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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Infectious diseases

The Universal Service Fund and COVID-19: The FCC and Industry Response
An overview of three Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Universal Service Fund programs and actions taken through these programs in response to COVID-19. Describes the steps taken through the Rural Health Care Program to promote access to telehealth services during the public health emergency.
Date: 06/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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Best Practices in Adoption of Telehealth: COVID 19 and Beyond
A series of Project ECHO sessions to teach healthcare providers the best methods of providing care to patients through telemedicine consultations and thereby limiting exposure to COVID-19.
Date: 06/2020
Type: Tutorial/Training
Sponsoring organizations: ECHO Institute, University of New Mexico's Health Science Center
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Missouri Rapid Rural Population Health Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic
Provides overview of how University of Missouri Extension was able to respond to rural counties during COVID-19. Examines challenges for rural Missourians related to COVID-19 including limited access to rural hospitals, lack of broadband internet, and chronic diseases prevalent in rural populations. Discusses partnerships between state governments and land grant universities to address current and future pandemics and epidemics.
Author(s): Kathleen Quinn, Jennifer L. Eldridge Houser, Julie M. Kapp
Citation: Missouri Medicine, 117(3), 177-179
Date: 05/2020
Type: Document
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RHC COVID-19 Testing Funds: What You Need to Know
Recording of a May 26, 2020, webinar providing information about the funding appropriated by the Congress as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act for Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) to support COVID-19 testing and related activities. Discusses the specific terms and conditions RHCs will have to meet when spending the money to defeat the pandemic. Part of the Rural Health Clinic Technical Assistance Series.
Additional links: Presentation Slides, Transcript
Date: 05/2020
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Rural Health Clinics
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The Impact of the Coronavirus on Local Food Insecurity
Investigates the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on food insecurity in the United States by examining county- and state-level data on changes in food insecurity from 2018-2020. Highlights information from counties in rural areas.
Date: 05/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Feeding America
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Rural Health and COVID-19
Webinar recording discusses the federal government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic in rural communities in the areas of healthcare and human services. Features presentations by representatives from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Health Resources and Services Administration.
Additional links: Audio Recording, CDC Rural Health Resources, Presentation Slides, Webinar Transcript
Date: 05/2020
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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HIV Prevention and Treatment Challenges in Rural America
Provides an overview of the prevalence of HIV and access to HIV prevention and treatment services in rural communities. Discusses challenges to providing and accessing HIV prevention and treatment efforts in rural areas, including the lack of local healthcare services, the cost of care, and HIV-related stigma. Describes federal programs that support HIV prevention and treatment services in rural areas. Offers policy recommendations to address these barriers and to reduce rural HIV disparities.
Date: 05/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
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Embracing the Power of Show-Me ECHO Learning Communities to Transform Clinical Practice in Missouri
Describes the Show-Me ECHO project, a collaborative video and case-based healthcare education model in Missouri that facilitates professional development across the state. Describes Show-Me ECHO's role in bringing clinicians together to share and learn through practical and experiential knowledge in order to expand healthcare access in rural and underserved communities. Specifically addresses Show-Me ECHO's impacts on knowledge sharing and collaboration in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Author(s): Lea Brandt, Melissa Warne-Griggs, Kimberly Hoffman, Lori Popejoy, E. Rachel Mutrux
Citation: Missouri Medicine, 117(3), 216-221
Date: 05/2020
Type: Document
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Finding Innovation and Resilience During the COVID-19 Pandemic: How Rural Health Organizations Are Adapting Their Program Strategies
Summarizes a series of virtual peer learning sessions in response to COVID-19 for current Rural Health Care Services Outreach Program, Rural Health Network Development, Small Healthcare Provider Quality Improvement, and Delta States Rural Development Network program grantees. Provides an overview of common themes that emerged from the sessions. Discusses the challenges and innovations made to implement rural health and public programs across six areas: community health workers, data collection and evaluation, virtual trainings, peer support services and recovery supports, telehealth utilization, and schools.
Additional links: Adaptive Strategies for Rural Grantees Amid COVID-19: Adjusting Approaches to Data Collection and Utilization, Adaptive Strategies for Rural Grantees Amid COVID-19: Peer Support and Recovery Services in a Virtual Environment, Adaptive Strategies for Rural Grantees Amid COVID-19: Strategies for Supporting Community by Maintaining Work With Schools, Adaptive Strategies for Rural Grantees Amid COVID-19: Taking Community Health Worker Practice Virtual, Adaptive Strategies for Rural Grantees Amid COVID-19: Using Telehealth in New and Improved Ways to Meet Emerging Needs, Guide for Planning and Hosting an Effective Virtual Meeting/Training Event
Author(s): Tanisa Adimu, John Butts, Coleman Tanner, et al.
Date: 05/2020
Type: Website
Sponsoring organization: Georgia Health Policy Center
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COVID-19 and Rural Hospital Struggles
Recording of a May 14, 2020, webinar on healthcare delivery and financial challenges facing rural hospitals as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Features leaders from health systems in Iowa, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Transcript available by clicking the dots above the video description, then selecting Show Transcript.
Date: 05/2020
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Bipartisan Policy Center
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