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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Access

Collaboration and Flexibility Are Cornerstones of LifePoint Health's Vaccination Efforts
Describes how LifePoint Health, a healthcare organization focused on small, rural, and growing communities in 29 states, is promoting and administering COVID-19 vaccines. Discusses communication and technological strategies as well as community partnerships developed to increase vaccination rates.
Date: 07/2021
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Rural Communities at Risk: Widening Health Disparities Present New Challenges in Aftermath of Pandemic
Describes the health status, health disparities, and socioeconomic disparities of vulnerable rural communities. Analyzes the relationship between rural community vulnerability and the stability of the rural health safety net.
Date: 07/2021
Sponsoring organization: The Chartis Group
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Access to Affordable Care in Rural America: Current Trends and Key Challenges
Describes geographic and demographic challenges that contribute to healthcare access and health disparities in rural areas. Covers patterns of insurance coverage between rural and urban areas, healthcare provider shortages, and rural hospital vulnerability and closures. Discusses programs and services supported by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to reduce barriers to care in rural communities, including telehealth, healthcare workforce programs, and Rural Health Clinics and Community Health Centers.
Author(s): Gina Turrini, D.Keith Branham, Lucy Chen, et al.
Date: 07/2021
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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Association of the Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes Project With Use of Direct-Acting Antiviral Treatment Among US Adults With Hepatitis C
Results of a study of 267,908 patients to examine the association between Project ECHO and use of direct-acting antiviral (DAA) treatment in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Features statistics with breakdowns by urban or rural location.
Author(s): Linh Tran, Roger Feldman, Thomas Riley, Jeah Jung
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 4(7)
Date: 07/2021
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The Arizona Behavioral Health Workforce Report
Reports on the distribution of the behavioral health workforce in Arizona and access to behavioral healthcare, comparing rural and urban areas. Discusses prevalence of mental health disorders and substance misuse disorder and compares workforce data to behavioral health needs for the state. Offers county-level data on total providers by type, ratio of providers per 100,000 residents, and provider percentages by Rural Urban Commuting Area (RUCA) codes.
Author(s): B. Koch, S. Coates, B. Brady, J. Peters, D. Derksen
Date: 07/2021
Sponsoring organization: Arizona Center for Rural Health
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Assessing the Effectiveness of Cancer Screening Interventions Targeting Appalachian Populations: A Systematic Review
Presents a review of cancer screening interventions aimed at rural Appalachian communities and measures their efficacy. Explores the design and limitations of each study. Breaks down data by cancer type, intervention type, and recorded outcomes, among other factors.
Author(s): Nicole M. Robertson, Lauren Hudson, Suzanna Labib Attia, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 37(3), 602–623
Date: 06/2021
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Strategies for Responding to the COVID-19 Pandemic in a Rural Health System in New York State
Describes the challenges of COVID-19 encountered by Bassett Healthcare Network (BHN), a network of 5 hospitals and 24 clinics located in rural upstate New York covering the healthcare needs of 5 counties. Presents four strategies in response to these challenges: expand the capacity of intensive-care; retrain and reposition employees into new roles; adopt a system providing rapid access to care and follow-up; and coordinate communication and decision-making with network administrators, employees, and other healthcare professionals.
Author(s): Jamie A. Aron, Alexander J.B. Bulteel, Kelsey A. Clayman, et al.
Citation: Healthcare, 9(2), 100508
Date: 06/2021
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Chronic Conditions Among Ohio Adults: 2019 Update
Reports on adults in Ohio with chronic diseases based on the 2019 Ohio Medicaid Assessment Survey (OMAS). Presents information on chronic disease prevalence, access to care, and risk factors, with demographic information broken down by age, sex, race/ethnicity, income, insurance status, employment, and rural Appalachian, rural non-Appalachian, suburban, or metropolitan location.
Author(s): Thomas Albani, Carmen Clutter, Ashley Davis, et al.
Date: 06/2021
Sponsoring organizations: Medicaid Technical Assistance and Policy Program, Ohio Department of Aging, Ohio Department of Health, Ohio Department of Medicaid, Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services
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Enrolling a Rural Community Pharmacy as a Vaccines for Children Provider to Increase HPV Vaccination: A Feasibility Study
Examines how the enrollment of a rural community pharmacy in Alabama in the Vaccines for Children program impacted the promotion and provision of HPV vaccines and other vaccinations to adolescents.
Author(s): Casey L. Daniel, Frances Lawson, Macy Vickers, et al.
Date: 06/2021
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Ohio Rural Health Improvement Plan
Overviews plans and strategies to improve health in rural Ohio with evidence-based decisions. Includes demographic and statistical breakdowns of rural populations related to health conditions and healthcare access. Also includes a list of priority factors for 2020-2022, including tobacco use, poverty, and access to care, among others, as well as a list of health outcomes rankings for all counties in the state.
Date: 06/2021
Sponsoring organizations: Ohio Department of Health, Ohio Rural Health Association, Ohio State Office of Rural Health, Ohio University
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