Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Access
Aligning Initiatives to End the HIV Epidemic in the United States
Discusses the alignment of the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP) and the Ending the HIV Epidemic in the United States (EHE) initiative to provide healthcare to low-income people living with HIV (PLWH) and prevent new infections. Includes commentary on how the programs work in rural areas and the 2019-2026 EHE funding information for Health Centers with rural technical assistance.
Author(s): Jesse P. Anderson, Agata Bodie, Kaushik Ghosh, Sara Te
Date: 08/2026
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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Discusses the alignment of the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP) and the Ending the HIV Epidemic in the United States (EHE) initiative to provide healthcare to low-income people living with HIV (PLWH) and prevent new infections. Includes commentary on how the programs work in rural areas and the 2019-2026 EHE funding information for Health Centers with rural technical assistance.
Author(s): Jesse P. Anderson, Agata Bodie, Kaushik Ghosh, Sara Te
Date: 08/2026
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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Who Lives in Ambulance Deserts? Demographic and Geographic Differences in Accessing Ambulance Services
Presents data on ambulance deserts, or populated areas more than 25 minutes from an ambulance station, across 41 states, using a mix of state and federal data sources. Discusses how rurality and other factors such as U.S. region, age, and socioeconomic status are associated with living in an ambulance desert.
Author(s): Yvonne Jonk, Heidi O'Connor, Brianna Holston, Celia Jewell, Tyler DeAngelis
Date: 07/2026
Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center
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Presents data on ambulance deserts, or populated areas more than 25 minutes from an ambulance station, across 41 states, using a mix of state and federal data sources. Discusses how rurality and other factors such as U.S. region, age, and socioeconomic status are associated with living in an ambulance desert.
Author(s): Yvonne Jonk, Heidi O'Connor, Brianna Holston, Celia Jewell, Tyler DeAngelis
Date: 07/2026
Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center
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Older Medicare Beneficiaries' Use of Long Term Services and Supports, 2015-2021
Examines how the likelihood of living in nursing homes, lower intensity facilities, or community settings has varied over time among adults aged 65 and older, using 2015-2021 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey data. Compares trends by rural or urban dwelling and other demographic and clinical factors.
Author(s): Yvonne Jonk, Heidi O'Connor, Erika C. Ziller
Date: 07/2026
Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center
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Examines how the likelihood of living in nursing homes, lower intensity facilities, or community settings has varied over time among adults aged 65 and older, using 2015-2021 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey data. Compares trends by rural or urban dwelling and other demographic and clinical factors.
Author(s): Yvonne Jonk, Heidi O'Connor, Erika C. Ziller
Date: 07/2026
Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center
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Mental Health Stressors and Barriers to Support Among Rural Farmers: A Qualitative Study of Agricultural Communities in the East South-Central United States
Explores how farmers experience mental health stressors, coping strategies, and barriers to seeking help via thematic analysis of interviews with 14 rural Kentucky farmers. Discusses farming-specific stressors, stigma, self-reliance, and lessons for suicide prevention.
Author(s): Jeanne M. Ward, Melissa Perkins, John R. Blosnich
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 23(8), 983
Date: 07/2026
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Explores how farmers experience mental health stressors, coping strategies, and barriers to seeking help via thematic analysis of interviews with 14 rural Kentucky farmers. Discusses farming-specific stressors, stigma, self-reliance, and lessons for suicide prevention.
Author(s): Jeanne M. Ward, Melissa Perkins, John R. Blosnich
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 23(8), 983
Date: 07/2026
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Geographical Access to Preferred Pharmacies in Medicare Part D
Analyzes access to preferred pharmacies in Medicare Part D prescription drug plans (PDPs) and Medicare Advantage PDPs (MAPDs). Utilizes multiple data sources to examine the nearest preferred pharmacy in MAPDs and stand-alone PDPs across rural and urban ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs). Discusses geographic disparities related to PDP and MAPD access.
Author(s): Pinka Chatterji, Yiran Han, Chun-Yu Ho
Citation: The American Journal of Managed Care, 32, 7
Date: 07/2026
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Analyzes access to preferred pharmacies in Medicare Part D prescription drug plans (PDPs) and Medicare Advantage PDPs (MAPDs). Utilizes multiple data sources to examine the nearest preferred pharmacy in MAPDs and stand-alone PDPs across rural and urban ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs). Discusses geographic disparities related to PDP and MAPD access.
