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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Healthcare needs and services

Doula Care and Maternal Health: An Evidence Review
Examines the role of doula care in maternal health as well as impacts, challenges, access, disparities, reimbursement, and policy efforts related to maternity/doula care. Includes a county-level U.S. map of maternity care deserts and discussion of rural-specific maternity programs.
Author(s): Kathleen Knocke, Andre Chappel, Sarah Sugar, Nancy De Lew, Benjamin D. Sommers
Date: 12/2022
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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Racial and Ethnic Differences in Emergency Department Visits Related to Substance Use Disorders, 2019
Explores emergency department (ED) visits related to substance use disorders (SUD) using data from the 2019 Nationwide Emergency Department Sample (NEDS). Presents the number and percentage of SUD-related ED visits by race and ethnicity for selected patient characteristics, including sex, age group, rural/urban location, and the social vulnerability of the county in which the individual resides.
Date: 12/2022
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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Variation in Residential Care Community Resident Characteristics, by Size of Community: United States, 2020
Examines residential care communities in 2020 by community size, which is calculated by the number of residential care beds in their community: 4-25 beds, 26-50 beds, or over 50 beds. Includes data further broken down by selected resident characteristics, including age; Medicaid beneficiary status; prevalence of chronic conditions; and assistance needs for walking, bathing, eating.
Author(s): Christine Caffrey, Amanuel Melekin, Zhaohui Lu, Manisha Sengupta
Date: 12/2022
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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30 Years Of 340B: Preserving The Health Care Safety Net
Discusses the development and purpose of the 340B Drug Pricing Program, and provides an overview of the program. Summarizes research on the impact of the 340B program on hospitals and lessons learned.
Author(s): Henry A. Waxman
Citation: Health Affairs Forefront
Date: 12/2022
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Changes in Hospitalizations and In-Hospital Deaths in the Initial Period of the COVID-19 Pandemic (April–December 2020), 38 States and DC
Presents data from 38 states on the number of all-cause hospitalizations and in-hospital deaths between April-December 2020 compared to the same period in 2019. Includes data by location of patient residence for large metro, medium and small metro, and rural areas.
Author(s): Marc Roemer, Jennifer Welch
Date: 12/2022
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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How the COVID-19 Pandemic Changed Urban and Rural Spending Habits
A collection of charts showing changes in spending in urban and rural areas in 2019 compared to 2020. Includes data on healthcare expenditures, including medical supplies, medical services, health insurance, and prescription drugs. Also covers spending related to food, transportation, and more.
Date: 12/2022
Sponsoring organization: Bureau of Labor Statistics
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Early Changes in Waivered Clinicians and Utilization of Buprenorphine for Opioid Use Disorder After Implementation of the 2021 HHS Buprenorphine Practice Guidelines
Report examines the changes in access to buprenorphine following the implementation of new HHS guidelines as of April 2021. Discusses the revised guidelines and analyzes their effect on access to buprenorphine for patients with opioid use disorder.
Date: 12/2022
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
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Evaluation of the Primary Care First Model: First Annual Report
Provides an overview of the Primary Care First (PCF) model, which aims to enhance primary care and move primary care practitioners toward value-based payment. Describes the first performance year of the PCF model for Cohort 1 practices. Explores advanced primary care attributes that Cohort 1 practices report they possessed at the start of PCF and the approaches these practices have taken or plan to take to change how they deliver advanced primary care. Presents findings on the 13 payers that are partnering with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) as payer partners, including why they chose to partner with CMS and efforts made to align their payments with CMS in the PCF model.
Additional links: Findings at a Glance
Date: 12/2022
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Mathematica
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Rural Public Health Workforce Training Network Program: 2022 Grantee Directory
Provides contact information and brief descriptions for the 32 rural health networks funded by the Rural Public Health Workforce Training Network (RPHWTN) program during the 2022-2025 grant period to expand rural public health capacity. Includes information by state and organization type as well as by program track for community health support, health IT and/or telehealth technical support, community paramedicine, and case management and/or respiratory therapy.
Date: 12/2022
Sponsoring organization: Federal Office of Rural Health Policy
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Public Health Is Local
Discusses ways local health departments (LHDs) of various sizes can collaborate with state and federal partners and successfully implement programs. Considers issues facing current LHDs, such as localism versus centralism, the COVID-19 pandemic, staffing and capacity issues, and more. Offers potential solutions and planning strategies for obstacles LHDs face.
Author(s): Nisha M. Patel, Padmini Ranasinghe, Phillip Phan, et al.
Citation: Health Affairs Forefront
Date: 12/2022
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