Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Access
Roadblocks to Rural Health: State Transportation Policies' Impact on Health Care Access in Virginia's Rural Communities: 2021–2022
Examines transportation barriers that impact healthcare access and provides actionable strategies to remove barriers. Discusses collaboration with the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) to change signage policy and install directional signs to a rural Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC). Analyzes the subsequent impacts on access and cancer screening rates, as well as the importance of collaborating across community agencies.
Author(s): Katherine Y. Tossas, Bianca D. Owens, Michael O'Grady, Jinlei Zhao, Robert A. Winn
Citation: American Journal of Public Health, 116(2), 175-179
Date: 02/2026
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Examines transportation barriers that impact healthcare access and provides actionable strategies to remove barriers. Discusses collaboration with the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) to change signage policy and install directional signs to a rural Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC). Analyzes the subsequent impacts on access and cancer screening rates, as well as the importance of collaborating across community agencies.
Author(s): Katherine Y. Tossas, Bianca D. Owens, Michael O'Grady, Jinlei Zhao, Robert A. Winn
Citation: American Journal of Public Health, 116(2), 175-179
Date: 02/2026
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Information Hub: Digital Divide in Kansas
Presents information on the digital divide in Kansas as well as programs meant to improve digital access in rural and underserved communities. Includes a county-level map that shows households without a computer or broadband and corresponding demographic breakdowns available by county.
Author(s): Kaci Cink, Wen-Chieh Lin
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Kansas Health Institute
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Presents information on the digital divide in Kansas as well as programs meant to improve digital access in rural and underserved communities. Includes a county-level map that shows households without a computer or broadband and corresponding demographic breakdowns available by county.
Author(s): Kaci Cink, Wen-Chieh Lin
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Kansas Health Institute
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Geographical Barriers to Surgical Treatment for Cataract among California Medicare Beneficiaries
Analyzes geographic factors associated with receipt of cataract surgery among California Medicare beneficiaries, using 2017 California Medicare Database claims data. Breaks down data by travel time or distance to care, rurality, and race or ethnicity.
Author(s): Karla Murillo, Ken Kitayama, Fei Yu, Victoria L. Tseng, Anne L. Coleman
Citation: Journal of Cataract & Refractive Surgery, 52(6), 544-550
Date: 01/2026
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Analyzes geographic factors associated with receipt of cataract surgery among California Medicare beneficiaries, using 2017 California Medicare Database claims data. Breaks down data by travel time or distance to care, rurality, and race or ethnicity.
Author(s): Karla Murillo, Ken Kitayama, Fei Yu, Victoria L. Tseng, Anne L. Coleman
Citation: Journal of Cataract & Refractive Surgery, 52(6), 544-550
Date: 01/2026
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Trauma and Emergency Surgical Care at Rural Emergency Hospital-Eligible Facilities: Interstate Variation and Policy Implications for Rural Health Systems
Explores trauma and emergency general surgery volumes at hospitals eligible to become Rural Emergency Hospitals (REHs). Analyzes 2021 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project data from California, Florida, Iowa, Maryland, and Wisconsin, to describe the volume of emergency general surgery and trauma care performed at REH-eligible hospitals. Examines the characteristics of the populations and communities served by hospitals eligible for REH designation compared with those served by REH-ineligible hospitals. Discusses the potential impact of converting to the REH designation on access to trauma and emergency general surgery.
Author(s): Nina M. Clark, Alexandra H. Hernandez, Cody L. Mullens, et al.
Citation: Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, 100(5), 768-776
Date: 01/2026
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Explores trauma and emergency general surgery volumes at hospitals eligible to become Rural Emergency Hospitals (REHs). Analyzes 2021 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project data from California, Florida, Iowa, Maryland, and Wisconsin, to describe the volume of emergency general surgery and trauma care performed at REH-eligible hospitals. Examines the characteristics of the populations and communities served by hospitals eligible for REH designation compared with those served by REH-ineligible hospitals. Discusses the potential impact of converting to the REH designation on access to trauma and emergency general surgery.
Author(s): Nina M. Clark, Alexandra H. Hernandez, Cody L. Mullens, et al.
Citation: Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, 100(5), 768-776
Date: 01/2026
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Mobile Healthcare: The 2025 Mobile Clinics Landscape Report
Provides an overview of mobile health clinics, including data on the the growth of mobile clinics since 2013, services offered, and organizations that operates mobile clinics. Describes the impact of mobile clinics in rural communities. Features case studies on Arkansas Mobile Opioid Recovery (AMOR) and the Fort Defiance Indian Hospital Board's Mobile Health Program.
Date: 01/2026
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Provides an overview of mobile health clinics, including data on the the growth of mobile clinics since 2013, services offered, and organizations that operates mobile clinics. Describes the impact of mobile clinics in rural communities. Features case studies on Arkansas Mobile Opioid Recovery (AMOR) and the Fort Defiance Indian Hospital Board's Mobile Health Program.
