Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Access
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
view details
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
view details
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
view details
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
view details
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
view details
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
view details
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)
view details
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)
view details
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
view details
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
view details
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
view details
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
view details
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
view details
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
view details
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
view details
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
view details
The Roles of COVID‐19 Pandemic Exposure and Telehealth in Prenatal Care Access for Rural and Racial Minority Communities in the United States: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Examines how timely receipt of prenatal care differed by geography, race, and ethnicity before and during COVID-19 public health emergency and with and without telehealth use. Utilizes National Clinical Cohort Collaborative (N3C) data from June 2018 through May 2022.
Author(s): Peiyin Hung, Jiani Yu, Adiba B. Promiti, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(4), e70077
Date: 09/2025
view details
Examines how timely receipt of prenatal care differed by geography, race, and ethnicity before and during COVID-19 public health emergency and with and without telehealth use. Utilizes National Clinical Cohort Collaborative (N3C) data from June 2018 through May 2022.
Author(s): Peiyin Hung, Jiani Yu, Adiba B. Promiti, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(4), e70077
Date: 09/2025
view details
Disparities in Breast Cancer Detection Modalities and Outcomes among Geriatric Female Cancer Patients
Analyzes racial and geographic disparities in breast cancer screening modality and 5-year breast cancer survival among older women using 2010-2019 Texas Cancer Registry data. Discusses implications for improving cancer outcomes in rural populations.
Author(s): Zhaoli Liu, Mathilda Nicot-Cartsonis, Biai D.E. Digbeu
Citation: Geriatric Nursing, 65, 103514
Date: 09/2025
view details
Analyzes racial and geographic disparities in breast cancer screening modality and 5-year breast cancer survival among older women using 2010-2019 Texas Cancer Registry data. Discusses implications for improving cancer outcomes in rural populations.
Author(s): Zhaoli Liu, Mathilda Nicot-Cartsonis, Biai D.E. Digbeu
Citation: Geriatric Nursing, 65, 103514
Date: 09/2025
view details