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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Delta Region

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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Kentucky Physician Report 2022
Reports on the Kentucky primary care physician workforce distribution and shortages as of 2022. Features statistics on provider-to-population ratios and geographic distribution, with breakdowns by urban, rural, Delta, and Appalachian areas, and includes a county-level map showing numbers of physicians.
Author(s): Sydney P. Howard, Kaden Boots, Frances Feltner
Date: 08/2023
Sponsoring organization: University of Kentucky Center of Excellence in Rural Health
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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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Speech Language Pathology and Audiology Workforce in Kentucky
Examines the distribution of speech language pathologists (SLPs) and audiologists (AUDs) across Kentucky. Explores unique challenges faced by rural communities in accessing hearing and speech specialists. Features statistics on numbers of SLPs and AUDs in Kentucky, with breakdowns by Appalachian, rural, urban, and Delta areas.
Author(s): Sydney P. Howard, Melissa Slone, Austin Huff, Frances Feltner
Date: 07/2022
Sponsoring organization: University of Kentucky Center of Excellence in Rural Health
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"What We Raise Ourselves": Growing Food Sovereignty in the Mississippi Delta
Discusses strategies to achieve food sovereignty and preserve traditional food practices in the Mississippi Delta based on data from 43 surveys and focus group interviews from 28 participants. Presents information on community gardens, farmers markets, and farm-to-school programs such as Delta EATS to provide more nutritious food options for local communities.
Author(s): Emily A. Holmes, Mary F. Campbell, Ryan Betz
Citation: Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, 11(2), 285-299
Date: 03/2022
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Attitudes and Perceived Barriers Toward Store-and-Forward Teledermatology among Primary Care Providers of the Rural Mississippi
Explores the utilization of teledermatology to make dermatology care accessible in rural and underserved areas of Mississippi. Discusses perceived barriers based on 34 primary care provider surveys, such as time investment to learn the technology and time required to submit a teledermatology consult.
Author(s): Summer Morrissette, Ross L. Pearlman, Margaret Kovar, et al.
Citation: Archives of Dermatological Research, 314, 37-40
Date: 2022
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Technical Assistance Helps Community #SilencetheShameTN
Features behavioral and mental health programming offered by Henry County Medical Center and the community of Paris, Tennessee. Describes technical assistance and resources provided by the Delta Region Community Health Systems Development program to support this effort.
Author(s): Tami Lichtenberg
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 11/2021
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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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: 10/2021
Sponsoring organizations: Center for Regional Economic Competitiveness, Delta Regional Authority, Delta Workforce Program, Entreworks Consulting
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Understanding the Rural Swing Bed: More than Just a Reimbursement Policy
Provides an overview of the swing bed program and its role as a patient-centric post-acute care solution that helps rural hospitals serve their communities. Discusses the impact of the program, reimbursement, quality measures, and more.
Author(s): Kay Miller Temple
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 08/2021
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Rural Poverty Has Distinct Regional and Racial Patterns
Describes the findings of a study of persistent poverty, examining the prevalence of poverty in Appalachia, the Black Belt, the Mississippi Delta, the U.S.-Mexico border, and on Native American lands. Discusses the impacts of persistent poverty on access to healthcare, food access, social programs, and other support services.
Author(s): Tracey Farrigan
Citation: Amber Waves
Date: 08/2021
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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