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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Access

Minnesota's Changing Health Insurance Landscape: Results from the 2017 Minnesota Health Access Survey
Analyzes trends from the 2017 Minnesota Health Access Survey to better understand how Minnesotans obtained health insurance. Discusses rural and urban differences in individual health insurance coverage and health insurance coverage rates in isolated rural Minnesota.
Date: 02/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Minnesota Department of Health, Health Economics Program, State Health Access Data Assistance Center, University of Minnesota, School of Public Health
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Remarks of Commissioner Mignon Clyburn (as prepared): National Rural Health Association
Statement given at the February 2018 National Rural Health Association (NRHA) Policy Institute. Discusses the goals of the Connect2Health Task Force: to understand the future interplay of broadband, technology, and health policy and to ensure the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) stays ahead of the innovation curve. Highlights the FCC's focus of broadband deployment to provide a foundation for health and describes a broadband-enabled project in Appalachian Kentucky created to provide healthcare services to cancer patients.
Author(s): Mignon Clyburn
Date: 02/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Federal Communications Commission
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Challenges Related to Pregnancy and Returning to Work after Childbirth in a Rural, Tourism-Dependent Community
Discusses the challenges related to pregnancy and returning to work after childbirth in rural, tourism-dependent communities. Examines the issues of pregnancy timing and maternity leave, breastfeeding support, and child care, providing recommendations for improving conditions in each area. Results are based on a focus group of 6 women, which included 3 mothers and 3 pregnant women.
Author(s): Amanda Corbett, Carrie Henning-Smith, Kristin DeArruda Wharton, Katy Kozhimannil
Date: 02/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Evaluating Factors Impacting Medication Adherence Among Rural, Urban, and Suburban Populations
Compares medication adherence rates among rural and urban adults. Examines additional factors that may influence adherence, including age, income, education, gender, and ethnicity.
Author(s): Cody Arbuckle, Daniel Tomaszewski, Benjamin D. Aronson, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 34(4), 339-346
Date: 01/2018
Type: Document
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Scaling up HCV Prevention and Treatment Interventions in Rural USA – Model Projections for Tackling an Increasing Epidemic
Highlights a study on the rise in hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections in rural people who inject drugs (PWID) and the necessary interventions to reduce HCV outbreaks in rural communities. Focuses on a rural county in Indiana and evaluates the medication-assisted treatment (MAT) efficacy, syringe-services program (SSP) efficacy, and the PWID population size of the intervention, among other factors.
Author(s): Hannah Fraser, Jon Zibbell, Thomas Hoerger, et al.
Citation: Addiction, 113(1), 173-182
Date: 01/2018
Type: Document
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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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