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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Public health

Potential Implications of SARS-CoV-2 Delta Variant Surges for Rural Areas and Hospitals
Opinion piece highlighting features of rural healthcare systems that make it more difficult for those hospitals to withstand surges in COVID-19 cases. Suggests possible solutions for institutions, governments, and society as they navigate the potentially rural-dominant Delta variant phase.
Author(s): Sameer S. Kadri, Steven Q. Simpson
Citation: JAMA
Date: 08/2021
Type: Document
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Cancer Mortality and Research Outcomes in a Rural State
Highlights a study exploring the factors contributing to high cancer rates in rural North Dakota. Breaks down cancer data by sex, ethnicity, and geography, among other measures.
Author(s): Mark R. Williamson, Rashid M. Ahmed
Citation: Wisconsin Medical Journal, 120(2), 120-126
Date: 07/2021
Type: Document
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Native Americans And COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy: Pathways Toward Increasing Vaccination Rates For Native Communities
Highlights vaccination rates, hesitancy, and barriers in Native American communities. Discusses methods of improving vaccination rates in Native nations, including messaging to combat hesitancy.
Author(s): Gabriel R. Sanchez, Raymond Foxworth
Citation: Health Affairs Blog
Date: 07/2021
Type: Document
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Dynamics of the COVID-19 Epidemic in Urban and Rural Areas in the United States
Study examining COVID-19 infection and mortality in urban and rural areas between April 1 and November 12, 2020. Offers maps of incidence and mortality rates for three 75-day periods.
Author(s): Diego F. Cuadros, Adam J. Branscum, Zindoga Mukandavire, F. DeWolfe Miller, Neil MacKinnon
Citation: Annals of Epidemiology, 59, 16-20
Date: 07/2021
Type: Document
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Federal Agencies' Investment in Rural Cancer Control Fosters Partnerships between Researchers and Rural Communities
Highlights how researchers and rural communities are working together to address rural cancer prevention and control, with support from federal funding. Discusses projects that address health behaviors, cancer screening, vaccination, and rural participation in clinical trials.
Author(s): Mary Charlton, Whitney Zahnd, Jennifer Patterson, Kimberly Merchant
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 07/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Medicaid and Housing Partnerships: A Resource for Local Health Departments
Explores how local health departments (LHDs) in rural areas can utilize Medicaid managed care levers to address homelessness and housing security issues. Summarizes results from a gap analysis and readiness assessment which identified key opportunities to help prepare three LHDs in rural North Carolina counties for the transition to Medicaid-managed care. Identifies action steps for these counties to strengthen housing supports that can also inform similar initiatives in other states.
Author(s): Matthew Ralls, Kathy Moses, Rob Houston
Date: 07/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Care Strategies
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Door-to-Door Vaccination Campaign Reaches the Most Vulnerable
Article and video describing the efforts of the Coalition Advocating for Pesticide Safety (CAPS), a community-based organization, to conduct COVID-19 vaccination outreach door-to-door in rural, at-risk, and immigrant communities in California. Describes the challenges facing public health agencies working in rural areas, vaccine hesitancy, and health disparities in rural areas.
Author(s): Stephen Johnson
Date: 07/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Freethink
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COVID-19 in a Rural Health System in New York – Case Series and an Approach to Management
Highlights the hub-and-spoke system implemented by a hospital in New York's largest rural county to address the COVID-19 pandemic. Draws data on COVID-19 patients from March to May of 2020, evaluates the system's efficacy, and explores the challenges of rural pandemic response.
Author(s): Eyal Kedar, Regina Scott, Daniel M Soule, et al.
Citation: Rural and Remote Health, 21(3), 6464
Date: 07/2021
Type: Document
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Evolving Roles of Rural Hospitals: Evidence from Pandemic Experiences
Slides presented at the 2021 Southern Legislative Conference annual meeting. Presents data on the spread of COVID-19 in rural communities over time and compares confirmed COVID-19 cases and COVID-19 deaths in urban and rural counties in the southern states. Highlights how state policies can invest in and support rural hospitals.
Date: 07/2021
Type: Presentation Slides
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute
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COVID-19: Continued Attention Needed to Enhance Federal Preparedness, Response, Service Delivery, and Program Integrity
Discusses the federal government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Provides an overview of federal actions on healthcare and economic policy areas through mid-June 2021, including data on vaccine administration and COVID-19 relief spending. Offers 15 new recommendations to federal agencies regarding public health, the economy, and program integrity that would improve the federal response.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 07/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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