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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Public health

Indiana Governor's Public Health Commission Report 2022
Provides an overview of public health in Indiana with a focus on healthy environments and health education. Examines the declining life expectancy and challenges to public health such as behavioral health issues, adult and child obesity, infectious diseases, and geographic and socio-economic health disparities. Summarizes and provides recommendations from the commission's findings related to governance and infrastructure, funding, healthcare workforce, data integration, emergency preparedness, and child/adolescent health.
Additional links: Appendices, News Brief
Date: 08/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Indiana Department of Health
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Staffing Hurdles Chip Away at Access to Care
Summarizes the results of a survey of rural hospital leaders between March 2-April 15, 2022. Explores how rural hospitals are navigating COVID-19 vaccination mandates and the continued impact of nurse staffing shortages on the delivery of care. Discusses drivers of nurse turnover at rural hospitals.
Author(s): Michael Topchik, Troy Brown, Melanie Pinette, Billy Balfour
Date: 08/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Chartis Center for Rural Health
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Rural Local Health Department Partnership in Healthcare Associated Infections (HAI), Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) and Antimicrobial Stewardship (AMS): In-Depth Interviews Report
Reports on an assessment of rural, frontier, and small local health departments (LHDs) and their engagement with Healthcare Associated Infections (HAI), Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), and Antimicrobial Stewardship (AMS) initiatives. Provides performance information on LHDs engaged in initiatives to address HAI, AMR, and AMS, barriers preventing LHDs from engaging in initiatives, and overall workforce development and capacity of LHDs. Discusses the May 2022 interviews of 11 LHD representatives and 2 non-local health departments and includes results and recommendations.
Additional links: Infographic
Date: 07/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Health Communications Consultants, Inc., National Association of County and City Health Officials
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Firearm Safety in Rural America
Policy brief describing the prevalence of firearm-related injuries and death in rural areas. Offers policy recommendations to mitigate the risk of rural firearm injury and death.
Author(s): Eneka Lamb, Ada Pariser, Andy Fosmire
Date: 07/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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After Action Review/Improvement Plan: Strategic Planning Toolkit
Toolkit provides guidance for completing an after action review of a post-public health intervention. Toolkit is aimed at tribal leaders, public health practitioners, and other healthcare stakeholders in tribal communities. Provides the tools for designing, planning, preparing, and conducting an after action review.
Date: 07/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Inter Tribal Council of Arizona, American Indian Research Center for Health
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The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on People who Inject Drugs Accessing Harm Reduction Services in a Rural American State
Results of a study exploring how changes made in Maine during the pandemic affected access to harm reduction services, including basic services such as shelter, syringe service programs, safe drug supply, low barrier buprenorphine treatment, and peer support. Based on interviews with 36 stakeholders comprising people who inject drugs, community partners, and healthcare providers.
Author(s): Kinna Thakarar, Michael Kohut, Rebecca Hutchinson, et al.
Citation: Harm Reduction Journal, 19(80)
Date: 07/2022
Type: Document
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Fighting Fentanyl: The Federal Response to a Growing Crisis
Presents the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) hearing on the government's response to the fentanyl crisis. Includes testimonies from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA), National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), and the Office of National Drug Control Policy regarding current efforts to address the expanding use of fentanyl across the U.S.
Additional links: Carole Johnson Testimony, Christopher Jones Testimony, Kemp Chester Testimony, Miriam E. Delphin-Rittmon Testimony
Date: 07/2022
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions
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Increasing Access to Routine Child Immunizations: State Approaches for Increasing Pharmacy Enrollment in the VFC Program
Discusses how increasing pharmacy participation in the Vaccines for Children Program (VFC) can promote access to childhood vaccinations and reduce disparities. Outlines steps states can take to identify and address barriers to enrollment, including examining reimbursement policies, aligning program requirements with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) requirements, addressing common provider misconceptions about the VFC program, and addressing pediatrician concerns.
Date: 07/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Academy for State Health Policy
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Northern Navajo Medical Center Delivers Care Directly to Patients Experiencing Homelessness
Video details a program initiated by the Northern Navajo Medical Center in Shiprock, New Mexico, that provides treatment to people experiencing homelessness on the Navajo reservation. Discusses the mobile clinic's goals and the services it provides, such as physical exams, vaccinations, and other acute and chronic conditions.
Date: 07/2022
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Indian Health Service
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Responding to a Surge in Overdose Deaths: Perspectives From US Syringe Services Programs
Highlights a study on the perspectives of syringe service program (SSP) leadership and staff regarding overdose deaths in the US. Bases conclusions on interviews done from February to March of 2021 and breaks down participant data by geographic region, distribution approach, and rurality, among others factors.
Author(s): Madeline C. Frost, Elizabeth J. Austin, Maria A. Corcorran, et al.
Citation: Harm Reduction Journal, 19, 79
Date: 07/2022
Type: Document
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