Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Community health workers
Breast Cancer Disparity and Outcomes in Underserved Women
Provides an overview of breast cancer disparities experienced by different groups of women, including rural women, and highlights the significance of social determinants of health. Describes strategies to mitigate disparities and improve access, including education and engagement, community health workers, mobile mammography, and care coordination.
Author(s): B Bersu Ozcan, Başak E. Dogan, Ann R. Mootz, et al.
Citation: RadioGraphics, 44(1), 230090
Date: 12/2023
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Provides an overview of breast cancer disparities experienced by different groups of women, including rural women, and highlights the significance of social determinants of health. Describes strategies to mitigate disparities and improve access, including education and engagement, community health workers, mobile mammography, and care coordination.
Author(s): B Bersu Ozcan, Başak E. Dogan, Ann R. Mootz, et al.
Citation: RadioGraphics, 44(1), 230090
Date: 12/2023
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Improving Access to Primary Care for Underserved Populations: A Review of Findings from Five Case Studies and Recommendations
Summarizes and synthesizes the findings from a series of five case studies that explored the impact of policy initiatives that aim to improve access to primary care. Covers increasing the availability of primary care providers, improving underserved communities' access to outpatient clinics, removing structural barriers to care, making primary care affordable, and improving comfort and communication between providers and patients. Presents recommendations for federal and state policymakers, primary care practices, medical schools, and other relevant stakeholders. Includes rural examples and considerations throughout.
Additional links: Executive Summary
Author(s): Maanasa Kona, Jalisa Clark, Emma Walsh-Alker
Date: 11/2023
Sponsoring organizations: Center on Health Insurance Reforms, Milbank Memorial Fund, National Institute for Health Care Reform
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Summarizes and synthesizes the findings from a series of five case studies that explored the impact of policy initiatives that aim to improve access to primary care. Covers increasing the availability of primary care providers, improving underserved communities' access to outpatient clinics, removing structural barriers to care, making primary care affordable, and improving comfort and communication between providers and patients. Presents recommendations for federal and state policymakers, primary care practices, medical schools, and other relevant stakeholders. Includes rural examples and considerations throughout.
Additional links: Executive Summary
Author(s): Maanasa Kona, Jalisa Clark, Emma Walsh-Alker
Date: 11/2023
Sponsoring organizations: Center on Health Insurance Reforms, Milbank Memorial Fund, National Institute for Health Care Reform
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"This Is Not My Grandmother's Summer": Mitigating the Health Impacts of Extreme Heat in Rural Communities
Discusses the challenges rural areas face in helping address the impact of heat on health. Includes strategies used in rural North Carolina, Indiana, and Washington State to help inform and protect rural residents, including those exposed to heat through work outdoors.
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Discusses the challenges rural areas face in helping address the impact of heat on health. Includes strategies used in rural North Carolina, Indiana, and Washington State to help inform and protect rural residents, including those exposed to heat through work outdoors.
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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RPHWTN Grantees Help Rural Healthcare Facilities Keep Local Talent
Highlights the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy's Rural Public Health Workforce Training Network and its focus on expanding workforce capacity in rural and tribal areas. Features a career ladder program in Missouri, a respiratory therapy training program in Texas, and a health IT training program in Virginia.
Author(s): Allee Mead
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 08/2023
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Highlights the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy's Rural Public Health Workforce Training Network and its focus on expanding workforce capacity in rural and tribal areas. Features a career ladder program in Missouri, a respiratory therapy training program in Texas, and a health IT training program in Virginia.
Author(s): Allee Mead
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 08/2023
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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PREVENT Pandemics Act (P.L. 117-328, Division FF, Title II)
Provides a section-by-section overview of the Prepare for and Respond to Existing Viruses, Emerging New Threats, and Pandemics Act (PREVENT Pandemics Act), enacted as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023. Describes the Continuing Education Support for Health Professionals Serving in Rural and Underserved Communities Program, which supports specialty training for primary care providers, as well as other rural-relevant provisions.
