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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Populations

NIEHS/EPA Children's Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research Centers Impact Report
Highlights progress made toward reducing the impact of environmentally induced diseases on children. Includes examples of how exposure to pollutants in rural areas could make children's asthma worse or increase the chances of autism spectrum disorder in children of mothers exposed to pesticides during pregnancy.
Date: 10/2017
Sponsoring organizations: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
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Veterans Health Administration: Better Data and Evaluation Could Help Improve Physician Staffing, Recruitment, and Retention Strategies
Reviews the Veterans Health Administration's (VHA) recruitment and retention strategies, specifically for VHA physicians working in the five areas identified as mission-critical: primary care, mental health, gastroenterology, orthopedic surgery, and emergency medicine. Presents information on how many VHA physicians provide care, the extent VHA measures physician workload and productivity, and how current recruitment and retention strategies are evaluated. Addresses rural shortages and makes recommendations for improving VHA workforce development and planning based on interviews with VHA officials and a review of VHA documentation.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 10/2017
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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QuickStats: Infant Mortality Rate, by Urbanization Level — National Vital Statistics System, United States, 2007 and 2015
Bar chart comparing infant mortality rates in rural counties, small and medium urban counties, and large urban counties in 2007 and 2015.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 66(41), 1122
Date: 10/2017
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Organizations Help Veterans Transition into Healthcare Careers
Highlights the work of the Multi-State Collaborative on Military Credit and the Consortium of Michigan Veterans Educators to help veterans pursue careers in healthcare. Discusses the role veterans have played in the past and continue to play in meeting the health workforce needs of rural communities. Identifies barriers veterans face transitioning to health careers.
Author(s): Allee Mead
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 10/2017
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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FirstNet: Efforts to Establish the Public-Safety Broadband Network
Testimony describing the First Responder Network Authority's (FirstNet) efforts as it works to establish a reliable, secure, and interoperable national public-safety broadband network. Includes a discussion on the challenges associated with providing coverage in rural areas, and addresses concerns about inadequate communication with tribal stakeholders.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 10/2017
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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QuickStats: Percentage of All Visits by Patients Aged ≥65 Years to Office-Based Physicians Made by Patients with Hypertension, by Sex and Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) — National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, United States, 2012–2015
Bar chart showing the percentage of visits to a physician by patients 65 and older who have a diagnosis of hypertension, with information overall and by sex for those living in metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 66(40), 1085
Date: 10/2017
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Breast Reconstruction Surgery for Mastectomy in Hospital Inpatient and Ambulatory Settings, 2009-2014
Examines reconstruction surgeries for mastectomy among adult women over a 5-year period, with data by patient and hospital characteristics. Includes rural/urban data by location of patient residence and by hospital location.
Author(s): Adela M. Miller, Claudia A. Steiner, Marguerite L. Barrett, Kathryn R. Fingar, Anne Elixhauser
Date: 10/2017
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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Rural Transportation Best Practice: Transportation for Individuals with Chronic Care Conditions
Highlights a program called Mountain Empire Older Citizens (MEOC), which is a transportation assistance service for individuals with chronic conditions in Big Stone Gap, VA. Details the demographics of the town, as well as the structure of the program.
Date: 10/2017
Sponsoring organization: National Aging and Disability Transportation Center
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The Epidemic of Despair Among White Americans: Trends in the Leading Causes of Premature Death, 1999–2015
Evaluates trends in cause-specific death rates for adults ages 25-64, from 1999-2001 and 2013-2015. Features statistics including cause of death, age, race, and urbanization level in the United States, with breakdowns by large urban, suburban, small/medium metropolitan, and rural areas.
Author(s): Elizabeth M. Stein, Keith P. Gennuso, Donna C. Ugboaja, Patrick L. Remington
Citation: American Journal of Public Health, 107(10), 1541-1547
Date: 10/2017
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Variations in Obesity Rates between US Counties: Impacts of Activity Access, Food Environments, and Settlement Patterns
Describes differences in obesity rates among U.S. counties based on rurality, region, poverty level, and ethnicity. Analyzes access to physical activity facilities, food environments, and settlement patterns, defined as residential density and car dependence, to determine potential explanations for geographic variations.
Author(s): Peter Congdon
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 14(9), 1023
Date: 09/2017
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