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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Healthcare needs and services

Mapping Pharmacy Deserts and Determining Accessibility to Community Pharmacy Services for Elderly Enrolled in a State Pharmaceutical Assistance Program
Identifies pharmacy deserts and examines the availability and accessibility of community pharmacies. Evaluates their services provided to the elderly receiving assistance from the State Pharmaceutical Assistance Program (SPAP) in rural and urban Pennsylvania.
Author(s): Priti Pednekar, Andrew Peterson
Citation: PLoS One, 13(6)
Date: 06/2018
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Palliative Care in California: Narrowing the Gap
Reports on a survey of palliative care programs in California. Includes interactive maps with county-level data on the need for and capacity of palliative care services.
Author(s): Kathleen Kerr
Date: 06/2018
Sponsoring organization: California Health Care Foundation
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Strategies for Expanding Primary Care Capacity in California
Addresses the need to improve the diversity, geographic distribution, and supply of primary care providers in California. Focuses on the education pipeline, recruitment and retention, nurse practitioners and physician assistants, and using data to inform workforce strategies.
Author(s): Janet Coffman, Kris Himmerick
Date: 06/2018
Sponsoring organization: Healthforce Center at UCSF
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Applying the Principles for Digital Development: Case Study of a Smartphone App to Support Collaborative Care for Rural Patients with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder or Bipolar Disorder
Examines ways of incorporating a patient-provider mobile health (mHealth) platform to support the delivery of primary care based mental health services in rural patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and/or bipolar disorder.
Author(s): Amy M. Bauer, Sarah Hodsdon, Jared M. Bechtel, John C. Fortney
Citation: Journal of Medical Internet Research, 20(6), e10048
Date: 06/2018
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Closing Behavioral Health Workforce Gaps: A HRSA Program Expanding Direct Mental Health Service Access in Underserved Areas
Commentary describing HRSA's Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training program, an initiative to address behavioral health disparities through supply and distribution of providers to underserved areas. Includes statistics on employment status and location of 1,975 graduates of the program.
Author(s): Hayden O. Kepley, Robin A. Streeter
Citation: American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 54(6), Supplement 3, S190-S191
Date: 06/2018
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Changes in Influenza Vaccination Requirements for Health Care Personnel in US Hospitals
Results of a study comparing proportions of 1,062 hospitals that did or did not require personnel to be vaccinated for influenza between 2013-2017. Features statistics with breakdowns by urban or rural location and Veterans Affairs (VA) or non-VA hospital type.
Author(s): M. Todd Greene, Karen E. Fowler, David Ratz, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open 1(2)
Date: 06/2018
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Dental Therapy in Minnesota
Reports on the dental therapist workforce in Minnesota offering information on education, certification, licensure, and practice. Discusses the financial viability of dental practices employing dental therapists and how dental therapists can increase access to oral care in rural areas.
Date: 06/2018
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Department of Health
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Rural and Nonrural Primary Care Physician Practices Increasingly Rely on Nurse Practitioners
Details a study comparing rural and urban reliance on nurse practitioners as providers of primary care. Discusses the role of Medicaid expansion and scope of practice in findings.
Author(s): Hilary Barnes, Michael R. Richards, Matthew D. McHugh, Grant Martsolf
Citation: Health Affairs, 37(6)
Date: 06/2018
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Engaging People with Disabilities: Strategies for Rural Health Departments
Discusses various methods for rural health departments to engage with people with disabilities. Highlights differences for rural disabled people. Presents county-level map of rural disabled populations.
Date: 06/2018
Sponsoring organization: National Association of County and City Health Officials
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Vermont Care Network and the State of Vermont: A Shared Data Repository for Community-Based Behavioral Health Providers
Features a case study of the collaboration between HRSA, the Vermont Care Network, and the state of Vermont to create a state-wide data repository for behavioral health and developmental disability services. Details the types of data collected and the process by which it is aggregated and analyzed.
Date: 06/2018
Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Care Strategies
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