Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Delta Region
Food Insecurity and Barriers to Supplemental Food Provision in the Mississippi Delta: A Qualitative Analysis
Examines the impact of supplemental food provisions (SFPs) in the predominately rural Mississippi Delta. Utilizes interview feedback from 29 SFP personnel to discuss SFP barriers, sustainability, and health initiatives.
Author(s): Sophie C. Hathaway
Citation: Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, 14(3), 293-304
Date: 06/2025
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Examines the impact of supplemental food provisions (SFPs) in the predominately rural Mississippi Delta. Utilizes interview feedback from 29 SFP personnel to discuss SFP barriers, sustainability, and health initiatives.
Author(s): Sophie C. Hathaway
Citation: Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, 14(3), 293-304
Date: 06/2025
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The Impact of Primary Care Physician Capacity on Preventable Hospitalizations: Identifying Bright Spots in the Appalachian & Mississippi Delta Regions
Results of a study to determine whether the association of primary care capacity with preventable hospitalizations is different in the Appalachian and Mississippi Delta regions compared with the rest of the U.S. Also explores primary care capacity in counties with lower-than-expected preventable hospitalization rates. Features statistics with breakdowns by rural and nonrural areas.
Author(s): Michael Topmiller, Peter J. Mallow, Hoon Byun, Mark Carrozza, Yalda Jabbarpour
Citation: Journal of Appalachian Health, 6(3), 66-78
Date: 10/2024
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Results of a study to determine whether the association of primary care capacity with preventable hospitalizations is different in the Appalachian and Mississippi Delta regions compared with the rest of the U.S. Also explores primary care capacity in counties with lower-than-expected preventable hospitalization rates. Features statistics with breakdowns by rural and nonrural areas.
Author(s): Michael Topmiller, Peter J. Mallow, Hoon Byun, Mark Carrozza, Yalda Jabbarpour
Citation: Journal of Appalachian Health, 6(3), 66-78
Date: 10/2024
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Rural Louisiana Programs Create Healthier Schools
Features two Delta States Rural Development Network grantees working to improve children's health in rural Louisiana schools. A high school program focuses on preventing diabetes and an elementary school program offers nutrition and physical activity opportunities to students.
Author(s): Allee Mead
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 08/2024
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Features two Delta States Rural Development Network grantees working to improve children's health in rural Louisiana schools. A high school program focuses on preventing diabetes and an elementary school program offers nutrition and physical activity opportunities to students.
Author(s): Allee Mead
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 08/2024
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Community-Driven Strategies to Address Persistent Poverty in Rural Areas
Webinar recording discussing persistent poverty and structural barriers to increasing wealth. Discusses the work of community development finance institutions. Highlights successful program examples including indigenous food systems in Maine, home ownership in the Mississippi Delta and colonias along the U.S.-Mexico Border, and using community engagement to impact systems and policy in Kansas. Transcript available in the video description.
Date: 06/2024
Sponsoring organization: County Health Rankings & Roadmaps
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Webinar recording discussing persistent poverty and structural barriers to increasing wealth. Discusses the work of community development finance institutions. Highlights successful program examples including indigenous food systems in Maine, home ownership in the Mississippi Delta and colonias along the U.S.-Mexico Border, and using community engagement to impact systems and policy in Kansas. Transcript available in the video description.
Date: 06/2024
Sponsoring organization: County Health Rankings & Roadmaps
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Delta States Rural Development Network Program 2023 Grantee Directory
A directory of the Delta States Rural Development Grant Program in the 2023-2026 funding cycle. Includes a brief program overview and contact information for each of the twelve grantees. The Delta States region comprises Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee.
Date: 01/2024
Sponsoring organization: Federal Office of Rural Health Policy
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A directory of the Delta States Rural Development Grant Program in the 2023-2026 funding cycle. Includes a brief program overview and contact information for each of the twelve grantees. The Delta States region comprises Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee.
Date: 01/2024
Sponsoring organization: Federal Office of Rural Health Policy
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Produce Prescription Programs Offer 'A Holistic Approach' to Addressing Rural Food Insecurity and Diet-Related Disease
Features produce prescription programs serving rural Mississippi, New Mexico, and Vermont that are helping improve access to healthy foods for those with diet-related chronic conditions. Describes how produce Rx programs can support local food systems and discusses funding and sustainability considerations.
Author(s): Brendan Stermer
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 01/2024
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Features produce prescription programs serving rural Mississippi, New Mexico, and Vermont that are helping improve access to healthy foods for those with diet-related chronic conditions. Describes how produce Rx programs can support local food systems and discusses funding and sustainability considerations.
