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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Primary care

Implementing Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder in Rural Settings: A Focus on HIV and Hepatitis C Prevention and Treatment
Provides an overview of the epidemiology of opioid use disorder (OUD) with a focus on HIV and Hepatitis C transmission in the rural U.S. and particularly in rural Indiana. Identifies evidence-based treatments for OUD and their effectiveness in reducing other health issues associated with OUD. Discusses barriers to care and policy and research issues for increasing access to treatment of OUD in rural areas.
Author(s): Jennifer R. Havens, Sharon L. Walsh, P. Todd Korthuis, David A. Fiellin
Citation: Current HIV/AIDS Reports,15(4), 315–323
Date: 08/2018
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2018 Update on Priority Strategies: North Carolina Rural Health Action Plan
Details the progress North Carolina has made in 6 priority areas outlined in the 2014 Rural Health Action Plan. These include investment in local industries, ensuring that childhood settings promote educational success, encouraging healthy eating and active living, screening for and treating substance abuse and mental health issues, educating people about insurance and safety net options, and creating incentives to support recruitment and retention of providers to underserved areas.
Date: 08/2018
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Institute of Medicine
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Advanced Primary Care: A Key Contributor to Successful ACOs
Reviews the literature on accountable care organizations (ACOs) regarding characteristics of successful ACOs and outcomes for cost, quality, and utilization, including literature on rural ACOs. Analyzes Medicare and National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) data on ACO cost and quality outcomes to assess the role of advanced primary care models such as patient-centered medical homes on ACO success.
Additional links: Executive Summary, White Paper
Author(s): Yalda Jabbarpour, Megan Coffman, Andy Habib, et al.
Date: 08/2018
Sponsoring organizations: Primary Care Collaborative, Robert Graham Center
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Primary Care Physicians: Missouri Workforce Update (Special Report)
An overview of the primary care physician workforce in Missouri. Includes rural and urban statistics on population characteristics, total number of primary care physicians, and the age of primary care physicians in Missouri. Discusses legislative efforts to increase access to healthcare and other programs to recruit and retain primary care physicians in rural and underresourced areas of Missouri.
Author(s): Mary Becker
Date: 08/2018
Sponsoring organization: Missouri Hospital Association
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Indian Health Service: Agency Faces Ongoing Challenges Filling Provider Vacancies
Reports on the Indian Health Service's (IHS) progress in filling provider vacancies. Discusses the strategies used to attract providers and highlights their strengths and shortcomings. Compares vacancy rates by IHS area.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 08/2018
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Increasing Colorectal Cancer Screening in Health Care Systems Using Evidence-Based Interventions
Evaluation results for the first program year of the Colorectal Cancer Control Program, a CDC-funded initiative intended to increase screening by primary care and gastroenterological providers among medically underserved populations. Features statistics on participating primary care clinics and screening-eligible patient population counts, with breakdowns by metro, urban, and rural locations.
Author(s): Amy DeGroff, Krishna Sharma, Anamika Satsangi, et al.
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 15
Date: 08/2018
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International Medical Graduate Assistance Program: Report to the Minnesota Legislature
Summarizes a program designed to address barriers to practice for international medical graduates and promote pathways to integrate them into primary care settings in rural and underserved areas of Minnesota. Includes background information on the program, the first of its kind in the country, as well as progress reports on activities to date since implementation.
Date: 08/2018
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Department of Health - Office of Rural Health and Primary Care
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Obstetric Care by Family Physicians and Infant Mortality in Rural Alabama
Results of a study to determine whether availability of prenatal care and obstetric services as provided by family physicians was associated with lower infant mortality in Pickens County, Alabama. Features statistics including infant mortality rates, rates of low birth weight, and cumulative births to females ages 10-19, in selected Alabama counties during 1986-1991, 1993-2001, and 2005-2013.
Author(s): Jessica Powell, Catherine Skinner, Drake Lavender, Daniel Avery, James Leeper
Citation: Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, 31(4), 542-549
Date: 07/2018
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Maine's Physician, Nurse Practitioner, and Physician Assistant Workforce in 2018
Presents a report on the workforce supply of physicians, nurse practitioner, and physician assistant workforce in Maine. Compares data to a 2014 report, as well as data from rural and urban counties.
Author(s): Susan M. Skillman, Benjamin A. Stubbs, Arati Dahal
Date: 07/2018
Sponsoring organization: UW Center for Health Workforce Studies
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Primary Care: The Foundation for a High Performance Rural Health Care System
Describes elements of a robust rural primary care system. Discusses the development and maintenance of a high performance rural primary care system and workforce. Includes policy considerations and opportunities to address rural primary care and sustainability.
Author(s): Keith J. Mueller, Charlie Alfero, Andrew F. Coburn, et al.
Date: 07/2018
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
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