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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Emergency preparedness and response

Assessing the Impact of COVID-19 on Rural Hospitals
Explores the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on rural hospital financial performance. Presents data on profitability and patient care margin trends from 2017 to 2022. Describes characteristics of rural hospitals in three categories of patient care margins: those that always had negative margins, always had positive margins, and those with mixed margins. Discusses the impact of COVID-19 relief funding on total hospital margins.
Author(s): Saleema A. Karim, Nathan W. Carroll, Paula H. Song, Adam Atherly
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: American Hospital Association, Department of Health Administration at the Virginia Commonwealth University College of Health Professions
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Health Care Coalitions: A Resource to Support Critical Access Hospital Emergency Preparedness Planning
Describes unique challenges Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) face regarding emergency preparedness planning. Presents findings from interviews with leaders from eight statewide or regional healthcare coalitions (HCCs) regarding strategies and resources HCCs provide to support the CAH emergency preparedness planning process.Outlines the functions and roles of HCCs by the four Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) capability goals.
Author(s): John Gale, Karen Pearson, Rebecca Stearns
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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The Health and Social Impacts of the Maui Wildfires: Post-Disaster Care from a Sociocultural Lens
Highlights the impact of a wildfire event on existing health and social service disparities in Maui, Hawaii. Discusses housing, employment, finances, mental health, suicide risk, culture, social isolation, rurality, and service limitations. Notes opportunities and challenges for addressing these impacts using telehealth and outside assistance.
Author(s): Ryan Holliday, Lauren S. Krishnamurti, Shiloh E. Jordan, et al.
Citation: Hawai'i Journal of Health & Social Welfare, 83(3), 85-87
Date: 03/2024
Type: Document
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Ready or Not 2024: Protecting the Public's Health from Diseases, Disasters, and Bioterrorism
Report explores the readiness of state public health systems to respond to emergencies, such as diseases, disasters, and bioterrorism. Focuses on measures such as hospital safety scores, vaccination rates, and water system maintenance, among others. Includes rural considerations throughout.
Author(s): Matt McKillop, Rhea K. Farberman, Dara Alpert Lieberman
Date: 03/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Trust for America's Health
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How Rural Hospitals Can Use AI to Address AR Challenges and Workforce Shortages with Kelly Arduino, MA, MBA
Podcast episode discussing some of the challenges rural healthcare organizations face, including workforce shortages, artificial intelligence (AI) and technology, finances, and cybersecurity. Describes the impact recruiting local leaders can have on rural health organizations.
Date: 02/2024
Type: Audio
Sponsoring organization: Impact! Communications, Inc.
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Health Industry Cybersecurity Strategic Plan
Presents a strategic plan for cybersecurity in the health industry, and provides supplementary materials. Identifies industry trends, cybersecurity goals, objectives, and measurable outcomes, and describes the significance of cybersecurity to healthcare delivery organizations. Suggests possibilities for implementation, industrial collaboration, and policy development. Includes discussion of rural health service providers.
Additional links: Full Strategic Plan (2024-2029)
Date: 02/2024
Type: Website
Sponsoring organization: Health Sector Coordinating Council (HSCC) Cybersecurity Working Group
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Small Business Administration: Targeted Outreach about Disaster Assistance Could Benefit Rural Communities
Examines disaster loan trends in rural and urban areas using geocoded Small Business Administration (SBA) disaster loan application data for fiscal years 2017 through 2022. Describes challenges rural communities may face in seeking disaster assistance from SBA and actions SBA could take to address these challenges.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 02/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Infection Control Policies and Practices in Residential Care Communities by Selected Organizational and Geographic Characteristics: United States, 2020
Presents nationally representative data on the percentage of residential care communities with emergency operations plans that are specific to or include pandemic response, approaches to implement these plans, and infection control policies and practices. Compares infection control policies and practices by metropolitan status, community bed size, ownership status, chain affiliation, and whether the community has a designated space for dementia care.
Author(s): Amanuel Melekin, Manisha Sengupta
Date: 02/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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Rural Cafe: Health Equity in Action, Lessons Learned and Best Practices
A recorded discussion of local health department stakeholders on health equity, emergency preparedness and response, and problem-solving in rural areas. Transcript available below description.
Date: 01/2024
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: National Association of County and City Health Officials
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Fortifying Community Health Centers: Fostering Community Resilience, Equitable Response, and Disaster Preparedness
Discusses the impact of community health centers, with a focus on the diverse patients they serve, the low-cost/high-quality healthcare, and the ability to serve patients with complex needs. Includes discussion on disaster response, care coordination, and policies, such as those related to telehealth, that affect community health center work.
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Association of Clinicians for the Underserved, Healthcare Ready
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