Author(s): Brendan Stermer
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 01/2024
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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State of Mississippi: Five Year Action Plan: Broadband Expansion and Accessibility of Mississippi (BEAM) Program
Provides overview of the Broadband Expansion and Accessibility of Mississippi Office's Five-Year Action Plan, covering 2023 through 2028, for providing high-speed internet service throughout the state. Includes information on existing programs and funding, administrative structure, partnerships, data gathering, and more. Includes county level data both statewide and in the Delta Region for Mississippi.
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organization: Broadband Expansion and Accessibility of Mississippi
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Provides overview of the Broadband Expansion and Accessibility of Mississippi Office's Five-Year Action Plan, covering 2023 through 2028, for providing high-speed internet service throughout the state. Includes information on existing programs and funding, administrative structure, partnerships, data gathering, and more. Includes county level data both statewide and in the Delta Region for Mississippi.
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organization: Broadband Expansion and Accessibility of Mississippi
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Four Mindsets for Funding Economic Mobility in the Black Rural South
Highlights opportunities for philanthropy to contribute to economic mobility in the Black rural South, based on conversations with nonprofit leaders, cooperative extension staff at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), funders, researchers, and others. Identifies 4 mindsets that, if changed, could impact the effectiveness and support of existing institutions that are already active in the Black rural South. Features statistics on per capita grantmaking from 2010-2014 with breakdowns including the Alabama Black Belt and Mississippi Delta region, Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia.
Author(s): Mike Soskis, Angie Estevez Prada, Mark McKeag, Rich Pierre, Cynthia Phoel
Date: 08/2023
Sponsoring organizations: National 4-H Council, The Bridgespan Group
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Highlights opportunities for philanthropy to contribute to economic mobility in the Black rural South, based on conversations with nonprofit leaders, cooperative extension staff at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), funders, researchers, and others. Identifies 4 mindsets that, if changed, could impact the effectiveness and support of existing institutions that are already active in the Black rural South. Features statistics on per capita grantmaking from 2010-2014 with breakdowns including the Alabama Black Belt and Mississippi Delta region, Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia.
Author(s): Mike Soskis, Angie Estevez Prada, Mark McKeag, Rich Pierre, Cynthia Phoel
Date: 08/2023
Sponsoring organizations: National 4-H Council, The Bridgespan Group
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Linkages Between Rural Community Capitals and Healthcare Provision: A Survey of Small Rural Towns in Three U.S. Regions
Identifies community-level factors affecting the recruitment and retention of rural healthcare professionals through key informant interviews and a survey of healthcare professionals in 9 states across three regions: the Lower Mississippi Delta, the Southern Great Plains, and the Upper Midwest. Explores how the importance of these factors varies across regions and types of healthcare professionals and whether the importance of these factors differs between recruitment and retention.
Additional links: Report Summary
Author(s): John Pender, Maria Kuhns, Cindy Yu, Janice Larson, Shirley Huck
Date: 03/2023
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Identifies community-level factors affecting the recruitment and retention of rural healthcare professionals through key informant interviews and a survey of healthcare professionals in 9 states across three regions: the Lower Mississippi Delta, the Southern Great Plains, and the Upper Midwest. Explores how the importance of these factors varies across regions and types of healthcare professionals and whether the importance of these factors differs between recruitment and retention.
Additional links: Report Summary
Author(s): John Pender, Maria Kuhns, Cindy Yu, Janice Larson, Shirley Huck
Date: 03/2023
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Delta Regional Labor Market and Workforce Report
Reports on issues related to economic distress and inequality in the Delta Region. Identifies promising workforce training practices such as providing mobile training units to rural residents who lack transportation, offering new apprenticeship programs in targeted fields, and creating collaborations between private employers and local governments. Discusses strategies to address disparities such as lack of childcare, poor health, and minority status, among others, that make it difficult for the Delta population to obtain and keep jobs. Includes information about the healthcare industry in the Delta Region.
Author(s): Allison Forbes, Erik Pages, Gabe Moss, et al.
Date: 03/2023
Sponsoring organizations: Center for Regional Economic Competitiveness, Delta Regional Authority, Delta Workforce Program, Entreworks Consulting
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Reports on issues related to economic distress and inequality in the Delta Region. Identifies promising workforce training practices such as providing mobile training units to rural residents who lack transportation, offering new apprenticeship programs in targeted fields, and creating collaborations between private employers and local governments. Discusses strategies to address disparities such as lack of childcare, poor health, and minority status, among others, that make it difficult for the Delta population to obtain and keep jobs. Includes information about the healthcare industry in the Delta Region.
Author(s): Allison Forbes, Erik Pages, Gabe Moss, et al.
Date: 03/2023
Sponsoring organizations: Center for Regional Economic Competitiveness, Delta Regional Authority, Delta Workforce Program, Entreworks Consulting
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