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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Access

Indicators of Healthy Aging: A Guide to Explore Healthy Aging Data through Community Health Improvement
Provides an overview for local health departments (LHDs) and partners to assess the components of healthy aging in their communities through research, data, and practice. Focuses on tracking health indicators and the social determinants of health (SDOH) and how to use data while considering community-level factors that impact healthcare access, demographics, location/rurality, Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) status, and more.
Date: 06/2023
Sponsoring organizations: National Association of County and City Health Officials, Trust for America's Health
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Access to Medications for Opioid Use Disorder in Rural Versus Urban Veterans Health Administration Facilities
Explores rural veterans' access to medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) via the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) system. Highlights VHA efforts to expand access to MOUD within VHA facilities and aims to identify access levels for rural veterans via the VA's Community Care program. Breaks down data by type of MOUD and by rural or urban location.
Author(s): Jessica J. Wyse, Sarah Shull, Stephan Lindner, et al.
Citation: Journal of General Internal Medicine, 38(8), 1871-1876
Date: 06/2023
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Strengthening Outreach, Recruitment, and Engagement Approaches with Families: The Head Start REACH Case Study Report
Summarizes findings from the case studies of 6 urban and rural Head Start programs, including how Head Start programs identify families most in need of their services and how the programs reach and retain these families. Explores key themes about the eligibility, recruitment, selection, enrollment, and attendance/retention approaches that programs use to reach and support them.
Author(s): Harshini Shah, Tosin Shenbanjo, Caroline Lauver, et al.
Date: 06/2023
Sponsoring organization: Administration for Children and Families
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Expanded Report to Congress: Non-Emergency Medical Transportation in Medicaid, 2018–2021
Examines the Medicaid analysis of non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) using Transformed Medicaid Statistical Information System (T-MSIS) data from 2018-2021. Explores the number and percentage of Medicaid beneficiaries using NEMT, the average number of NEMT "ride days" per NEMT user per month enrolled in Medicaid, the types of medical services accessed when using NEMT, monthly trends in the use of NEMT versus telehealth services before and during the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE), and the volume of NEMT services used by type of NEMT delivery model. Offers recommendations for states and local stakeholders regarding Medicaid coverage of NEMT. Presents data by state and by beneficiary characteristics, including Medicaid eligibility category, health conditions, and urban-rural location.
Date: 06/2023
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
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Predicting Firm Creation in Rural Texas: A Multi-Model Machine Learning Approach to a Complex Policy Problem
Evaluates Texas counties between 2008 and 2018 to identify factors contributing to entrepreneurship for rural areas. Discusses how healthcare, elder care, and child care predict growth in entrepreneurship. Compares predictive factors for rural areas with urban predictive factors. Makes recommendations for research, policy, and scholarship for rural entrepreneurship.
Author(s): Mark C. Hand, Vivek Shastry, Varun Rai
Citation: PLOS ONE, 18(6), e0287217
Date: 06/2023
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Tennessee Rural Health Care Task Force: Improving Rural Health Care Across Tennessee
Report from the Tennessee Rural Health Care Task Force. Offers recommendations to the state in the areas of access to care, workforce development, and social drivers of health. Discusses rural health research and advocacy, health insurance, telemedicine, workforce training, grants and loans, and more.
Additional links: Summary
Author(s): Morgan McDonald, David Dill
Date: 06/2023
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NHPCO Pediatric Facts and Figure, 2023 Edition
Provides an overview of pediatric hospice and palliative care in the United States. Includes information and data on patient characteristics, access to care, reimbursement, barriers and facilitators to care, and more. Section 3 compares the number and percentage of metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties with access to pediatric hospice and palliative care.
Date: 06/2023
Sponsoring organizations: National Alliance for Care at Home, National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization
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'A Safe Place': Rural HIV Patients and Providers Fight Stigma, Isolation Through Connection
Reports on a variety of programs underway in rural areas for HIV prevention and treatment. Discusses the challenges and barriers, as well as strategies to address HIV in rural communities.
Author(s): Gretel Kauffman
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 06/2023
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Rural Health on Life Support
Podcast episode discussing the effects of policy on rural maternal health outcomes and access to maternity care services. Covers the role of state policies, including Medicaid policies, on maternal and infant health.
Date: 06/2023
Sponsoring organization: Impact! Communications, Inc.
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Rural Health on Life Support - The State of America's Rural Health Systems
Podcast episode discussing the rural health landscape and how policies affect rural healthcare systems and service delivery. Covers rural hospital closures, payment policy, workforce concerns, emergency medical services (EMS), the Rural Emergency Hospital designation, and more.
Date: 06/2023
Sponsoring organization: Impact! Communications, Inc.
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