Skip to main content
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Healthcare needs and services

Developing Community Partnerships and Authentically Engaging Youth to Prevent Substance Use: Successes from the Pyramid Coalition in Hidalgo County, New Mexico
Explores the Pyramid Coalition, a Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Support Program initiative, in rural Hidalgo County, New Mexico. Discusses the coalition's work in preventing youth substance use and highlights best practices for engaging youth in rural and frontier communities.
Author(s): Christina Johnson, Joni Kerr
Citation: Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, 32(6S), S181-S184
Date: 11/2026
view details
Building a Rural, Coalition-Based Approach to Youth Substance Use Prevention: The Drug Free Dickson Coalition Model
Presents a rural coalition-based initiative to address youth substance use in Dickson County, Tennessee. Details a coalition, including local government, schools, healthcare providers, faith-based institutions, and law enforcement, among others, that works to engage youth across the county using evidence-based strategies.
Author(s): Karrie R. Thompson
Citation: Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, 32(6S), S185-S188
Date: 11/2026
view details
How Do Services Offered Within Opioid Treatment Programs Vary Based on State Methadone Policies?
Examines the availability of opioid treatment programs (OTPs) in various states as well as access to medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) options, psychosocial services, and housing supports. Analyzes 1,501 opioid treatment programs (OTPs) and their characteristics, including state restrictiveness, services offered, facility type, rurality, and more.
Author(s): Zoe Lindenfeld, Noa Krawczyk, Erin A. Taylor, Denis Agniel, Jonathan H. Cantor
Citation: Journal of Substance Use & Addiction Treatment, 190, 210062
Date: 11/2026
view details
Miles From Specialty Care, This Island Hospital Has a Plan
Podcast episode discussing how Nantucket Cottage Hospital, a 14-bed hospital 30 miles from the Massachusetts coast, uses telehealth to improve patient care and reduce unnecessary patient transfers.
Date: 10/2026
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
view details
Rural Versus Urban Distribution of Obstetrics and Gynecology Residency Training and Associated Rural Community Characteristics
Examines location of OB/GYN residency program training sites and the community's associated sociodemographic characteristics and healthcare workforce supply. Utilizes 2023-2024 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) data to provide a map showing OB/GYN training site distribution across the U.S. as well as 2022-2023 Area Health Resource File data to analyze healthcare access characteristics of rural communities with or without OB/GYN residency program training sites. Discusses challenges in providing rural-focused opportunities during graduate medical education (GME) rotations and the related impact on maternity care shortages.
Author(s): Ryan Spencer, Mukesh Adhikari, Lori Rodefeld, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 42(4), e70231
Date: 10/2026
view details
2026 Arkansas State Epidemiological Outcomes Workgroup: Annual Profile of Substance Use
Provides information on youth and adult substance abuse in Arkansas to help guide substance abuse prevention decision-making. Highlights consequences such as arrests, suicide, and depression and focuses on alcohol, tobacco, illicit drug, and prescription drug use. Includes county-level profiles and an overview of a variety of community and personal health indicators.
Date: 10/2026
Sponsoring organizations: Arkansas Department of Human Services, UA Little Rock MidSOUTH Center for Prevention and Training, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
view details
Risk Factors for Adolescent Drug and Alcohol Abuse in Arkansas 2025
Provides state, region, and county-level data for Arkansas related to substance abuse by youth. Identifies risk factors associated with drug and alcohol abuse, such as the number of arrests, unemployment, school infractions, tobacco and cannabis retailers, and more, as well as associated public health outcomes such as substance use-related mortality.
Date: 10/2026
Sponsoring organizations: Arkansas Department of Human Services, Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care, UA Little Rock MidSOUTH Center for Prevention and Training
view details
Veterans' Views on Alcohol Use and Experience of Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome Treatment and Subsequent Alcohol Use Disorder Care at Two Highly Rural-Serving VA Hospitals: A Qualitative Study
Presents findings from interviews with veterans with alcohol use disorder (AUD) about the alcohol withdrawal syndrome treatment they received at two rural-serving Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals. Highlights perceived barriers to care and makes suggestions to improving it.
Author(s): Tony Pomales, Daniel Ball, Jeydith Gutierrez, James C. Willey
Citation: Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 49, 902-917
Date: 10/2026
view details
Clinician Discussion of Family Cancer Risk and Use of Genetic Testing Among US Adults With a Family History of Cancer
Examines clinician-patient discussion of family cancer risks and use of genetic testing among U.S. adults with a family history of cancer. Utilizes 2023 National Health Interview Survey data from 9,476 respondents to explore clinician discussion of cancer risk, with breakdowns according to demographics, access to care, rural residence, and receipt of genetic testing.
Author(s): Abe E. Sahmoun
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 23
Date: 10/2026
view details
Notes from the Field: Dengue Outbreak — U.S. Virgin Islands, January 2024–June 2025
Provides an overview of the response to a dengue virus outbreak in the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI). Discusses the addition of diagnostic testing and web-based reporting for dengue in the USVI, clinical training, vector control, and community outreach.
Author(s): Sarah Gallalee, Hannah M. Cranford, Andra Prosper, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 75(40), 607-608
Date: 10/2026
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
view details