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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Healthcare needs and services

USDA Rural Development Rural Health: What We Do
Presents an overview of USDA Rural Development funding for rural health in fiscal year 2024. Covers telehealth and broadband, rural facilities, economic development, housing, infrastructure, mental health and substance use, and emergency medical services.
Date: 11/2024
Sponsoring organization: USDA Rural Development
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Advancing Health Care in Rural, Tribal, and Geographically Isolated Communities: FY2024 Year in Review
Summarizes Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) activities in fiscal year 2024 to advance health and ensure affordable healthcare for people living in rural, tribal, and geographically isolated communities. Covers 6 priority focus areas: applying a community-informed geographic lens; increasing the collection and use of standardized data; strengthening and supporting healthcare professionals; optimizing medical and communication technology; expanding access to comprehensive healthcare coverage, benefits, and services and supports; and driving innovation and value-based care.
Date: 11/2024
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Indiana EMS 2025 Report
Reports on emergency medical services (EMS) in Indiana based on meetings throughout 2023 and 2024 with EMS stakeholders. Focuses on funding and sustainability, operations, education, training, and workforce. Includes discussion on EMS access in rural areas.
Date: 11/2024
Sponsoring organization: Indiana Department of Homeland Security
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An Aging America: Priorities and Policy Innovations
Presents themes that emerged during the National Academy of State Health Policy's 2024 pre-conference on aging. Highlights examples of innovative approaches in New York and North Dakota, as well as federal aging initiatives that support states.
Date: 11/2024
Sponsoring organization: National Academy for State Health Policy
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"The Source of All My Joy and All My Stress": Children and Childcare as Underappreciated Sources of Stress That Affect Farm Women
Identifies themes from focus groups and photovoice with 101 farm women showing the intersections of mental well-being, children and farm safety, farm work, and household responsibilities. Discusses the triple burden of farm women and how expectations of care work on a farm.
Author(s): Florence Becot, Shoshanah Inwood, Hannah Budge
Citation: Journal of Agromedicine, 30(1), 114-131
Date: 11/2024
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Bridging Gaps in Breast Cancer Screening: A Comparative Study of Mexican Women in U.S. Rural and Urban Areas
Examines factors influencing breast cancer screening disparities among 350 Mexican immigrant women aged 40+ in rural and urban communities in Illinois. Compares rural and urban prevalence of barriers and facilitators to screening, including data on geographic and cultural factors.
Author(s): Venera Bekteshi, Mario Schootman
Citation: Journal of Primary Care & Community Health, 15
Date: 11/2024
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Supply and Geographic Distribution of Geriatric Physicians and Geriatric Nurse Practitioners
Results of a study to explore trends in the supply of geriatric physicians (GMDs) and geriatric nurse practitioners (GNPs) from 2010 to 2020, and disparities between metropolitan and nonmetropolitan counties. Features county-level maps showing geographic trends in older adults, GMDs, and GNPs among U.S. counties in 2010 and 2020, and statistics with breakdowns by metropolitan and nonmetropolitan counties.
Author(s): Ying Xue, Lusine Poghosyan, Qinyun Lin
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 7(11), e2444659
Date: 11/2024
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Calendar Year (CY) 2025 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule
Fact sheet providing an overview of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) final rule regarding updates and changes to the Medicare payments under the Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) and other Medicare Part B issues for calendar year 2025. Summarizes provisions related to telehealth services; advanced primary care management services; behavioral health services; opioid treatment programs; dental and oral health services; Rural Health Clinic (RHC) and Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) care coordination services, telecommunication services, intensive outpatient program (IOP) services, and payment for vaccine costs; and more.
Date: 11/2024
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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CY 2025 Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System and Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment System Final Rule (CMS 1809-FC)
Fact sheet providing an overview of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) final rule regarding updates and changes to the Medicare payments for hospital outpatient and Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) services for calendar year 2025. Summarizes provisions regarding changes to Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) and partial hospital program rate setting; incorporating an add-on payment to the Medicare outpatient hospital all-inclusive rate (AIR) for certain high-cost drugs for people with Medicare who receive care at Indian Health Service (IHS) or tribal hospitals; updates to the Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting (OQR), Ambulatory Surgical Center Quality Reporting (ASCQR), and Rural Emergency Hospital Quality Reporting (REHQR) Programs; a new Conditions of Participation (CoPs) for hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) for obstetrical services; Medicaid and CHIP continuous eligibility; Medicaid clinic services "four walls" exceptions; and more.
Date: 11/2024
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Understanding the Impact of Medical Debt in Rural Communities: Perspectives from Rural Hospital Administrators
Presents findings from key informant interviews with rural hospital administrators across seven states regarding the impact of medical debt on hospitals and patients in rural communities. Describes themes related to causes and consequences of medical debt across three domains: hospital, patient/community, and policy.
Author(s): Mariana Tuttle, Ingrid Jacobson, Katie Rydberg, Carrie Henning-Smith
Date: 11/2024
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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