Date: 01/2026
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Emergency Dental Care in the ACA Era: Rural–Urban Disparities and Their Association With State Medicaid Policy
Highlights a study exploring the role Medicaid expansion has played in the utilization of emergency department (ED) visits for nontraumatic dental conditions (NTDCs) among adults in rural and urban areas. Details the rates of ED utilization for NTDCs in rural and urban hospitals in 8 states and explores rates based on states' Medicaid policy.
Author(s): Marvellous A. Akinlotan, Dan Burch, Alva O. Ferdinand
Citation: Public Health Dentistry, 86(1), 99-108
Date: 01/2026
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Highlights a study exploring the role Medicaid expansion has played in the utilization of emergency department (ED) visits for nontraumatic dental conditions (NTDCs) among adults in rural and urban areas. Details the rates of ED utilization for NTDCs in rural and urban hospitals in 8 states and explores rates based on states' Medicaid policy.
Author(s): Marvellous A. Akinlotan, Dan Burch, Alva O. Ferdinand
Citation: Public Health Dentistry, 86(1), 99-108
Date: 01/2026
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Rural Health System Administrator Perspectives on Pharmacists' Role in Collaborative Drug Therapy Management
Examines the impact of pharmacist-led collaborative drug therapy modification (CDTM) on access to patient care in rural Georgia. Utilizes interview feedback from 7 primary healthcare system administrators regarding CDTM benefits and barriers, such as patient access to care, interprofessional collaboration among healthcare professionals, pharmacist knowledge and scope of practice, financial impacts, and more.
Author(s): Suzanne Whitten, Sharmon P. Osae, Russ Palmer, et al.
Citation: Journal of the American Pharmacists Association, 66(1), 102929
Date: 01/2026
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Examines the impact of pharmacist-led collaborative drug therapy modification (CDTM) on access to patient care in rural Georgia. Utilizes interview feedback from 7 primary healthcare system administrators regarding CDTM benefits and barriers, such as patient access to care, interprofessional collaboration among healthcare professionals, pharmacist knowledge and scope of practice, financial impacts, and more.
Author(s): Suzanne Whitten, Sharmon P. Osae, Russ Palmer, et al.
Citation: Journal of the American Pharmacists Association, 66(1), 102929
Date: 01/2026
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JCO Oncology Practice: Understaffed and Overbooked: The Problems with Maintaining Specialty Care in Rural Areas
Podcast episode discussing the results of a study on rural oncologists' experiences with specialist scarcity in rural areas, and details how oncology workforce shortages contribute to reduced access to care and increased physician burnout. Transcript available below audio player.
Author(s): Fumiko Chino, Erika Moen, Dan Zuckerman
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: JCO Oncology Practice
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Podcast episode discussing the results of a study on rural oncologists' experiences with specialist scarcity in rural areas, and details how oncology workforce shortages contribute to reduced access to care and increased physician burnout. Transcript available below audio player.
Author(s): Fumiko Chino, Erika Moen, Dan Zuckerman
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: JCO Oncology Practice
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Advancing Rural Cancer Control: A Portfolio Analysis of Research Funded by the National Cancer Institute, 2016–2024
Highlights a study exploring cancer control-focused grants funded by the National Cancer Institute for research opportunities to identify methods to close rural and urban disparities in cancer outcomes. Details rural grants from 2016 to 2024, their healthcare focus, and location of cancer treated.
Author(s): Anna Gaysynsky, Sallie J. Weaver, Robin C. Vanderpool, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 42(1), e70120
Date: 01/2026
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Highlights a study exploring cancer control-focused grants funded by the National Cancer Institute for research opportunities to identify methods to close rural and urban disparities in cancer outcomes. Details rural grants from 2016 to 2024, their healthcare focus, and location of cancer treated.
Author(s): Anna Gaysynsky, Sallie J. Weaver, Robin C. Vanderpool, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 42(1), e70120
Date: 01/2026
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Expanding Access to Harm Reduction in Rural Communities Through Community-Informed Public Health Vending Machines
Examines the role of public health vending machines (PHVMs) to address the opioid epidemic in rural counties in North Carolina. Utilizes a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach to gather qualitative feedback among people with substance use experience regarding issues such as naloxone access, stigma, preferred PHVM locations and distribution models, and more.
Author(s): Lori Ann Eldridge, Christian Dotson, Lauren Harrell, et al.
Citation: Harm Reduction Journal, 23, 26
Date: 01/2026
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Examines the role of public health vending machines (PHVMs) to address the opioid epidemic in rural counties in North Carolina. Utilizes a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach to gather qualitative feedback among people with substance use experience regarding issues such as naloxone access, stigma, preferred PHVM locations and distribution models, and more.
Author(s): Lori Ann Eldridge, Christian Dotson, Lauren Harrell, et al.
Citation: Harm Reduction Journal, 23, 26
Date: 01/2026
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