Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Policy
Pandemic Increases Pressure on Rural Hospitals & Communities: Vulnerability, Health Inequity and Staffing Crisis Amplified in Pandemic's Third Year
Examines the stability of the rural healthcare safety net. Discusses disparities between rural and urban communities and communities with hospitals vulnerable to closure. Describes the benefits of COVID-19 relief funding on rural hospitals and how scheduled reimbursement cuts and staffing shortages could impact hospitals' financial stability. Also discusses how staffing shortages impact access to obstetrics and chemotherapy care in rural areas.
Date: 02/2022
Sponsoring organization: Chartis Center for Rural Health
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Examines the stability of the rural healthcare safety net. Discusses disparities between rural and urban communities and communities with hospitals vulnerable to closure. Describes the benefits of COVID-19 relief funding on rural hospitals and how scheduled reimbursement cuts and staffing shortages could impact hospitals' financial stability. Also discusses how staffing shortages impact access to obstetrics and chemotherapy care in rural areas.
Date: 02/2022
Sponsoring organization: Chartis Center for Rural Health
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The Problem Of The Color Line: Spatial Access To Hospital Services For Minoritized Racial And Ethnic Groups
Study examining healthcare access by race and geography, covering distances to hospital services for minoritized ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZTCAs). Discusses factors that lead to disparities in access for rural minority communities, including policy, rural hospital closures, and safety-net program issues.
Additional links: Story Map: The Problem Of The Color Line
Author(s): Jan M. Eberth, Peiyin Hung, Gabriel A. Benavidez, et al.
Citation: Health Affairs, 41(2), 237-246
Date: 02/2022
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Study examining healthcare access by race and geography, covering distances to hospital services for minoritized ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZTCAs). Discusses factors that lead to disparities in access for rural minority communities, including policy, rural hospital closures, and safety-net program issues.
Additional links: Story Map: The Problem Of The Color Line
Author(s): Jan M. Eberth, Peiyin Hung, Gabriel A. Benavidez, et al.
Citation: Health Affairs, 41(2), 237-246
Date: 02/2022
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Meeting the Behavioral Health Needs of Farm Families in Times of Economic Distress
Offers strategies to support development and integration of behavioral health services across healthcare and community-based organizations, including leveraging payment systems to support coordinated care for farm families and aligning federal grant programs to address mental health and substance use disorders. Features recommendations including integrating primary and behavioral care for initial treatment of mental health and substance abuse concerns, expanding the workforce to improve rural behavioral health services capacity, increasing telehealth services, and expanding private and public insurance coverage.
Author(s): Andrew F. Coburn, Alva O. Ferdinand, Alana Knudson, et al.
Date: 02/2022
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
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Offers strategies to support development and integration of behavioral health services across healthcare and community-based organizations, including leveraging payment systems to support coordinated care for farm families and aligning federal grant programs to address mental health and substance use disorders. Features recommendations including integrating primary and behavioral care for initial treatment of mental health and substance abuse concerns, expanding the workforce to improve rural behavioral health services capacity, increasing telehealth services, and expanding private and public insurance coverage.
Author(s): Andrew F. Coburn, Alva O. Ferdinand, Alana Knudson, et al.
Date: 02/2022
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
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The Indian Health Service and American Indian/Alaska Native Health Outcomes
Offers an overview of the history of the U.S. Indian Health Service, describing the agency's efforts to address public health and healthcare needs of American Indian and Alaska Native populations as well as challenges related to meeting those needs. Presents data from various publications on life expectancy, health outcomes, and health disparities.
Author(s): Gina Kruse, Victor A. Lopez-Carmen, Anpotowin Jensen, Lakotah Hardie, Thomas D. Sequist
Citation: Annual Review of Public Health, 43, 559-576
Date: 01/2022
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Offers an overview of the history of the U.S. Indian Health Service, describing the agency's efforts to address public health and healthcare needs of American Indian and Alaska Native populations as well as challenges related to meeting those needs. Presents data from various publications on life expectancy, health outcomes, and health disparities.
Author(s): Gina Kruse, Victor A. Lopez-Carmen, Anpotowin Jensen, Lakotah Hardie, Thomas D. Sequist
Citation: Annual Review of Public Health, 43, 559-576
Date: 01/2022
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January 2022 MedPAC Meeting Transcript
Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) January 2022 meeting. Covers payment adequacy and updates for hospital inpatient and outpatient services, physician and other health professional services, outpatient dialysis services and improving the ESRD payment system, skilled nursing facility services, home health agency services, long-term care hospital services, inpatient rehabilitation facility services, hospice services, and ambulatory surgical center services. Includes rural references throughout.
Date: 01/2022
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) January 2022 meeting. Covers payment adequacy and updates for hospital inpatient and outpatient services, physician and other health professional services, outpatient dialysis services and improving the ESRD payment system, skilled nursing facility services, home health agency services, long-term care hospital services, inpatient rehabilitation facility services, hospice services, and ambulatory surgical center services. Includes rural references throughout.
Date: 01/2022
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Advisory Committee on Interdisciplinary, Community-Based Linkages (ACICBL) Meeting Minutes, January 20-21, 2022
Summarizes the Advisory Committee on Interdisciplinary, Community-Based Linkages (ACICBL) meeting held on January 20-21, 2022. Includes updates from the Bureau of Health Workforce and discussion on healthcare workforce resiliency and mental health. Features a presentation by the Wisconsin Council on Medical Education and Workforce on recruiting and retaining rural healthcare professionals.
