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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Rural definitions

VAMC Facility Rurality: Comparison of Three Classification Approaches
Compares the VA Medical Center rural classification system to other alternative rural classification systems.
Author(s): Peter J. Kaboli, Justin M. Glasgow
Date: 2011
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Rural Health Resource Centers
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Why Definitions Matter: Rural Definitions and State Poverty Rankings
Illustrates the importance of understanding the various definitions of rural and examines the differences in state poverty rates when the two definitions of rural are employed.
Author(s): Kathleen Miller
Date: 03/2010
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute
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Choosing Rural Definitions: Implications for Health Policy
Provides an overview of rural definitions and their policy implications. Discusses the factors that should be considered in selecting among rural definitions.
Author(s): Andrew F. Coburn, A. Clinton MacKinney, Timothy D. McBride, et al.
Date: 03/2007
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
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Defining the Term "Frontier Area" for Programs Implemented through the Office for the Advancement of Telehealth
An expert panel report to the Office for the Advancement of Telehealth, Health Resources and Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Provides an overview of current frontier definitions and describes the process used to develop a new frontier area definition that could be applied to telehealth programs.
Date: 05/2006
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: University of North Dakota Center for Rural Health
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Rural Definitions for Health Policy and Research
Compares several rural definitions and discusses their strengths and weaknesses. Also addresses the issues related to using these geographic definitions in policy and research.
Author(s): L. Gary Hart, Eric H. Larson, Denise M. Lishner
Citation: American Journal of Public Health, 95(7), 1149-1152
Date: 07/2005
Type: Document
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Classification Change, 1999 to 2003: Office of Management and Budget Metropolitan Areas and Core Based Statistical Areas (CBSAs) Map
Map of the Office of Management and Budget's June 2003 Core Based Statistical Areas (CBSAs) Designations for Counties that were nonmetropolitan in 1999.
Date: 07/2003
Type: Map/Mapping System
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Definitions of Rural: A Handbook for Health Policy Makers and Researchers
Describes the two major methods of defining rurality, the Office of Management and Budget metropolitan-nonmetropolitan classification of counties and the U.S. Census Bureau classification of areas and population, as well as major variations on those methods.
Author(s): Thomas C. Ricketts, Karen D. Johnson-Webb, Patricia Taylor
Date: 06/1998
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Improving the Operational Definition of "Rural Areas" For Federal Programs
Describes the methodology of the Goldsmith rural modification for metropolitan counties designated by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
Author(s): Harold F. Goldsmith, Dena S. Puskin, Dianne J. Stiles
Date: 1993
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Federal Office of Rural Health Policy
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Non-Congregate Summer Meals
Provides an overview of the interim final rule allowing non-congregate summer meals in rural areas. Includes information on rural definitions, meal types and distribution, associated research on non-congregate meal offerings, implementation and outreach strategies, and additional resources and webinars.
Type: Website
Sponsoring organization: No Kid Hungry
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SC Rural Healthcare Resource Dashboard
Dashboard providing a summary table and interactive maps of public health data for South Carolina by county and zip code. Covers topics including provider distribution, health facilities, demographics, diseases and chronic conditions, health behaviors, healthcare utilization patterns, rural definitions, primary care provider need, obstetric service need, and more.
Type: Database
Sponsoring organization: South Carolina Center for Rural and Primary Healthcare
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