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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Health disparities

Area Deprivation Is Higher among Rural Counties — but Not All Rural Counties Are Deprived
Examines the role of residence and community deprivation on potentially avoidable hospitalizations among children. Introduces the Area Deprivation Index, applies the index to counties across the United States, and analyzes rates of potentially avoidable hospitalizations by urban and rural locations across 9 states. (Part 1 of a 2-part series.)
Additional links: Fact Sheet
Author(s): Nathan Hale, Janice C. Probst, Ashley Robertson
Date: 08/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural and Minority Health Research Center (formerly the South Carolina Rural Health Research Center)
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Rural Health Care Disparities Created by Medicare Regulations
Transcript of a July 28, 2015, U.S. House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee, Subcommittee on Health hearing concerning rural healthcare disparities created by Medicare regulations. Features testimony from the Arizona Center for Rural Health and leaders from two Critical Access Hospitals and one rural hospital. Covers physician shortages; graduate medical education; the impact of regulatory changes such as the 96-hour rule, the two-midnight rule, and physician supervision requirements; and more.
Additional links: Carrie Saia, Holton Community Hospital - Testimony, Daniel Derksen, Arizona Center for Rural Health - Testimony, Shannon Sorensen, Brown County Hospital - Testimony, Tim Joslin, Community Regional Medical Centers - Testimony
Date: 07/2015
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: House Ways and Means Committee, Subcommittee on Health
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Government and Philanthropies Join Forces for Rural Health
Overview of the work of the Rural Health Philanthropy Partnership, a collaboration between rural federal programs and rural-focused trusts and foundations. Describes a care coordination program the group developed, and discusses an upcoming focus on the priority area of leadership in health equity.
Author(s): Becca Cruger
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 06/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Disparities in Colorectal Cancer Treatment Delay Within Appalachia – The Role of For-Profit Hospitals
Discusses the timeliness of colorectal cancer (CRC) treatment in rural hospitals of the Appalachian regions of Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina. Study uses data from the 2006-2008 Central Cancer Registry (CCR) as well as Medicare claims to identify delays between diagnosis and treatment in healthcare facilities with various funding models.
Author(s): Eric E. Seiber, Fabian Camacho, Muhammad Fazal Zeeshan, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 31(4), 382-391
Date: 05/2015
Type: Document
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National Advisory Committee on Rural Health & Human Services Meeting Minutes, Slade, Kentucky, May 27-29, 2015
Provides a summary of the 77th meeting of the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services. Discusses health disparities in Appalachia, social determinants of health, including poverty and economic development, and how federal programs are working to address these issues.
Date: 05/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
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Improving Access and Provision of Preventive Oral Health Care for Very Young, Poor, and Low-Income Children Through a New Interdisciplinary Partnership
Describes a demonstration model in which dental care and education was provided by a nurse practitioner-dietitian team to 4,360 Ohio preschool children enrolled in the Women, Infants, and Children program at one urban and one rural site.
Author(s): Diana L. Biordi, Marjet Heitzer, Eric Mundy, et al.
Citation: American Journal of Public Health, 105(Suppl 2), e23-e29
Date: 04/2015
Type: Document
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Service Learning: A Vehicle for Building Health Equity and Eliminating Health Disparities
Details 5 different seven-day long service learning courses for emerging health professionals focused on urban, rural, border, and indigenous health. Includes information on the course themes, partners, impacts on the students, and communities.
Author(s): Samantha Sabo, Jill de Zapien, Nicolette Teufel-Shone, et al.
Citation: American Journal of Public Health, 105(Suppl 1), S38-S43
Date: 03/2015
Type: Document
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Disparities Persist in Nutrition Policies and Practices in Minnesota Secondary Schools
Examines school nutrition policies and practices by school characteristics in Minnesota secondary schools between 2008 and 2012. Compares school nutrition policies by rural versus urban/suburban location and across three main areas: the availability of low-nutrient, energy dense (LNED) items, strategies to engage students in healthy eating, and restrictions on advertising LNED products around the school.
Author(s): Caitlin Eicher Caspi, Cynthia Davey, Toben F. Nelson, et al.
Citation: Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 115(3), 419-425
Date: 03/2015
Type: Document
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Appalachia Then and Now: Examining Changes to the Appalachian Region since 1965
Presents a comparison of collected data on the Appalachian region from the 1960s and 2010s. Discusses a variety of determinants of health, including poverty, mortality, infrastructure, and employment, among others. Document includes Executive Summary, Technical Report, and State Meetings Report.
Additional links: Overview
Date: 02/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Appalachian Regional Commission
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QuickStats: Percentage of Adults Aged ≥45 Years with Selected Diagnosed Chronic Conditions, by Number of Conditions and Urban/Rural Classification - National Health Interview Survey, 2013
Chart showing the percentage of adults 45 and older with zero, one, or two or more chronic conditions, for rural areas, urban areas, and the U.S. overall.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 63(53), 1247
Date: 01/2015
Type: Chart/Graph
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