Date: 08/2023
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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Provides a section-by-section overview of the Prepare for and Respond to Existing Viruses, Emerging New Threats, and Pandemics Act (PREVENT Pandemics Act), enacted as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023. Describes the Continuing Education Support for Health Professionals Serving in Rural and Underserved Communities Program, which supports specialty training for primary care providers, as well as other rural-relevant provisions.
Date: 08/2023
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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Engaging Community Health Workers/Youth Ambassadors to Improve Health Literacy: Proceedings of a Workshop – in Brief
Summarizes presentations and discussions from an April 2023 workshop on the use of community health workers and youth ambassadors to promote health literacy in their communities. Highlights lessons learned by Advancing Health Literacy to Enhance Equitable Community Responses to COVID-19 and the National Infrastructure for Mitigating the Impact of COVID-19 within Racial and Ethnic Minority Communities (NIMIC) grantees who implemented health literacy approaches in community health worker and youth ambassador programs. Includes rural references throughout.
Additional links: Read Online
Date: 07/2023
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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Summarizes presentations and discussions from an April 2023 workshop on the use of community health workers and youth ambassadors to promote health literacy in their communities. Highlights lessons learned by Advancing Health Literacy to Enhance Equitable Community Responses to COVID-19 and the National Infrastructure for Mitigating the Impact of COVID-19 within Racial and Ethnic Minority Communities (NIMIC) grantees who implemented health literacy approaches in community health worker and youth ambassador programs. Includes rural references throughout.
Additional links: Read Online
Date: 07/2023
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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North Carolina Community Health Worker Program - 2023 Profile
Fact sheet with information about the Community Health Worker (CHW) program, including responsibilities and core competencies, and ways in which CHWs in North Carolina responded to the COVID-19 pandemic. Includes a county-level map showing CHW organization supporting counties, with shadings indicating rural or urban counties.
Date: 06/2023
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Office of Rural Health
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Fact sheet with information about the Community Health Worker (CHW) program, including responsibilities and core competencies, and ways in which CHWs in North Carolina responded to the COVID-19 pandemic. Includes a county-level map showing CHW organization supporting counties, with shadings indicating rural or urban counties.
Date: 06/2023
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Office of Rural Health
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Equity, Multisector Collaboration and Innovation for Rural Health: Lessons from the National Rural Health Association Conference
Provides overview of topics discussed at the National Rural Health Association's Rural Health Equity Conference and Annual Rural Health Conference in May 2023 in San Diego, California. Topics include health equity, defining "rural," available data tools, community health workers, and more.
Author(s): Sagar B. Dugani, Randolph D. Hubach
Citation: Rural and Remote Health, 23(2)
Date: 06/2023
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Provides overview of topics discussed at the National Rural Health Association's Rural Health Equity Conference and Annual Rural Health Conference in May 2023 in San Diego, California. Topics include health equity, defining "rural," available data tools, community health workers, and more.
Author(s): Sagar B. Dugani, Randolph D. Hubach
Citation: Rural and Remote Health, 23(2)
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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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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Assessing the Effectiveness of Policies to Improve Access to Primary Care for Underserved Populations: Case Study Analysis: Kanawha County, West Virginia
Case study of policy initiatives to increase access to primary care, focusing on Kanawha County, West Virginia. Discusses workforce shortages, healthcare access, structural barriers to primary care, healthcare affordability, and more.
Author(s): Maanasa Kona, Jalisa Clark, Emma Walsh-Alker, Megan Houston
Date: 06/2023
Sponsoring organization: Milbank Memorial Fund
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Case study of policy initiatives to increase access to primary care, focusing on Kanawha County, West Virginia. Discusses workforce shortages, healthcare access, structural barriers to primary care, healthcare affordability, and more.
Author(s): Maanasa Kona, Jalisa Clark, Emma Walsh-Alker, Megan Houston
Date: 06/2023
Sponsoring organization: Milbank Memorial Fund
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