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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Closures of healthcare facilities and services

Will Community Health Centers Survive COVID-19?
Evaluates the financial vulnerability of rural Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Discusses the importance of FQHCs to rural and underserved communities and makes suggestions to fortify FQHC revenue.
Author(s): Brad Wright, Erin Fraher, Marni Gwyther Holder, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 37(1), 235-238
Date: 01/2021
Type: Document
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Maternity Care Deserts and Pregnancy-Associated Mortality in Louisiana
Results of a study exploring whether living in a county with no hospital offering obstetric care and no OB/GYN or certified nurse midwife providers was associated with risk of death during pregnancy and up to 1 year postpartum among women in Louisiana from 2016–2017. Features demographics, county-level maps showing level of access to maternity care, and statistics
Author(s): Maeve Wallace, Lauren Dyer, Erica Felker-Kantor, et al.
Citation: Women's Health Issues, 31(2), 122-129
Date: 2021
Type: Document
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Bright Spots: Case Studies in Innovative Rural Healthcare
Profiles 8 rural healthcare facilities and communities that successfully addressed issues regarding access to healthcare and explores commonalities across the case studies. Describes how these initiatives optimize leadership, cultural transformation, data utilization, rural maternity care, and external partnerships.
Date: 2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: A&M Rural and Community Health Institute
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Rural and Minority Health Research Center: Annual Report 2020
Highlights research projects in areas including healthcare access, maternal and child health, health economics and policy, cancer prevention and control, and social determinants of health. Features statistics on hospital-based obstetric units from 2002-2013 with breakdowns by metropolitan, micropolitan, and noncore locations, social determinants of health in rural areas with breakdowns by race or ethnicity, adverse child experiences exposure with breakdowns by urban or rural location, and colorectal cancer incidence trends from 2000-2016 with breakdowns by urban and rural location.
Date: 2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural and Minority Health Research Center (formerly the South Carolina Rural Health Research Center)
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FQHC Roles and Opportunities Related to Rural Hospital Financial Distress and Closure
Explores the experiences of Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) regarding hospital financial distress, downsizing, and closure. Summarizes the results of a survey of 34 FQHCs operating 277 sites in rural communities. Discusses the potential for collaboration between rural hospitals and FQHCs.
Date: 2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Capital Link
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Rural Hospital Closures: Affected Residents Had Reduced Access to Health Care Services
Examines the effects of rural hospital closures on rural residents. Discusses the distance residents in the service areas of closed facilities had to travel to access common healthcare services between 2012 and 2018, as well as the availability of providers over time. Compares the health status of Medicare beneficiaries in services areas with and without hospital closures.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 12/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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The Surgeon General's Call to Action to Improve Maternal Health
Describes the state of maternal health in the United States, including data and statistics on mortality and morbidity. Discusses risks to maternal health, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, infectious diseases, mental health conditions, intimate partner violence, and more. Recommends strategies and actions that individuals, organizations, and communities can implement to improve maternal health and reduce maternal morbidity and mortality. Includes rural references throughout.
Date: 12/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
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Healthy Women, Healthy Pregnancies, Healthy Futures: Action Plan to Improve Maternal Health in America
Action plan outlining steps the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is taking to reduce maternal mortality and address disparities that endanger women before, during, and following pregnancy. Four main goals include: improving prevention and treatment services to promote positive health outcomes for every woman of reproductive age; prioritizing quality improvement efforts to support healthy pregnancies and births; improving postpartum health; and enhancing data and research to inform future interventions. Includes data and statistics on maternal health and morbidity, and addresses rural considerations throughout.
Author(s): Dawn Alley, Andre Chappel, Nancy De Lew, et al.
Date: 12/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
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Making it Work: Models of Success in Rural Maternity Care
Describes factors that underlie 3 successful models of rural maternity care and informs communities, clinicians, and hospitals wishing to keep obstetric services available on the local level. Includes information from interviews conducted at facilities in Baldwin, Wisconsin; Lakin, Kansas; and Russelville, Arkansas.
Author(s): Katy B. Kozhimannil, Carrie Henning-Smith, Megan Lahr, Mary Gilbertson
Date: 11/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Healthcare: A Key Challenge in Alabama's Black Belt
Issue brief examining healthcare access in Alabama's Black Belt region compared to national trends. Covers hospital beds in relation to population, rural hospital closures, COVID-19 strain, and policy impacts.
Author(s): Emily Jacobs, Hunter Whann, Emily Grace Corley, Jonathan Bowen, Noel Keeney
Date: 10/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: University of Alabama Education Policy Center
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