforce Shortages in Rural Areas, Using School-Based Services to Improve Access to Preventive Health Care for Children in Rural Areas
Author(s): Molly Knowles, Nancy Archibald, Karla Silverman, Lauren Scannelli Jacobs
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Care Strategies
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Informational tip sheets discussing the use of Medicaid innovations to assist states in creating their Rural Health Transformation (RHT) Program applications. Discusses behavioral health, school-based services, and integrated care access. Provides examples, strategies, Medicaid policy information, and resources.
Additional links: Improving Access to Integrated Care for Dually Eligible Individuals in Rural Areas, Leveraging Peers and Lay Counselors to Address Behavioral Health Care Workforce Shortages in Rural Areas, Using School-Based Services to Improve Access to Preventive Health Care for Children in Rural Areas
Author(s): Molly Knowles, Nancy Archibald, Karla Silverman, Lauren Scannelli Jacobs
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Care Strategies
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Geographic and Socioeconomic Landscape of Veterans With Head and Neck Cancer
Explores the geographic and socioeconomic factors that correlate with the higher rates and worse outcomes for head and neck squamous cell carcinomas among veterans compared to civilians. Breaks down data by socioeconomic factors, such as marital status, unemployment, and service connection, among other factors, as well as rurality, travel distance, and drive time.
Author(s): Kristen L. Zayan, Jennifer L. McCoy, Monique Y. Boudreaux-Kelly, et al.
Citation: Head & Neck, 47(10), 2845-2855
Date: 10/2025
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Explores the geographic and socioeconomic factors that correlate with the higher rates and worse outcomes for head and neck squamous cell carcinomas among veterans compared to civilians. Breaks down data by socioeconomic factors, such as marital status, unemployment, and service connection, among other factors, as well as rurality, travel distance, and drive time.
Author(s): Kristen L. Zayan, Jennifer L. McCoy, Monique Y. Boudreaux-Kelly, et al.
Citation: Head & Neck, 47(10), 2845-2855
Date: 10/2025
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Implementing a Mobile Clinic for Opioid Use Disorder Treatment in an Urban and Rural Context
Highlights a study on the efficacy of the mobile clinic model at providing opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment in rural and urban areas. Compares and evaluates mobile OUD treatment programs in Pittsburgh, PA and rural Robeson County, NC. Evaluates programs on the basis of community engagement, cost, and partnerships with local pharmacies, among other measures.
Author(s): Orrin D. Ware, Divya Venkat, Robyn Jordan, et al.
Citation: Substance Use & Addiction Journal, 46(4), 799–805
Date: 10/2025
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Highlights a study on the efficacy of the mobile clinic model at providing opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment in rural and urban areas. Compares and evaluates mobile OUD treatment programs in Pittsburgh, PA and rural Robeson County, NC. Evaluates programs on the basis of community engagement, cost, and partnerships with local pharmacies, among other measures.
Author(s): Orrin D. Ware, Divya Venkat, Robyn Jordan, et al.
Citation: Substance Use & Addiction Journal, 46(4), 799–805
Date: 10/2025
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