Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Access
Vulnerability Index Approach to Identify Pharmacy Deserts and Keystone Pharmacies
Discusses the importance of improving pharmacy access in rural and low-income areas. Utilizes data from the National Council for Prescription Drug Programs (NCPDP) dataQ to examine travel time to nearest pharmacy according to urbanicity. Defines a pharmacy vulnerability index according to this measure and reports on residents in the the contiguous U.S. living in or at risk of living in a pharmacy desert, with comparisons for small rural, large rural, suburban, and urban.
Author(s): Walter S. Mathis, Lucas A. Berenbrok, Peter A. Kahn, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 8(3)
Date: 03/2025
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Discusses the importance of improving pharmacy access in rural and low-income areas. Utilizes data from the National Council for Prescription Drug Programs (NCPDP) dataQ to examine travel time to nearest pharmacy according to urbanicity. Defines a pharmacy vulnerability index according to this measure and reports on residents in the the contiguous U.S. living in or at risk of living in a pharmacy desert, with comparisons for small rural, large rural, suburban, and urban.
Author(s): Walter S. Mathis, Lucas A. Berenbrok, Peter A. Kahn, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 8(3)
Date: 03/2025
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MedPAC Report to the Congress: Medicare Payment Policy: Skilled Nursing Facility Services: Chapter 6
Discusses payment adequacy for skilled nursing facility (SNF) services. Features statistics on SNF care provided by rural hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) via swing beds and Medicare margins for urban, rural, and frontier freestanding SNFs in 2023.
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Discusses payment adequacy for skilled nursing facility (SNF) services. Features statistics on SNF care provided by rural hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) via swing beds and Medicare margins for urban, rural, and frontier freestanding SNFs in 2023.
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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MedPAC Report to the Congress: Medicare Payment Policy, 2025
Annual review of Medicare payment policies, with recommendations to Congress. Includes discussion on Medicare payment policies directly affecting rural providers and beneficiaries. Addresses payment adequacy for Medicare fee-for-service payment systems, Medicare Advantage (MA), and Medicare Part D.
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Annual review of Medicare payment policies, with recommendations to Congress. Includes discussion on Medicare payment policies directly affecting rural providers and beneficiaries. Addresses payment adequacy for Medicare fee-for-service payment systems, Medicare Advantage (MA), and Medicare Part D.
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Report to Congress on Medicaid and CHIP, March 2025
Reports on three aspects of Medicaid of interest to Congress: 1) improving the usability and transparency of the managed care external quality review process, 2) improvements on timely access to home- and community-based services (HCBS), and 3) ways to streamline Medicaid Section 1915 authorities for home-and community-based services and reduce the administrative burden.
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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Reports on three aspects of Medicaid of interest to Congress: 1) improving the usability and transparency of the managed care external quality review process, 2) improvements on timely access to home- and community-based services (HCBS), and 3) ways to streamline Medicaid Section 1915 authorities for home-and community-based services and reduce the administrative burden.
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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Partnering to Improve Care for People Experiencing Homelessness Profile Series - Engaging the Community to Support People Experiencing Homelessness: Lessons from California's Tuolumne County
Discusses strategies to address homelessness and healthcare access in rural Tuolumne county in Northern California. Utilizes community needs assessment surveys to examine how to better meet healthcare and housing needs of residents through collaboration.
Author(s): Zackiya Grant-Knight, Jahira Sterling
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Care Strategies
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Discusses strategies to address homelessness and healthcare access in rural Tuolumne county in Northern California. Utilizes community needs assessment surveys to examine how to better meet healthcare and housing needs of residents through collaboration.
Author(s): Zackiya Grant-Knight, Jahira Sterling
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Care Strategies
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Building Trust Through Integrated Outreach and Mobile Clinics for People Experiencing Homelessness: Tips for Providers
Discusses the process of utilizing a mobile health clinic approach to provide services to people experiencing homelessness in rural Tuolumne county in Northern California. Discusses issues related to mobile clinics, such as understanding client, staff, and care team benefits of a mobile health model as well as strategies for outreach.
