Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Policy
Obstetric Readiness in Rural Communities Lacking Hospital Labor and Delivery Units
Policy brief discussing the current rural maternal healthcare workforce and their capacity to manage obstetric emergencies during pregnancy, labor, and delivery. Offers recommendations to promote obstetric readiness for emergency care in rural hospitals without obstetric units and support for community-based, emergency department-adjacent health workers.
Author(s): Eneka Lamb, Madeline Merwin, Quinyatta Mumford, et al.
Date: 02/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Policy brief discussing the current rural maternal healthcare workforce and their capacity to manage obstetric emergencies during pregnancy, labor, and delivery. Offers recommendations to promote obstetric readiness for emergency care in rural hospitals without obstetric units and support for community-based, emergency department-adjacent health workers.
Author(s): Eneka Lamb, Madeline Merwin, Quinyatta Mumford, et al.
Date: 02/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Integrating Z Coding for Social Determinants of Health and Its Impact on Rural Areas
Policy brief discussing the potential impact of utilizing Z codes to capture important information on social determinants of health in rural areas barriers for identifying and reporting these codes in rural communities and healthcare settings. Offers recommendations for policies and actions to increase the use and effectiveness of Z codes, especially among rural, under-resourced health providers.
Author(s): Elizabeth Hall-Lipsy, Joseph Robare, Jeanne Edevold Larson
Date: 02/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Policy brief discussing the potential impact of utilizing Z codes to capture important information on social determinants of health in rural areas barriers for identifying and reporting these codes in rural communities and healthcare settings. Offers recommendations for policies and actions to increase the use and effectiveness of Z codes, especially among rural, under-resourced health providers.
Author(s): Elizabeth Hall-Lipsy, Joseph Robare, Jeanne Edevold Larson
Date: 02/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Health Care's Role in Rural Economic Development: Addressing Health Workforce Needs
Policy brief exploring how rural healthcare can impact local economic and community development. Offers recommended policies and actions to support rural workforce development and community development.
Author(s): Nicole Carritt
Date: 02/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Policy brief exploring how rural healthcare can impact local economic and community development. Offers recommended policies and actions to support rural workforce development and community development.
Author(s): Nicole Carritt
Date: 02/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Retaining Rural Health Care Professionals: Strategies to Reduce Burnout
Policy position paper regarding burnout among health professionals. Provides an overview of burnout among healthcare professionals and offers policy recommendations to support healthcare providers locally and positively impact the recruitment and retention of these providers.
Author(s): Victoria Reid, Michael Seward, Thad Shunkwiler
Date: 02/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Policy position paper regarding burnout among health professionals. Provides an overview of burnout among healthcare professionals and offers policy recommendations to support healthcare providers locally and positively impact the recruitment and retention of these providers.
Author(s): Victoria Reid, Michael Seward, Thad Shunkwiler
Date: 02/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Urban Bias in Rural Data Sets
Policy position paper discussing various classifications of rural, how these definitions may not accurately represent rural areas, and the potential implications for rural populations. Offers policy recommendations regarding rural data infrastructure and the allocation of resources using rural definitions.
Author(s): Leah Bouchard, Isela Garcia, Jacy Warrell
Date: 02/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Policy position paper discussing various classifications of rural, how these definitions may not accurately represent rural areas, and the potential implications for rural populations. Offers policy recommendations regarding rural data infrastructure and the allocation of resources using rural definitions.
Author(s): Leah Bouchard, Isela Garcia, Jacy Warrell
Date: 02/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Modernizing Payment to Critical Access Hospitals: A Proposal for the Next Iteration of the Flex Program
Commentary briefly describing the history the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program (Flex) and Cost-Based Reimbursement (CBR) for Medicare. Outlines the challenges of CBR for Critical Access Hospitals (CAH) and proposes a new payment system.
Author(s): Clint MacKinney, Keith Mueller, Alva Ferdinand, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 39(4), 716-718
Date: 02/2023
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Commentary briefly describing the history the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program (Flex) and Cost-Based Reimbursement (CBR) for Medicare. Outlines the challenges of CBR for Critical Access Hospitals (CAH) and proposes a new payment system.
Author(s): Clint MacKinney, Keith Mueller, Alva Ferdinand, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 39(4), 716-718
Date: 02/2023
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Quality Improvement in Rural Health Care
Policy position paper regarding challenges rural providers face in participating in quality improvement initiatives. Offers policy recommendations on the establishment and support of rural-relevant quality measures.
Author(s): Michelle Mills, Roger Wells
Date: 02/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Policy position paper regarding challenges rural providers face in participating in quality improvement initiatives. Offers policy recommendations on the establishment and support of rural-relevant quality measures.
Author(s): Michelle Mills, Roger Wells
Date: 02/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Obesity Prevention and Treatment in Rural America Through Changes in Diet and Food Availability
Policy position paper regarding obesity prevention and treatment through rural-specific programming and equitable coverage. Offers policy recommendations to address obesity among rural populations.
Date: 02/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Policy position paper regarding obesity prevention and treatment through rural-specific programming and equitable coverage. Offers policy recommendations to address obesity among rural populations.
Date: 02/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Health Care's Role in Rural Economic Development: How Work Support Programs Improve Health and Stimulate Rural Economies
Policy brief exploring how work support programs – Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Medicaid, and Child Care and Development Funds (CCDF) – and other state and federal programs can address social determinants of health, improve health, and stimulate economic activity in rural America. Offers policy recommendations to increase access to these programs in rural areas.
Author(s): David Jordan
Date: 02/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Policy brief exploring how work support programs – Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Medicaid, and Child Care and Development Funds (CCDF) – and other state and federal programs can address social determinants of health, improve health, and stimulate economic activity in rural America. Offers policy recommendations to increase access to these programs in rural areas.
Author(s): David Jordan
Date: 02/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation Initiatives to Address Rural Health and Health Disparities
Policy brief describing three national Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) value-based initiatives that allow providers to work toward health equity. Provides policy recommendations to design and refine programs to engage rural providers.
Author(s): Andrea Mitchell, Alyssa Meller, Hunter Nostrant
Date: 02/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Policy brief describing three national Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) value-based initiatives that allow providers to work toward health equity. Provides policy recommendations to design and refine programs to engage rural providers.
Author(s): Andrea Mitchell, Alyssa Meller, Hunter Nostrant
Date: 02/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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