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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Infrastructure

Investing in Rural Capacity: Comprehensive Summary of the National Rural Development Stakeholder Listening Sessions
Discusses investments in capacity that improve quality of life in rural areas. Reports on responses from organizational stakeholders from the 4 U.S. Regional Rural Development Centers based on survey data and listening sessions that took place between 2021 and 2022. Focuses on strategies to address physical infrastructure, workforce and economic development, community vibrancy, climate change, health, agriculture and food systems, and equity in rural areas.
Author(s): Jason S. Entsminger, John J. Green, Rachel Welborn, et al.
Date: 02/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Regional Rural Development Centers
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The Health Equity & Access for Rural Dually Eligible Individuals (HEARD) Toolkit: Raising Rural Voices from New Mexico, North Dakota, and Tennessee to Create Action
Provides an overview on the access barriers and health disparities of Medicaid and Medicare dually eligible individuals residing in rural areas. Presents research and stakeholder feedback from New Mexico, North Dakota, and Tennessee to provide information to policymakers. Discusses topics such as community planning related to equity and infrastructure, workforce capacity and community health workers (CHWs), and social determinants of health.
Author(s): Ellen Breslin, Samantha Di Paola, Susan McGeehan, Rebecca Kellenberg, Andrea Maresca
Date: 01/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Health Management Associates
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Barriers, Facilitators, and Opportunities to Promote Healthy Weight Behaviors among Preschool-Aged Children in Two Rural U.S Communities
Examines barriers, facilitators, and opportunities related to supporting wellness and healthy weight in rural preschool children. Utilizes focus group interviews with parents, caregivers, and community organizations as well as observation of built environment to assess healthy eating and physical activity resources. Discusses wellness barriers and facilitators for preschool children at the family, organization, and community levels.
Author(s): Katherine Jochim Pope, Cason Whitcomb, Maihan Vu, et al.
Citation: BMC Public Health 23, 53
Date: 01/2023
Type: Document
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Neighborhood Greenspace and Changes in Pediatric Obesity During COVID-19
Examines rates of pediatric obesity before the COVID-19 pandemic and during the pandemic as related to normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) or greenspace. Analyzes patient electronic health records (EHRs) of 81,418 children who had a pediatric visit between June 2019 and December 2019 and then again between June 2020 and December 2020. Includes demographic breakdowns of EHR patients by age, sex, race/ethnicity, insurance type, neighborhood measures such as social/economic deprivation and supermarket access, and urban, suburban, or rural location.
Author(s): Stephanie L. Mayne, Shannon Kelleher, Chloe Hannan, et al.
Citation: American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 64(1), 33-41
Date: 01/2023
Type: Document
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2022 Communications Marketplace Report
Examines the state of competition across the broader communications marketplace, as well as laws, regulations, regulatory practices, or marketplace practices that pose a barrier to competitive entry and expansion of the marketplace. Identifies an emerging set of issues and opportunities presented by changes made in response to COVID-19. Includes data on tribal and rural areas throughout, including trends in broadband adoption and the percentage of households with multiple provider options between 2018-2021.
Date: 12/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Federal Communications Commission
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FCC's National Broadband Map: Implications for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program
Provides an overview of the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) broadband mapping activities. Describes the November 2022 National Broadband Map and its implications for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, which was created to provide broadband service to unserved locations. Discusses potential implications of inaccurate data in the National Broadband Map and challenges to the accuracy of the map, as well as considerations for Congress.
Date: 12/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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Broadband/Internet Availability Survey Report
Presents findings of a survey capturing rural broadband and internet availability data as reported by 233 internet companies in NTCA's email database. Breaks down availability by internet speed, network platforms, broadband adoption, and costs to increase customers' speeds, among other data points.
Date: 12/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: NTCA: The Rural Broadband Association
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USDA's ReConnect Program: Expanding Rural Broadband
Provides an overview of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's ReConnect program, which provides loans, grants, and loan/grant combinations to build and enhance broadband infrastructure in eligible rural service areas. Summarizes program details, funding allocations, the three rounds of awards, and funding awards by state. Compares the ReConnect program with other USDA broadband programs. Identifies issues that may impact the program's effectiveness, related legislation introduced in the 117th Congress, and potential policy options.
Date: 12/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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2021 Impact Report: Measuring the Economic and Human Impact of Nonprofit Organizations in Rural America
Highlights key federal programs that support affordable housing and community infrastructure, including water and wastewater disposal. Features successful rural housing programs, describing their work and impact, including health-related improvements and services.
Date: 12/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Housing Coalition
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Advancing Environmental Health and Justice: A Call for Assessment and Oversight of Health Care Waste
Addresses the impact on humans resulting from healthcare waste that is processed, incinerated or transported to landfills. Discusses the inequities that occur with transport and waste sites that disproportionately harm communities of low-income and/or of color in urban and rural areas. Highlights evidence-based strategies and advocacy efforts for public health officials to support when developing solutions to reduce healthcare waste hazards and their effect on humans in rural and urban healthcare systems.
Date: 11/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: American Public Health Association
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