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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Economics and the economy

"Economic Development is Population Health": A New Vision for Rural Hospital Leadership
Describes the role that rural hospital investments can play in contributing to community health. Features a Wisconsin Critical Access Hospital making infrastructure investments in their downtown and a New Hampshire medical center investing in public transit and affordable housing.
Author(s): Brendan Stermer
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Access to Capital and Credit for Entrepreneurs and Small Businesses in Appalachia
Reports on small business, entrepreneurship, and capital supply and demand in Appalachia. Describes regional and national trends, and identifies contributing factors. Includes data comparisons by level of rurality, and discusses characteristics and challenges of rural areas throughout.
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Appalachian Regional Commission
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The Impact of Rural General Hospital Closures on Communities—A Systematic Review of the Literature
Presents a literature review of studies on the health and economic effects hospital closures have had on rural communities. Analyzes 21 studies completed in the previous 8 years and details the economic and healthcare access outcomes identified.
Author(s): Carol A. Mills, Valerie A. Yeager, Kathleen T. Unroe, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 40(2), 238-248
Date: 03/2024
Type: Document
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Helping Families Through Upheaval: How Home Visiting Programs Supported Families' Economic Well-Being During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Examines how early childhood home visiting programs continued to support families during the COVID-19 pandemic. Utilizes interviews and existing literature of 9 programs to understand economic struggles, housing, transportation, medical care and health insurance, employment, and more. Provides reflections on the challenges experienced in underserved communities, including rural.
Author(s): Sarah Avellar, Jill Filene, Megan Hague Angus, Anna Beckham, Patrice Cachat
Date: 02/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Administration for Children and Families
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Geographic Variation, Economic Activity, and Labor Market Characteristics in Trajectories of Suicide in the United States, 2008–2020
Presents a study exploring the associations between economic and labor activity and rurality with changes in suicide rates from 2008-2015. Creates county-level economic categories based on economy type and metropolitan status while breaking down the data by age and firearm involvement.
Author(s): Katherine M Keyes, Sasikiran Kandula, Gonzalo Martinez-Ales, et al.
Citation: American Journal of Epidemiology, 193(2), 256–266
Date: 02/2024
Type: Document
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Hearing on Examining Chronic Drug Shortages in the United States
Congressional hearing in the U.S. House of Representatives Ways & Means Committee discussing pharmaceutical drug shortages. Discusses cancer care, healthcare quality, the 340B program, supply and demand, reimbursement, and other policy measures. Witnesses include Dr. Stephen Schleicher discussing rural concerns. Captions available in video player.
Additional links: Dr. Stephen Schleicher Testimony
Date: 02/2024
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: House Ways and Means Committee
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Shaping Change at USDA: Final Report: Recommendations Made to the U.S. Department of Agriculture to Advance Equity for All
Report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Equity Commission to the USDA with 66 recommendations for improving equity in the department. Recommendations cover issues such as nutrition assistance, farmers and farmworkers, rural housing, rural economies, and rural development among other topics.
Author(s): Ertharin Cousin, Arturo S. Rodríguez
Date: 02/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Equity Commission, U.S. Department of Agriculture
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Selected Charts from Ag and Food Statistics: Charting the Essentials, 2024
Report highlights the various measures of the rural and agricultural economy. Includes rates of rural versus urban poverty and unemployment, population change in metro and nonmetro areas, and rates of food security in principal cities, suburban, and rural areas.
Date: 02/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Data in the North Central Region: The Nebraska Rural Poll, the Ohio Farm Poll, and the NCR-Stat
A recorded webinar that provides an overview of data derived from three polls covering the North Central Region (NCR): Nebraska Rural Poll, Ohio Farm Poll, and NCR-Stat. The polls provide NCR-focused information on community well-being and economic development, employment, policy, agriculture and farm households, population health status, and migration.
Author(s): L.J. McElravy, Douglas Jackson-Smith, Zuzana Bednarik
Date: 01/2024
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: North Central Regional Center for Rural Development
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Changes in the U.S. Economy and Rural-Urban Employment Disparities
Describes long-term changes in the U.S. economy associated with rural-urban employment disparities. Identifies industry-level trends affecting employment in rural areas. Presents demographic data related to employment, and highlights findings related to educational attainment, age, and gender.
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System
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