Author(s): Pinka Chatterji, Yiran Han, Chun-Yu Ho
Citation: The American Journal of Managed Care, 32, 7
Date: 07/2026
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Strategies to Address the Rural Access Gap in Substance Use Services
Describes how community paramedicine and mobile substance use care units can address barriers to substance use treatment in rural areas, and how these programs can be supported at the state level via Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) funding.
Author(s): Rebekah Falkner
Date: 07/2026
Sponsoring organization: National Academy for State Health Policy
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Describes how community paramedicine and mobile substance use care units can address barriers to substance use treatment in rural areas, and how these programs can be supported at the state level via Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) funding.
Author(s): Rebekah Falkner
Date: 07/2026
Sponsoring organization: National Academy for State Health Policy
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Impact of Rurality on Inpatient Outcomes in Neurofibromatosis: A National Inpatient Sample Study
Analyzes how rural versus urban dwelling and hospital setting influence interhospital transfer, mortality, length of stay, and other aspects related to access to and quality of neurosurgical care. Uses 2016-2021 National Inpatient Sample data for patients with neurofibromatosis types 1 and 2.
Author(s): Jacob Fredman, Theodore Kapogiannis, Dhanya Mahesh, Jennifer Hong
Citation: Clinical Neurology and Neurosurgery, 270, 109596
Date: 07/2026
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Analyzes how rural versus urban dwelling and hospital setting influence interhospital transfer, mortality, length of stay, and other aspects related to access to and quality of neurosurgical care. Uses 2016-2021 National Inpatient Sample data for patients with neurofibromatosis types 1 and 2.
Author(s): Jacob Fredman, Theodore Kapogiannis, Dhanya Mahesh, Jennifer Hong
Citation: Clinical Neurology and Neurosurgery, 270, 109596
Date: 07/2026
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Teledentistry in Health Centers: Promising Practices for Increasing Access to Oral Health Care
Highlights several promising practices using teledentistry to increase oral health access. Explores how five different programs in urban areas, and one in rural South Dakota, are using teledentistry via health centers to address workforce shortages and expand oral health access.
Date: 07/2026
Sponsoring organization: National Network for Oral Health Access
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Highlights several promising practices using teledentistry to increase oral health access. Explores how five different programs in urban areas, and one in rural South Dakota, are using teledentistry via health centers to address workforce shortages and expand oral health access.
Date: 07/2026
Sponsoring organization: National Network for Oral Health Access
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Health Care Access, Preventive Care, and Affordability Among Rural Adults With Cardiometabolic Conditions: Medicare Advantage Versus Traditional Medicare
Examines the differences in healthcare experiences for rural adults with cardiometabolic conditions who are enrolled in Medicare Advantage (MA) versus traditional Medicare. Utilizes 2021-2022 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey data from 4,274 rural beneficiaries and analyzes MA versus traditional Medicare coverage related to issues such as healthcare access, preventive care, and affordability.
Author(s): Nicholas Chiu, Andrew Oseran, Archana P. Tale, Rishi K. Wadhera
Citation: Journal of the American Heart Association, 15, 15
Date: 07/2026
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Examines the differences in healthcare experiences for rural adults with cardiometabolic conditions who are enrolled in Medicare Advantage (MA) versus traditional Medicare. Utilizes 2021-2022 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey data from 4,274 rural beneficiaries and analyzes MA versus traditional Medicare coverage related to issues such as healthcare access, preventive care, and affordability.
Author(s): Nicholas Chiu, Andrew Oseran, Archana P. Tale, Rishi K. Wadhera
Citation: Journal of the American Heart Association, 15, 15
Date: 07/2026
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Bridging the Gaps in School-Based Telehealth: A Scoping Review and Evaluation Framework
Provides a scoping review of telehealth interventions in K-12 schools between 2019 and 2026. Analyzes 22 studies related to school-based telehealth (SBTH) and discusses SBTH evaluation practices as well as utilization, satisfaction, and outcomes. Includes discussion of SBTH outcomes in rural locations.
Author(s): Sara Al-Ajlouny, Zhaoqiang Zhou, Suguna Kotte, et al.
Citation: Telemedicine Reports, 7
Date: 07/2026
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Provides a scoping review of telehealth interventions in K-12 schools between 2019 and 2026. Analyzes 22 studies related to school-based telehealth (SBTH) and discusses SBTH evaluation practices as well as utilization, satisfaction, and outcomes. Includes discussion of SBTH outcomes in rural locations.
Author(s): Sara Al-Ajlouny, Zhaoqiang Zhou, Suguna Kotte, et al.
Citation: Telemedicine Reports, 7
Date: 07/2026
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