Author(s): Katie League
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Care Strategies
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Discusses the process of utilizing a mobile health clinic approach to provide services to people experiencing homelessness in rural Tuolumne county in Northern California. Discusses issues related to mobile clinics, such as understanding client, staff, and care team benefits of a mobile health model as well as strategies for outreach.
Author(s): Katie League
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Care Strategies
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Telehealth for the Study of Palliative Care Communication: Opportunities, Methodological Challenges, and Recommendations
Examines telehealth in connection to palliative care communication. Utilizes 3 ongoing studies involving patients with serious illnesses who have received palliative care through telehealth to reflect on opportunities and challenges in utilizing telehealth for palliative care. Provides examples from rural Vermont.
Author(s): Elise C. Tarbi, Susanna L. Schuler, Natalie Ambrose, et al.
Citation: BMC Palliative Care, 24, 55
Date: 03/2025
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Examines telehealth in connection to palliative care communication. Utilizes 3 ongoing studies involving patients with serious illnesses who have received palliative care through telehealth to reflect on opportunities and challenges in utilizing telehealth for palliative care. Provides examples from rural Vermont.
Author(s): Elise C. Tarbi, Susanna L. Schuler, Natalie Ambrose, et al.
Citation: BMC Palliative Care, 24, 55
Date: 03/2025
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Georgia State of the State: Maternal Health Report
Summarizes data and evidence regarding maternal health indicators in Georgia. Offers recommendations for further improving the health of mothers and babies. Includes statistics related to fetal, infant, and maternal health in Georgia with breakdowns by demographics and rural or nonrural locations.
Author(s): Fowzio Jama, Whitney Williams, Yuzhe Liu, et al.
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Georgia
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Summarizes data and evidence regarding maternal health indicators in Georgia. Offers recommendations for further improving the health of mothers and babies. Includes statistics related to fetal, infant, and maternal health in Georgia with breakdowns by demographics and rural or nonrural locations.
Author(s): Fowzio Jama, Whitney Williams, Yuzhe Liu, et al.
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Georgia
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Self‐Reported Pesticide Application, Access to Pesticide Labels, and QR Code Use Among Agricultural H‐2A Workers, North Carolina, 2024
Results of 160 Spanish-language, in-person surveys of North Carolina agricultural H-2A visa workers, conducted in April and May 2024 regarding access to pesticide label information. Features demographics and statistics on QR code use, pesticide use, pesticide label access, and number of seasons worked in the U.S.
Author(s): Cesar Asuaje, Joseph G.L. Lee, Nowrin Nusrat, et al.
Citation: American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 68(4), 388-392
Date: 02/2025
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Results of 160 Spanish-language, in-person surveys of North Carolina agricultural H-2A visa workers, conducted in April and May 2024 regarding access to pesticide label information. Features demographics and statistics on QR code use, pesticide use, pesticide label access, and number of seasons worked in the U.S.
Author(s): Cesar Asuaje, Joseph G.L. Lee, Nowrin Nusrat, et al.
Citation: American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 68(4), 388-392
Date: 02/2025
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International Medical Graduates Assistance Program: 2024 Report to the Minnesota Legislature
Examines Minnesota's International Medical Graduates Assistance Program and pathways to integrate immigrant international medical graduates (IMGs) into the healthcare system. Focuses on the role of IMGs in supporting healthcare access in rural areas of Minnesota, IMG workforce education programs and pathways, and establishing policy that allows IMGs to enter residency programs.
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Department of Health - Office of Rural Health and Primary Care
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Examines Minnesota's International Medical Graduates Assistance Program and pathways to integrate immigrant international medical graduates (IMGs) into the healthcare system. Focuses on the role of IMGs in supporting healthcare access in rural areas of Minnesota, IMG workforce education programs and pathways, and establishing policy that allows IMGs to enter residency programs.
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Department of Health - Office of Rural Health and Primary Care
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