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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Access

A Rural Appalachian Faith-Placed Smoking Cessation Intervention
Describes a faith-oriented smoking cessation program comprising 590 smokers in 26 churches located in rural Appalachia. Discusses 3 themes identified by the participants' evaluation of the program including the program's ability to leverage social connections, be conveniently orientated, and to provide financial support for smoking cessation.
Author(s): Nancy E. Schoenberg, Henry E. Bundy, Jordan A. Baeker Bispo, et al.
Citation: Journal of Religion and Health, 54(2), 598-611
Date: 04/2015
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Study of Barriers for Women Veterans to VA Health Care: Final Report
Examines the use, preference, and barriers faced by rural and urban women veterans in accessing Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare to better understand the challenges in receiving care. Informs Congress regarding the status of healthcare for women veterans.
Date: 04/2015
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
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Improving Access to Noninstitutional Long-Term Care for American Indian Veterans
Describes program models to expand Native American veterans' access to home-based primary care (HBPC), which provides non-institutional long-term care to homebound veterans. Overviews emerging models of HBPC and co-management developed by Veterans Affairs Medical Centers in collaboration with tribes and Indian Health Service facilities. Also includes several models that expanded HBPC access for non-native as well as Native American rural veterans.
Author(s): Betty J. Kramer, Beth Creekmur, Sarah Cote, Debra Saliba
Citation: Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 63(4), 789-796
Date: 04/2015
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Oral Health in Michigan
An overview of oral health in Michigan describing the oral health status of Michigan residents, with information by broad region and by county. Discusses issues related to rural dental health access. Provides data on the dental health workforce, including county-level provider-to-population ratios for dentists and dental hygienists.
Author(s): Margaret Langelier, Simona Surdu
Date: 04/2015
Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Workforce Studies
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The Oral Health of American Indian and Alaska Native Children Aged 1-5 Years: Results of the 2014 IHS Oral Health Survey
Reports on tooth decay among American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) preschool children. Includes a comparison to tooth decay among other racial/ethnic groups. Also provides information on untreated decay and use of dental sealants.
Author(s): Kathy R. Phipps, Timothy L. Ricks
Date: 04/2015
Sponsoring organization: Indian Health Service
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An Interview with Gina Capra
The Director of the Veterans Health Administration's Office of Rural Health (ORH) discusses the Veterans Choice Program and other VA activities underway to connect rural veterans to the healthcare services they need.
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 04/2015
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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The Health and Well-Being of Children in Rural Areas: A Portrait of the Nation 2011–2012
Describes data from the National Survey of Children's Health demonstrating the health and well-being of children, as well as the family environment and the characteristics of the community that affect rural children and their families.
Date: 04/2015
Sponsoring organization: Maternal and Child Health Bureau
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The Value Proposition of Retail Clinics
Describes the role retail clinics can play in improving healthcare access, including in rural areas. Discusses the potential of telehealth use at retail clinics. Offers recommendations for optimizing the value of retail clinics to meet individual and community health needs.
Author(s): Deborah Bachrach, Jonah Frohlich, Allison Garcimonde, Keith Nevitt
Date: 04/2015
Sponsoring organization: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
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Sole Community Hospitals: Early Indications Show That TRICARE's Revised Reimbursement Rules Have Not Affected Access to Care
Reports on the impact of a January 2014 revision to TRICARE's reimbursement for Sole Community Hospitals (SCHs), which serve primarily rural areas. The new TRICARE reimbursement rules approximate Medicare's for these hospitals. Looks at the impact of revised SCH reimbursement on healthcare access for servicemembers and their dependents. Findings based on claims data, as well as interviews with 10 SCHs and with national stakeholders. Appendices include information on SCHs with a high number of TRICARE admissions.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 04/2015
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Travel Time and Attrition From VHA Care Among Women Veterans: How Far is Too Far?
Examines whether travel time impacts women veterans decisions to drop Veterans Health Administration care, with a comparison of the impact of travel time on rural and urban women veterans (see Figure 2).
Author(s): Sarah A. Friedman, Susan M. Frayne, Eric Berg, et al.
Citation: Medical Care, 53(4 Suppl 1), S15-S22
Date: 04/2015
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