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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Access

Creating a Culture of Health in Rural West Virginia: State Rural Health Plan 2018-2022
Presents a state plan representing the vision and goals for the health and well-being of people in rural West Virginia as identified by healthcare advocates within the state. Key health conditions and health indicators are discussed, including behavioral health, cardiovascular disease, lung disease, obesity, and social determinants of health. Priorities to support positive change are focused on improvements in the following areas: access to healthcare, health outcomes, workforce development, and community engagement.
Date: 01/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: West Virginia Bureau for Public Health, West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, West Virginia State Office of Rural Health
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Health Care Innovation Across Rural Maryland: An Executive Summary
Details the different innovations in Maryland's rural healthcare delivery. Summarizes each innovation funded by the Maryland Community Health Resources Commission (CHRC) and discusses their impact on rural communities.
Date: 01/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Maryland Rural Health Association
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Distance and Networks: A Regional Analysis of Health Insurance Marketplaces
Examines whether Rating Area design and network adequacy standards have contributed to the level of success of Health Insurance Marketplaces (HIMs) in rural areas in terms of enrollment and affordability. Uses 2015-2016 data from 15 Midwestern states, on participation, premiums, and enrollment success.
Author(s): Abigail R. Barker, Alena R. Wheeler, Leah M. Kemper, Timothy D. McBride, Keith J. Mueller
Date: 01/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute
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Evaluation of the Department of Veterans Affairs Mental Health Services
Report by a committee of experts detailing veterans' ability to access mental health services through the Department of Veterans Affairs. Analyzes access to care, quality of care, and current barriers to both. Presents effective and efficient models for providing mental healthcare to veterans. Mentions rural throughout the report.
Additional links: Key Findings and Recommendations, Read Online
Author(s): Committee to Evaluate the Department of Veterans Affairs Mental Health Services
Date: 01/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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Trends in the Provision of Oral Health Services by Federally Qualified Health Centers
Summarizes trends in recent years and factors that predict likelihood of a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) providing general or specialty oral health services. Features statistics including breakdowns by percentage of population living in rural areas.
Author(s): Simona Surdu, Margaret Langelier
Date: 01/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Workforce Studies
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Telemedicine in the Management of Type 1 Diabetes
Describes a study in which 32 patients with type 1 diabetes who live in rural Alabama and Georgia received endocrinology care from an Atlanta telehealth clinic, from June 2014 to October 2016. Includes demographic statistics on patients and presence of other diseases and medical conditions.
Author(s): Timothy Xu, Shreya Pujara, Sarah Sutton, Mary Rhee
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 15
Date: 01/2018
Type: Document
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Taking Stock: Policy Opportunities for Advancing Rural Health
Examines the progress of health system transformation and discusses the challenges that remain for rural people, places, and providers. Organized around seven main topics: Medicare, Medicaid and CHIP, insurance coverage and affordability, quality, healthcare finance and system transformation, workforce, and population health. Provides background information on each topic and shares policy suggestions for addressing each topic's most pressing issues.
Author(s): Keith J. Mueller, Charles Alfero, Andrew F. Coburn, et al.
Date: 01/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
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The Health Care Perceptions of Low-income Coloradans
Discusses the results from a 2016 survey regarding perceptions of healthcare available to low-income residents in Colorado. Includes issue briefs analyzing data for rural Coloradans and low-income Coloradans of color.
Date: 01/2018
Type: Website
Sponsoring organization: Colorado Health Foundation
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Reinventing Rural Health Care: A Case Study of Seven Upper Midwest States
Examines the state of rural healthcare in seven states - Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming - and uses the findings to determine the impact of existing federal policies, understand ongoing healthcare challenges, and identify opportunities for improvement in rural healthcare access and delivery. Addresses rightsizing healthcare services to fit community needs, creating rural funding mechanisms, building and supporting the primary care physician workforce, and expanding telemedicine services. Analysis is based on interviews with over 90 national thought leaders and key stakeholders.
Additional links: Infographic, Summary – Rural Health Care: Lessons Learned
Date: 01/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Bipartisan Policy Center
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Range Matters: Rural Averages Can Conceal Important Information
Findings brief showing how research focusing on averages without considering data range can conceal important information about average rural hospital profitability, distance between hospitals, and HIV prevalence by county.
Author(s): Meagan Clawar, Kristie Thompson, George H. Pink
Date: 01/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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