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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Infrastructure

About 1 in 4 Households Experienced a Power Outage in the Span of a Year
Reports on power outages in homes over a 12 month period using the 2023 American Housing Survey. Includes a comparison of rural and urban homes and discusses healthcare-related challenges associated with power outages including operating electrical medical equipment and refrigerating medication.
Author(s): Patrick Madamba
Date: 10/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
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Private Well Water Stewardship in Rural Georgia
Analyzes the factors that impact private well water stewardship behaviors, such as education, the provision of household water treatment systems [HWTS], and the combination of education and HWTS. Utilizes data from 64 private well water owners in rural Georgia to discuss barriers and facilitators to well water testing and treatment.
Author(s): J. Edward Dotherow, Bettye Apenteng, Andrew Hansen, Asli Aslan
Citation: PLoS ONE, 19(9)
Date: 09/2024
Type: Document
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Rural Development: Actions Needed to Improve Assistance to Southwest Border Communities Known as Colonias
Provides an overview of colonias, predominately rural, Hispanic communities near the U.S.-Mexico border. Examines conditions in colonias and the challenges they face in obtaining and using federal assistance. Presents results of an analysis of American Community Survey data, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Housing and Urban Development (HUD) program documentation and funding data for fiscal years 2020–2023, and interviews with stakeholders. Offers recommendations for Congress and the USDA to preserve eligibility to funding set aside for colonias and identify applications for Single Family Housing assistance for projects in colonias.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 09/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Communications and Technology Subcommittee Hearing: "From Introduction to Implementation: A BEAD Program Progress Report"
Recording of a September 10, 2024, House Energy & Commerce Committee Communications and Technology Subcommittee hearing on the status and progress of implementing the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program. Features testimony from Shirley Bloomfield, Chief Executive Officer of NTCA – The Rural Broadband Association.
Additional links: Shirley Bloomfield, NTCA – The Rural Broadband Association - Testimony
Date: 09/2024
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: House Committee on Energy and Commerce
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Water Policy And Planning in Indiana: A 10-year Update
Reports on water supply, regional planning, and recommendations concerning water policy in Indiana. Includes county-level and regional data on water availability, water withdrawals, water governance, state plan examples, and more.
Additional links: Executive Summary
Date: 08/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Indiana Chamber Foundation
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Making Broadband Work for Rural Communities and Native Nations
Case study of broadband deployment efforts to promote digital equity in rural areas and Native nations. Discusses topics including organizational alignment, infrastructure, sustainability, and information exchange.
Date: 08/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Aspen Institute
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Delivery of High-Speed Broadband Services in Unserved and Underserved Areas of the Commonwealth (Pennsylvania): Fifth Annual Report
Provides an update on the role of broadband in education, telehealth, agriculture, and community and economic development; barriers to development; and funding resources. Discusses developments in Pennsylvania state and local initiatives and efforts to identify unserved and underserved Pennsylvania communities.
Author(s): Yvonne Llewellyn Hursh, Bryan W. DeWalt, Lydia Hack, Allison N. Kobzowicz, Wendy L. Baker
Date: 08/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Joint State Government Commission, General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
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Federally Supported Projects and Programs for Wastewater, Drinking Water, and Water Supply Infrastructure
Provides an overview of federally-funded water infrastructure projects, including those in rural areas, as well as programs that provide community support for these types of projects and related activities. Includes information on the federal cost-share, average amount of assistance, fiscal year 2021 funding level, and fiscal year 2024 appropriations highlights for each program.
Date: 08/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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Strengthening Public Health Systems and Services in Indian County
Fact sheet on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) cooperative agreement to strengthen tribal public health system infrastructure. Discusses program goals, funding, community benefits, and more.
Date: 07/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Structural Determinants of Health: Hospitals' Unequal Capital Investments Drive Health Inequities
Examines hospitals' capital investments as a structural factor influencing disparities in patient safety and quality of care at hospitals in the United States. Analyzes topics including hospital economics, federal policy, funding, hospital infrastructure, and more. See Section 5 in particular for discussion of rural hospitals.
Author(s): Eileen Appelbaum, Emma Curchin, Rosemary Batt
Date: 07/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR)
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