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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Access

Oversight Hearing – Addressing the Challenges of Rural America
Recording of a March 29, 2023, House Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies regarding challenges rural communities face. Discussions include access to healthcare; rural workforce development, including the healthcare workforce; telehealth; and more.
Additional links: Carrie Cochran-McClain, National Rural Health Association - Testimony, Tearsanee Davis, University of Mississippi Medical Center - Testimony, Tom Morris, Federal Office of Rural Health Policy - Testimony
Date: 03/2023
Sponsoring organization: House Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
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Closure of Labor & Delivery Units in Rural Counties Is Associated with Reduced Adequacy of Prenatal Care, Even When Prenatal Care Remains Available
Examines adequacy of prenatal care following the closure of labor and delivery units in rural Iowa counties using birth certificate information from 47 rural counties between 2017 and 2019. Compares rural counties with a closure to those without a closure. Examines the difference in impact for Medicaid and non-Medicaid patients, demographics, educational attainment, and more.
Author(s): Stephanie M. Radke, Laurel Smiens, Kelly K. Ryckman, Thomas S. Gruca
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 39(4), 746-755
Date: 03/2023
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Potentially More Out of Reach: Public Reporting Exacerbates Inequities in Home Health Access
Examines the impact of the introduction of home health star ratings on changes in high-quality home health agency utilization. Describes differences in high-quality home health agency use by various demographic and geographic factors.
Author(s): Shekinah A. Fashaw-Walters, Momotazur Rahman, Gilbert Gee, et al.
Citation: Milbank Quarterly, 101(2), 527-559
Date: 03/2023
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Working With Rural Producers to Expand EBT in Farmers' Markets: A Case Study in Hardeman County, Tennessee
Reviews a case study about how an Extension program encouraged rural Tennessee farmers market producers to accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits through Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT). Discusses the outcomes of a workshop about how to begin the EBT application process, advertise SNAP at a farmers market, and improve health benefits by expanding food access.
Author(s): Karen L. Franck, Soghra Jarvandi, Kristen Johnson, et al.
Citation: Health Promotion Practice, 24(1)
Date: 03/2023
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Health Care Coverage, Affordability, and Access Among Rural and Urban Adults Ages 50 to 64
Examines differences in healthcare coverage, affordability, and access trends among rural and urban adults aged 50-64 between 2012 and 2019. Explores possible factors driving healthcare coverage disparities. Offers policy recommendations to improve access to coverage and affordable healthcare among older adults, especially those in rural areas.
Author(s): Olivia Dean, Beth Carter, Robert C. Saunders, et al.
Date: 03/2023
Sponsoring organizations: AARP Public Policy Institute, KNG Health
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Rural Healthcare Disparities in the United States: Can Our Payer Structures Help Us Get Upstream?
Describes a care model utilizing community health workers (CHWs) to engage patients by screening for diseases, and offering education and information to help them manage their chronic conditions in an accessible, non-traditional settings such as a food bank distribution centers, county fairs, livestock auctions, and educational events in rural Idaho. Discusses the value of CHWs, along with a primary care team, in improving outcomes for populations at risk, and the absence of payment models to support this model.
Author(s): Kelly McGrath
Citation: Journal of General Internal Medicine, 38 (Suppl 1), 16-17
Date: 03/2023
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The Rural Food-Away-from-Home Landscape, 1990–2019
Examines the food-away-from-home (FAFH) landscape in nonmetropolitan counties between 1990 and 2019. Explores trends and differentiating features of FAFH access across the metropolitan divide and across the rural-urban continuum. Describes local economic conditions that are associated with more FAFH options.
Additional links: Report Summary
Author(s): Keenan Marchesi, Anne T. Byrne, Trey Malone
Date: 03/2023
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Rural US Residents Recognize Anxiety Better than Urbanites and Suburbanites but Hold Similar Stigma
Surveys 627 adults to find whether rural adults are more likely to recognize anxiety symptoms when compared with nonrural adults. Also examines stigma regarding anxiety and compares results between both rural and nonrural adults and level of access to mental health services. Data is broken down by multiple variables including sex, race, age, household income, education, rurality, and more.
Author(s): Scott Loveridge, Mark Skidmore, Robert Shupp, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 39(4), 860-869
Date: 03/2023
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Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly in Rural America: Policy Brief and Recommendations to the Secretary
Provides an overview of Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE). Discusses barriers to implementing PACE programs in rural areas and offers policy recommendations and considerations to facilitate the expansion of these programs in rural communities.
Date: 03/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
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Review of Four CARA Programs and Preparing for Future Evaluations
Report highlights a review of four programs funded through the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) aimed at expanding access to overdose prevention and treatment of opioid use disorder. Explores the impact of the programs on their communities and makes recommendations for policy makers. Discusses challenges and program adaptations for rural communities.
Additional links: Read Online, Report Highlights
Author(s): Board on Population Health and Public Health Practice
Date: 03/2023
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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