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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Policy

Discretionary Transportation Grants: DOT Should Improve Transparency in the Infrastructure for Rebuilding America Program
Examines the Department of Transportation (DOT)'s processes to solicit, evaluate, and select applications for Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) grant awards in fiscal year (FY) 2022, and the extent to which DOT's evaluation and selection processes aligned with federal guidance. Includes information about the Rural Surface Transportation program, which receives INFRA funding, and statistics on number of INFRA grant awards in FYs 2016–2022, with breakdowns by urban and rural areas.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 01/2024
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Frontline Presence, Building Trust, Emergency Preparedness, and Lessons Learned: Q&A with Dr. Tim Putnam
An interview with Tim Putnam sharing rural health leadership insights from his experiences as a rural hospital CEO, a member of a White House task force, and in an academic healthcare policy position.
Author(s): Kay Miller Temple
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 01/2024
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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VA Health Care: Office of Rural Health Efforts and Recommendations for Improvement
Presents an evaluation of the Veterans Health Administration's Office of Rural Health (ORH). Discusses the methods the ORH uses to improve healthcare quality and access for rural veterans, such as initiatives to expand VHA services to rural veterans and funding research to improve the healthcare quality in rural areas. Evaluates the ORH's efforts and makes recommendations for improvement.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 01/2024
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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A Guide to Understanding Mental Health Systems and Services in Texas
Presents an overview of the mental health system in Texas to help policymakers, advocates, and individuals, including the structure of and services provided by Texas state agencies. Discusses implications and outcomes of rural mental health and substance abuse prevention policy and programs.
Date: 2024
Sponsoring organization: Hogg Foundation for Mental Health
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How to Solve New Mexico's Health Care Worker Shortage
Proposes state-level policy and funding changes to address healthcare workforce shortages in New Mexico, covering topics including Medicaid reimbursement, financial incentives for education and practice, credentialing, workforce programs, and more. Highlights the needs of rural and tribal communities, including discussion of rural provider retention, workforce pipelines, the Rural Healthcare Tax Credit (RHTC), and state and federal cooperation with tribal nations.
Date: 2024
Sponsoring organization: Think New Mexico
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Toward a Framework to Improve Diversity and Inclusion in Clinical Trials: Proceedings of a Workshop
Summarizes a May 2024 workshop discussing opportunities for increasing representation in clinical trials. Report discusses community engagement, data best practices, access to trials in their communities, perspectives of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and cross-sector collaborations. Includes information on community-based research, ethics, and relationship building within tribal communities as well as infrastructure challenges in rural clinical trial site selection.
Additional links: Read Online
Author(s): National Cancer Policy Forum
Date: 2024
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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340B Discount Drug Program Reform Policy Principles
Policy position paper on the 340B program. Explores ways in which the program benefits rural health systems and patients, and the impact of restrictions by drug manufacturers on rural safety net providers.
Date: 2024
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Generating a Profile of the Near Dual Population
Chart pack from a project examining policy approaches to supporting Near Duals, who are adults aged 65+ experiencing financial precarity and not currently dually enrolled in Medicare and full-benefit Medicaid, utilizing Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) and Medicare administrative claims data. Analyzes characteristics of Near Dual population, including data on Near Duals' likelihood of living in rural and medically underserved areas.
Additional links: Project Overview: Defining and Examining the Near Duals
Date: 2024
Sponsoring organization: NORC at the University of Chicago
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Compendium of Best Practices for Rural Age-Friendly Care
Offers best practices, models of care, policies, and more related to offering age-friendly care in rural settings. Covers care coordination, caregiving support, behavioral health, community programming, community health workers, the 4Ms, and state-level priorities.
Date: 2024
Sponsoring organizations: National Rural Health Association, The John A. Hartford Foundation
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Essential Health Care Services Related to Anxiety and Mood Disorders in Women: Proceedings of a Workshop
Summarizes a workshop from April 2024 discussing essential healthcare services across the female lifespan for anxiety and mood disorders, policy, impacts on particular populations, and improving care provision. Discusses access concerns for rural and Native American women throughout.
Additional links: Read Online
Author(s): Board on Health Care Services
Date: 2024
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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