Date: 01/2022
Sponsoring organization: Advisory Committee on Interdisciplinary Community-Based Linkages
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Summarizes the Advisory Committee on Interdisciplinary, Community-Based Linkages (ACICBL) meeting held on January 20-21, 2022. Includes updates from the Bureau of Health Workforce and discussion on healthcare workforce resiliency and mental health. Features a presentation by the Wisconsin Council on Medical Education and Workforce on recruiting and retaining rural healthcare professionals.
Date: 01/2022
Sponsoring organization: Advisory Committee on Interdisciplinary Community-Based Linkages
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Use of a Research as Intervention Approach to Explore Telebehavioral Health Services During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Southeastern Idaho
Study examining telebehavioral health provision in southeastern Idaho, covering COVID-19 and the expansion of telebehavioral health in the region. Discusses provider experiences based on interviews and reflective activities involving 7 primary care and behavioral health providers.
Author(s): Diana C. Schow, Ann Thomson, Wilson T. Trusty, Laurel Buchi-Fotre
Citation: Journal of Primary Care and Community Health, 13
Date: 01/2022
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Study examining telebehavioral health provision in southeastern Idaho, covering COVID-19 and the expansion of telebehavioral health in the region. Discusses provider experiences based on interviews and reflective activities involving 7 primary care and behavioral health providers.
Author(s): Diana C. Schow, Ann Thomson, Wilson T. Trusty, Laurel Buchi-Fotre
Citation: Journal of Primary Care and Community Health, 13
Date: 01/2022
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The Effectiveness of Policies to Improve Primary Care Access for Underserved Populations: An Assessment of the Literature
Review of research literature to assess whether policy initiatives targeting primary care access for rural and underserved populations has been effective in reducing healthcare disparities. Initiatives considered include availability, accessibility, accommodation, affordability, and acceptability.
Additional links: Fact Sheet: Alleviating Structural Barriers to Obtaining Primary Care Services, Fact Sheet: Bringing Outpatient Clinics into Communities, Fact Sheet: Ensuring Comfort and Communication in the Delivery of Primary Care Services, Fact Sheet: Increasing the Availability of Primary Care Clinicians, Fact Sheet: Removing Financial Barriers to Primary Care
Author(s): Maanasa Kona, Megan Houston, Nia Gooding
Date: 01/2022
Sponsoring organization: Milbank Memorial Fund
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Review of research literature to assess whether policy initiatives targeting primary care access for rural and underserved populations has been effective in reducing healthcare disparities. Initiatives considered include availability, accessibility, accommodation, affordability, and acceptability.
Additional links: Fact Sheet: Alleviating Structural Barriers to Obtaining Primary Care Services, Fact Sheet: Bringing Outpatient Clinics into Communities, Fact Sheet: Ensuring Comfort and Communication in the Delivery of Primary Care Services, Fact Sheet: Increasing the Availability of Primary Care Clinicians, Fact Sheet: Removing Financial Barriers to Primary Care
Author(s): Maanasa Kona, Megan Houston, Nia Gooding
Date: 01/2022
Sponsoring organization: Milbank Memorial Fund
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Integrating SUD and OB/GYN Care: Policy Challenges and Opportunities Final Report
Describes opportunities to integrate obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN) and substance use disorder (SUD) care to address treatment opportunities and reduce the impacts of SUD on mothers, children, and healthcare spending. Provides a review of literature on the effectiveness of integrated OB/GYN and SUD models, a scan of integrated models. Summarizes selected findings from subject matter experts on incentives for integrated OB/GYN and SUD models, as well as state and federal policy options to encourage the expansion of integrated OB/GYN and SUD care. Includes rural references throughout.
Author(s): Julie Seibert, Erin Dobbins, Elysha Theis, et al.
Date: 01/2022
Sponsoring organizations: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, RTI International
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Describes opportunities to integrate obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN) and substance use disorder (SUD) care to address treatment opportunities and reduce the impacts of SUD on mothers, children, and healthcare spending. Provides a review of literature on the effectiveness of integrated OB/GYN and SUD models, a scan of integrated models. Summarizes selected findings from subject matter experts on incentives for integrated OB/GYN and SUD models, as well as state and federal policy options to encourage the expansion of integrated OB/GYN and SUD care. Includes rural references throughout.
Author(s): Julie Seibert, Erin Dobbins, Elysha Theis, et al.
Date: 01/2022
Sponsoring organizations: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, RTI International
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Access Granted: Rural Broadband Options, Obstacles, and Solutions
Report describing the importance of broadband access for rural education, healthcare, economic development, equality, and climate impact. Discusses connectivity options and barriers to expanding broadband infrastructure, and examines consumer, community, and policy actions to reduce barriers and expand access.
Author(s): Molly Malone
Date: 01/2022
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Affairs
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Report describing the importance of broadband access for rural education, healthcare, economic development, equality, and climate impact. Discusses connectivity options and barriers to expanding broadband infrastructure, and examines consumer, community, and policy actions to reduce barriers and expand access.
Author(s): Molly Malone
Date: 01/2022
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Affairs
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