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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Infectious diseases

Broadband Connectivity and COVID-19: The FCC's Response
Describes the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) response to the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically regarding internet access and network reliability. Outlines waived regulations and extended deadlines for several programs, including the Rural Health Care program.
Date: 05/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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Delivery of VA Telehealth Services During COVID-19
Provides an overview of veterans' access to telehealth services provided through the Department of Veterans Affairs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Discusses the funding opportunities through the CARES Act and the Connected Care Pilot Program that aim to assist veterans with obtaining telehealth-related infrastructure during the pandemic.
Date: 05/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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Telehealth and Patient Safety During the COVID-19 Response
Discusses the use of telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic and presents safety protocols to transition care from telehealth to in-person treatment. Looks at the ways telehealth is used as a substitute for regular visits, as well as for monitoring the virus.
Author(s): Neal Sikka, Joel Willis, Eleanor Fitall, et al.
Date: 05/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Patient Safety Network
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COVID-19's Current Impact on Rural Healthcare Delivery: Q&A with Brock Slabach
An interview with Brock Slabach, the National Rural Health Association's Senior Vice President for Member Services. Discusses the impact of COVID-19 on rural healthcare facilities, policy changes impacting rural providers, collaboration among rural communities to help share solutions, and the use of telehealth during the pandemic.
Author(s): Kay Miller Temple
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 05/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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High COVID-19 Attack Rate Among Attendees at Events at a Church — Arkansas, March 2020
Reports on the spread of COVID-19 in a rural Arkansas church in March 2020, as well as spread within the community that was linked to the church.
Author(s): Allison James, Lesli Eagle, Cassandra Phillips, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 69(20), 632-635
Date: 05/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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COVID-19 Presents Significant Risks for American Indian and Alaska Native People
Discusses the disproportionate risks American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) people face as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Provides race/ethnicity breakdowns for risk of serious illness after contracting COVID-19 and uninsured rates among nonelderly individuals. Includes the percent of COVID-19 deaths and cases, as well as the percent of the total population made up by AI/AN individuals for Arizona, New Mexico, Wyoming, and other states.
Date: 05/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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The State of Broadband Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic
Presents the May 13, 2020, U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation hearing on maintaining and expanding high-speed and reliable broadband access during the COVID-19 public health emergency. Examines the impact CARES Act funding directed to support broadband initiatives at the federal, state, and local levels. Testimonies include discussion of challenges and policy options for broadband access in rural areas.
Additional links: Competitive Carriers Testimony, NTCA - The Rural Broadband Association Testimony, Public Knowledge Testimony, USTelecom - The Broadband Association Testimony
Date: 05/2020
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
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Details on HHS' Distribution of Emergency Funds to Hospitals with High COVID-19 Admissions and Rural Providers
An overview of the methodologies the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services used to distribute COVID-19-related funding to hospitals with high numbers of COVID-19 admissions, rural hospitals, Critical Access Hospitals, Rural Health Clinics, and health centers. Includes a comparison of the terms and conditions of the different CARES Act funding programs.
Date: 05/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Mental Health in a Pandemic: Q&A with Thomasine Heitkamp and Dennis Mohatt
An interview with Mountain Plains Mental Health Technology Transfer Center co-directors Thomasine Heitkamp and Dennis Mohatt on the mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Discusses telehealth, economic insecurity, broadband, and mental health under COVID-19 and self-isolation.
Author(s): Allee Mead
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 05/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Metropolitan/Nonmetropolitan COVID-19 Confirmed Cases and General and ICU Beds
Policy brief analyzing the number of hospital beds and cases of COVID-19 during the period from April 13, 2020 to April 19, 2020, to assess what impact the disease might have on rural facilities. Features statistics for counties with and without general and intensive care unit (ICU) beds, with breakdowns by metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas.
Author(s): Fred Ullrich, Keith Mueller
Date: 05/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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