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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Access

The Supply and Rural-Urban Distribution of the Obstetrical Care Workforce in the U.S
Highlights the supply of obstetrical care workers in rural and urban areas in the U.S. Compares rates of midwives, advanced practice midwives, obstetricians, and family practice physicians who deliver babies per 100,000 women of childbearing age in rural counties. Features a state-by state analysis and state-level profiles.
Additional links: State-level Reports
Author(s): Davis Patterson, Holly Andrilla, Lisa Garberson
Date: 06/2020
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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U.S. Child Care Deserts Mapping Tool
Interactive map featuring data on child care availability and locations for childcare deserts or areas in which the demand for child care is much greater than the availability of child care. Includes layered maps showing poverty rates, educational attainment, median family incomes, and home values.
Date: 06/2020
Sponsoring organizations: Center for American Progress, University of Minnesota
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The Most Costly Chronic Medical Condition in America: Experts Talk About the Rural Aspects of Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias
Describes the impact of Alzheimer's Disease and other dementias in rural areas, the challenges of providing treatment and care, and initiatives underway to address dementia in rural communities.
Author(s): Kay Miller Temple
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 06/2020
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Expanding the Capacity of Rural Cancer Care With Teleoncology
Discusses the geographic barriers rural patients may face when seeking cancer treatment. Provides an overview of policy solutions to date. Identifies federal and state policy options that could extend cancer care to rural areas through telehealth services.
Author(s): Jason Semprini
Citation: Online Journal of Rural Research & Policy, 15(2)
Date: 06/2020
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The Universal Service Fund and COVID-19: The FCC and Industry Response
An overview of three Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Universal Service Fund programs and actions taken through these programs in response to COVID-19. Describes the steps taken through the Rural Health Care Program to promote access to telehealth services during the public health emergency.
Date: 06/2020
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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Telehealth and Telemedicine in Missouri
Discusses telehealth programs in Missouri, including the early contributions of the Missouri Telehealth Network to the growth of telehealth and the MO HealthNet program. Discusses telehealth's impact on rural healthcare access and state-level approaches to reimbursement, licensing, restrictions, and telemedicine delivery.
Author(s): Mirna Becevic, Lincoln R. Sheets, Emmanuelle Wallach, et al.
Citation: Missouri Medicine, 117(3), 228-234
Date: 05/2020
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Home on the Range: Plans and Providers Team Up to Bring Palliative Care to Rural Californians
Report discussing challenges and solutions to expanding palliative care access in rural California. Addresses barriers related to enrollment, staffing, and sustainability as well as strategies for creating partnerships between communities, healthcare systems, human services organizations, and other rural groups. Appendix features a chart listing health plans and rural providers offering palliative care services, with descriptions for each.
Author(s): Kathleen Kerr, Monique Parrish, Lyn Ceronsky
Date: 05/2020
Sponsoring organization: California Health Care Foundation
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Report to Congress: Reducing Barriers to Furnishing Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Services Using Telehealth and Remote Patient Monitoring for Pediatric Populations under Medicaid - Final Report
Details methods to reduce barriers to the use of telehealth for mental health and substance abuse disorder treatment for pediatric patients covered by Medicaid. Highlights barriers, best practices, and costs, among other measures. Features several case studies across the U.S., including in rural communities.
Date: 05/2020
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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HIV Prevention and Treatment Challenges in Rural America
Provides an overview of the prevalence of HIV and access to HIV prevention and treatment services in rural communities. Discusses challenges to providing and accessing HIV prevention and treatment efforts in rural areas, including the lack of local healthcare services, the cost of care, and HIV-related stigma. Describes federal programs that support HIV prevention and treatment services in rural areas. Offers policy recommendations to address these barriers and to reduce rural HIV disparities.
Date: 05/2020
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
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Maternal and Obstetric Care Challenges in Rural America
Provides an overview of the clinical factors and social determinants of health that may increase the risk of maternal morbidity and mortality in rural communities. Discusses the impact of insurance coverage status, hospital and obstetric unit closures, and workforce shortages on rural maternal health. Describes the role of the Department of Health and Human Services in addressing maternal health outcomes. Offers policy recommendations to reduce rural maternal health disparities.
Date: 05/2020
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
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