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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Health disparities

Understanding the Social Determinants (Drivers) of Rural Suicide: A Focus on North Texas
Webinar discussing social determinants of health (SDOH) as a driver for suicide. Includes both national and Texas-specific statistics. Discusses unique factors for rural populations and rural subgroups at the highest risk. Offers resources and strategies for addressing rural SDOH disparities for suicide prevention. Captions available in the video player.
Date: 01/2024
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: University of Texas at Arlington Center for Rural Health and Nursing
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Michigan's Roadmap to Healthy Communities Phase III: The Innovation Phase 2022-2024
Expands on Phase I and Phase II of a plan to address the social determinants of health (SDOH) to advance equity, provide social and economic opportunities, and improve health outcomes in Michigan. Focuses on the launch of SDOH collaborative hubs, policymaking, and reducing health disparities.
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Michigan Department of Health and Human Services
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CMS Framework for Advancing Health Care in Rural, Tribal, and Geographically Isolated Communities (Webinar)
Recording of a January 2024 webinar providing an overview of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Framework for Advancing Health Care in Rural, Tribal, and Geographically Isolated Communities. Discusses rural health resources, including resources on Coverage to Care, the Tribal Roadmap to Better Care, community engagement efforts, and forthcoming initiatives. Focuses on resources tailored to American Indians and Alaska Natives.
Date: 01/2024
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Mitigating Cancer Disparities Through an Innovative Navigation Program
Describes the development and implementation of a population health navigation program to reduce barriers to cancer care in underserved communities in Western North Carolina and Northwest South Carolina. Provides data on rural program participants, including barriers to cancer care access, program impact on transportation needs and food insecurity, and rates of participation in clinical cancer research. Also covers Black, Hispanic, and adolescent and young adult program participants.
Author(s): Carla Strom, Emily Copus, Karen Winkfield
Citation: North Carolina Medical Journal, 85(1), 25-29
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
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Clinical Risk and Outpatient Therapy Utilization for COVID-19 in the Medicare Population
Evaluates COVID-19 treatment disparities among Medicare beneficiaries, with comparisons by age, race and ethnicity, Medicaid eligibility, nursing home use, telemedicine use, rural/urban status, and more. Utilizes Medicare Master Beneficiary Summary and Standard Analytic Claim files for the year 2022. Provides data on rates of COVID-19 therapy use, including medication, hospitalization, and outpatient treatment. Highlights undertreatment experienced by populations with high risk of severe infection.
Author(s): Andrew D. Wilcock, Stephen Kissler, Ateev Mehrotra
Citation: JAMA Health Forum, 5(1), e235044
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
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Rural-Urban Disparities in Colorectal Cancer Screening, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Survivorship Care: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Systematic review of 39 studies on rural-urban colorectal cancer (CRC) disparities. Summarizes study results related to CRC screening, stage at diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship care. Discusses barriers to access, identifies trends, and evaluates study characteristics.
Author(s): Aryana Sepassi, Meng Li, Jason Zell, Alexandre Chan, Ila M Saunders, Dana B Mukamel
Citation: The Oncologist, 2024
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
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Unequal Treatment Revisited - The Current State of Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Care: Proceedings of a Workshop
Highlights the proceedings of a workshop on addressing racial and ethnic disparities and equitable healthcare delivery. Presents care perspectives for American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities, among others. Discusses health equity research strategies and challenges.
Author(s): Board on Health Care Services
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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Veterans Health: VA Should Improve Its Monitoring of Severe Maternal Complications and Mental Health Screenings
Examines Veterans Administration (VA) data on deaths and severe maternal morbidity among pregnant and postpartum veterans from fiscal year 2011 through 2020. Explores actions the VA has taken to monitor maternal health outcomes among pregnant and postpartum veterans and the extent to which the VA facilitates mental health screenings for these veterans. Offers recommendations to the VA regarding monitoring trends in severe maternal morbidity by veteran characteristics and maternity care coordinators' screening of veterans for mental health conditions. Includes rural references throughout.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Full Committee Oversight Hearing: "Rural Access: Is VA Meeting All Veterans Where They Live?"
The House Committee on Veterans' Affairs full committee oversight hearing discusses rural veteran's access to healthcare through the VA. Features a discussion of the VA's role as both a healthcare provider and a payer via its Community Care Program. Highlights technological challenges related to telehealth, such as lack of broadband connections and technological literacy of older veterans. Presents testimony from the VA, the Government Accountability Office, the Navajo Nation, and veteran advocacy groups, among others.
Additional links: Witnesses' Testimonies
Date: 01/2024
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: House Committee on Veterans' Affairs
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VA Health Care: Office of Rural Health Efforts and Recommendations for Improvement
Presents an evaluation of the Veterans Health Administration's Office of Rural Health (ORH). Discusses the methods the ORH uses to improve healthcare quality and access for rural veterans, such as initiatives to expand VHA services to rural veterans and funding research to improve the healthcare quality in rural areas. Evaluates the ORH's efforts and makes recommendations for improvement.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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