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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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The Financial Impact of Pregnancy and Childbirth Among Louisiana Medicaid Beneficiaries
Examines the relationship between pregnancy and financial health of women in Louisiana. Analyzes 2017-2020 Medicaid claims data and credit reports of 76,468 patients and provides breakdowns of credit scores, medical debt, and nonmedical debt by demographics, pregnancy status, and rural versus urban location.
Author(s): Brigham Walker, Ethan Tsai, Andrew Anderson, Melissa Evans, Kevin Callison
Citation: Health Services Research, 61(5), e70166
Date: 10/2026
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Examines the relationship between pregnancy and financial health of women in Louisiana. Analyzes 2017-2020 Medicaid claims data and credit reports of 76,468 patients and provides breakdowns of credit scores, medical debt, and nonmedical debt by demographics, pregnancy status, and rural versus urban location.
Author(s): Brigham Walker, Ethan Tsai, Andrew Anderson, Melissa Evans, Kevin Callison
Citation: Health Services Research, 61(5), e70166
Date: 10/2026
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Personalized Environmental Risk Communication and Cancer Screening Intent among Rural Private Well Users
Presents findings from a private well testing and cancer education initiative in Georgia's Tattnall, Bulloch, and Evans counties. Includes data on well contaminants, understanding of well testing results, environmental risk communication, and cancer screening intent among 100 rural well owners.
Author(s): Victoria Clower, Andrew Hansen, Jeff Jones, Asli Aslan
Citation: Preventive Medicine Reports, 70, 103620
Date: 10/2026
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Presents findings from a private well testing and cancer education initiative in Georgia's Tattnall, Bulloch, and Evans counties. Includes data on well contaminants, understanding of well testing results, environmental risk communication, and cancer screening intent among 100 rural well owners.
Author(s): Victoria Clower, Andrew Hansen, Jeff Jones, Asli Aslan
Citation: Preventive Medicine Reports, 70, 103620
Date: 10/2026
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Veterans Affairs Clinical Resource Hub Improve Access to Mental Health Services for Rural Veterans
Evaluates 627,436 telemental health service encounters over 5 years with rural veterans to determine the impact of 18 Clinical Resource Hubs on access to mental healthcare. Discusses how utilization of telemental health services increased over the 5 years, trends in modality types, and mental health diagnoses, in addition to other demographic characteristics.
Author(s): Erin Jaske, Chelle L. Wheat, Bradford Felker, et al.
Citation: Telemedicine and e-Health, 32(10), 995-1002
Date: 10/2026
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Evaluates 627,436 telemental health service encounters over 5 years with rural veterans to determine the impact of 18 Clinical Resource Hubs on access to mental healthcare. Discusses how utilization of telemental health services increased over the 5 years, trends in modality types, and mental health diagnoses, in addition to other demographic characteristics.
Author(s): Erin Jaske, Chelle L. Wheat, Bradford Felker, et al.
Citation: Telemedicine and e-Health, 32(10), 995-1002
Date: 10/2026
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Veterans Health Care: Information on Eligibility for and Use of Dental Benefits
Provides an overview of Veterans Health Administration (VHA) dental benefits and eligibility. Describes the number and percentage of VHA-enrolled veterans who were eligible for VA dental benefits between 2020 and 2025. Presents data by demographic characteristics, including age and rural residence. Explores the potential effect of expanding eligibility for VA dental benefits to all veterans with a heart disease diagnosis. Appendix I discusses VHA's use of teledentistry between 2020 and 2025, including the number and percentage of VHA facilities, by facility type and rurality, that provided at least one dental visit by teledentistry.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Provides an overview of Veterans Health Administration (VHA) dental benefits and eligibility. Describes the number and percentage of VHA-enrolled veterans who were eligible for VA dental benefits between 2020 and 2025. Presents data by demographic characteristics, including age and rural residence. Explores the potential effect of expanding eligibility for VA dental benefits to all veterans with a heart disease diagnosis. Appendix I discusses VHA's use of teledentistry between 2020 and 2025, including the number and percentage of VHA facilities, by facility type and rurality, that provided at least one dental visit by teledentistry.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Supporting Agricultural Workers, and Their Mental Health
Short video discusses mental health struggles in the agricultural community and explores the story of a ranching family that lost a loved one to suicide. Details the Farm State of Mind campaign, which offers peer support and counseling.
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: Pew
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Short video discusses mental health struggles in the agricultural community and explores the story of a ranching family that lost a loved one to suicide. Details the Farm State of Mind campaign, which offers peer support and counseling.
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: Pew
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Building a Robust Primary Care Workforce: Diffusing Lessons Across States
Blog post examining primary care workforce shortages in rural and underserved areas. Describes efforts by Missouri, North Carolina, and Wisconsin to develop and implement state-level graduate medical education strategies to increase their primary care workforce.
Author(s): Erin Fraher, Andreas Stomby
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: Milbank Memorial Fund
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Blog post examining primary care workforce shortages in rural and underserved areas. Describes efforts by Missouri, North Carolina, and Wisconsin to develop and implement state-level graduate medical education strategies to increase their primary care workforce.
Author(s): Erin Fraher, Andreas Stomby
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: Milbank Memorial Fund
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A Community-Focused Rural Academic Health Department Model in North Carolina: Elevating Community Engagement, Rural Public Health Practice and Research
Examines the collaboration among a rural district health department, the local community in north-central North Carolina, and academic partnerships. Discusses the development of a rural academic health department (RAHD) and its work related to public health research and interventions in rural areas.
Author(s): Carmen D. Samuel-Hodge, Lisa Macon Harrison, Wendy Smith, et al.
Citation: Frontiers in Public Health, 14
Date: 09/2026
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Examines the collaboration among a rural district health department, the local community in north-central North Carolina, and academic partnerships. Discusses the development of a rural academic health department (RAHD) and its work related to public health research and interventions in rural areas.
Author(s): Carmen D. Samuel-Hodge, Lisa Macon Harrison, Wendy Smith, et al.
Citation: Frontiers in Public Health, 14
Date: 09/2026
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