Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Policy
A Career of Influencing Rural Healthcare Delivery: Bill Finerfrock and the NARHC Origin Story
Reviews the founding of the National Association of Rural Health Clinics (NARHC), with insights from long-time NARHC executive director Bill Finerfrock about collaborative work with other rural health organizations to support the Rural Health Clinic program.
Author(s): Kay Miller Temple
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Reviews the founding of the National Association of Rural Health Clinics (NARHC), with insights from long-time NARHC executive director Bill Finerfrock about collaborative work with other rural health organizations to support the Rural Health Clinic program.
Author(s): Kay Miller Temple
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Rural Health Clinic Program at 45 Years: Created for Access and Still Delivering Care
Features rural health policy experts, researchers, and clinicians discussing the impact of the Rural Health Clinic (RHC) program on outpatient healthcare delivery.
Author(s): Kay Miller Temple
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Features rural health policy experts, researchers, and clinicians discussing the impact of the Rural Health Clinic (RHC) program on outpatient healthcare delivery.
Author(s): Kay Miller Temple
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Advancing Health Equity and Integrated Care for Rural Dual Eligibles
Discusses health disparities for rural individuals dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid. Presents an overview of a toolkit to advance health equity for rural dual eligibles and findings from roundtables of 50 stakeholders across 3 states regarding solutions for the workforce and service needs of this population.
Author(s): Ellen Breslin, Samantha Di Paola, Susan McGeehan, Rebecca Kellenberg, Andrea Maresca
Citation: Health Affairs Forefront
Date: 10/2022
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Discusses health disparities for rural individuals dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid. Presents an overview of a toolkit to advance health equity for rural dual eligibles and findings from roundtables of 50 stakeholders across 3 states regarding solutions for the workforce and service needs of this population.
Author(s): Ellen Breslin, Samantha Di Paola, Susan McGeehan, Rebecca Kellenberg, Andrea Maresca
Citation: Health Affairs Forefront
Date: 10/2022
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Maternal Health: Availability of Hospital-Based Obstetric Care in Rural Areas
Explores the availability of hospital-based obstetric services in rural areas. Summarizes stakeholder perspectives on the factors affecting the availability of these services and on the efforts federal agencies, states, and others could take to increase the access to obstetric care. Highlights six programs identified by researchers and provider associations as effective at increasing obstetric care in rural areas.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Explores the availability of hospital-based obstetric services in rural areas. Summarizes stakeholder perspectives on the factors affecting the availability of these services and on the efforts federal agencies, states, and others could take to increase the access to obstetric care. Highlights six programs identified by researchers and provider associations as effective at increasing obstetric care in rural areas.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Key Considerations for a Rural Hospital Assessing Conversion to Rural Emergency Hospital
Offers a conceptual framework of key considerations for rural hospitals contemplating conversion to a rural emergency hospital (REH). Covers financial feasibility, workforce, community impact, partnerships, and regulatory considerations.
Author(s): Kristin Reiter, TJ Grant, Susie Gurzenda, et al.
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Offers a conceptual framework of key considerations for rural hospitals contemplating conversion to a rural emergency hospital (REH). Covers financial feasibility, workforce, community impact, partnerships, and regulatory considerations.
Author(s): Kristin Reiter, TJ Grant, Susie Gurzenda, et al.
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Safety Assurance Factors for EHR Resilience (SAFER) Guides Requirements
Infographic displaying the differences in the Safety Assurance Factors for EHR Resilience (SAFER) Guide requirements for hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) participating in the Medicare Promoting Interoperability Program and eligible clinicians participating in the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) Promoting Interoperability performance category for eligible clinicians.
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Infographic displaying the differences in the Safety Assurance Factors for EHR Resilience (SAFER) Guide requirements for hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) participating in the Medicare Promoting Interoperability Program and eligible clinicians participating in the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) Promoting Interoperability performance category for eligible clinicians.
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Home Health Agencies Used Multiple Strategies to Respond to the COVID-19 Pandemic, Although Some Challenges Persist
Presents results of a survey of home health agencies (HHAs) conducted between September through December 2021 to explore the challenges they faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Discusses challenges related to staffing, infection control, the use of telehealth, and the adequacy of emergency preparedness plans, as well as challenges specific to rural HHAs. Provides recommendations for how the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) can help HHAs prepare for and respond to current and future infectious disease outbreaks and changes to the home health care landscape.
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Presents results of a survey of home health agencies (HHAs) conducted between September through December 2021 to explore the challenges they faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Discusses challenges related to staffing, infection control, the use of telehealth, and the adequacy of emergency preparedness plans, as well as challenges specific to rural HHAs. Provides recommendations for how the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) can help HHAs prepare for and respond to current and future infectious disease outbreaks and changes to the home health care landscape.
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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How FEMA Can Build Rural Resilience Through Disaster Preparedness
Explores the effectiveness of the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program in rural and vulnerable communities. Discusses challenges related to rural emergency and disaster preparedness due to limited capacity and finances. Includes policy recommendations and suggestions to streamline federal grantmaking processes.
Author(s): Kevin Manuele, Mark Haggerty
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: Center for American Progress
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Explores the effectiveness of the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program in rural and vulnerable communities. Discusses challenges related to rural emergency and disaster preparedness due to limited capacity and finances. Includes policy recommendations and suggestions to streamline federal grantmaking processes.
Author(s): Kevin Manuele, Mark Haggerty
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: Center for American Progress
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Nowhere to Go: Maternity Care Deserts Across the U.S. 2022
Explores maternal healthcare access and provides county-level U.S. maps that show maternity care deserts, hospitals and birth centers that offer obstetric (OB) care, distribution of OB providers, percentage of women without health insurance, percentage of births covered by Medicaid, and more. Includes rural versus urban characteristics of maternity care deserts as well as access and policy discussions specific to rural areas.
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: March of Dimes
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Explores maternal healthcare access and provides county-level U.S. maps that show maternity care deserts, hospitals and birth centers that offer obstetric (OB) care, distribution of OB providers, percentage of women without health insurance, percentage of births covered by Medicaid, and more. Includes rural versus urban characteristics of maternity care deserts as well as access and policy discussions specific to rural areas.
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: March of Dimes
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Improving Access to and Enrollment in Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE)
Provides an overview of Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE), including the history of the model and the recent policy landscape. Identifies challenges to the growth of PACE and offers federal policy recommendations that would address the challenges to the spread and scale of PACE. Discusses the results of the 2006 Rural PACE Provider Grant Program and policies to promote further access to PACE programs in areas with low penetration rates, including rural areas.
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: Bipartisan Policy Center
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Provides an overview of Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE), including the history of the model and the recent policy landscape. Identifies challenges to the growth of PACE and offers federal policy recommendations that would address the challenges to the spread and scale of PACE. Discusses the results of the 2006 Rural PACE Provider Grant Program and policies to promote further access to PACE programs in areas with low penetration rates, including rural areas.
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: Bipartisan Policy Center
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