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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Rural definitions

Reimagining Rural: Shifting Paradigms About Health and Well-Being in the Rural United States
Discusses ways to address health disparities in rural areas with a focus on shifting away from the deficit narrative of rural places. Explores definitions of rural, the diversity and intersectionality of rural citizens, and how to conduct participatory community research to promote partnerships and health equity in rural communities.
Author(s): R.A. Afifi, E.A. Parker, G. Dino, D.M. Hall, B. Ulin
Citation: Annual Review of Public Health, 43, 135-154
Date: 04/2022
Type: Document
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RHCs, FQHCs, Tribal Clinics and CAHs in Rural Oregon
Shows a county-level map of Oregon identifying the Rural Health Clinics (RHCs), Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), tribal clinics, and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs). Highlights rural, urban, and frontier areas.
Date: 02/2022
Type: Map/Mapping System
Sponsoring organization: Oregon Office of Rural Health
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Colorado: County Designations, 2022
Map of Colorado identifying counties based on urban, rural, or frontier designation.
Date: 01/2022
Type: Map/Mapping System
Sponsoring organization: Colorado Rural Health Center
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Colorado: Rural Health Facilities within County Designations, 2022
Identifies Colorado counties by rural, urban, and frontier designations and the location of Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and Rural Health Clinics (RHCs).
Date: 2022
Type: Map/Mapping System
Sponsoring organization: Colorado Rural Health Center
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Defining "Rural" for the Study on Human Services Programs in Rural Contexts
Report describing the impacts of rural definitions on research design and methods for a study of human services delivery in rural areas. Addresses U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural-Urban Continuum Codes, rural regions, and the limitations of certain definitions.
Author(s): Dallas Elgin, James Murdoch, Corianne Payton Scally, Heather Hahn
Date: 11/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: 2M Research, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Urban Institute
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Federal Office of Rural Health Policy Designated Rural Health Areas in Oklahoma, 2021
County-level map of rural health areas in Oklahoma as designated by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP).
Date: 10/2021
Type: Map/Mapping System
Sponsoring organization: Oklahoma State University Center for Rural Health
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Which Definition of Rurality Should I Use?: The Relative Performance of 8 Federal Rural Definitions in Identifying Rural-Urban Disparities
Study comparing 8 definitions of rural used by the federal government in order to understand how often the same areas were identified as rural and to measure rural-urban disparities related to socioeconomic status, demographics, healthcare access, and health outcomes. Analyzes 20210 census tract-level spatial data from the U.S. Census Bureau, 2014-2019 5-year American Community Survey (ACS) population estimates, the Provider of Services file, and the National Plan and Provider Enumeration System files from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
Author(s): Julianna C. Long, Paul L. Delamater, George M. Holmes
Citation: Medical Care, 59, S413-S419
Date: 10/2021
Type: Document
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List of Rural Counties and Designated Eligible Census Tracts in Metropolitan Counties
Identifies areas with geographic eligibility for Federal Office of Rural Health Policy grant programs. Lists rural counties, rural census tracts within metropolitan counties, and outlying metropolitan counties without an Urbanized Area.
Date: 09/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Federal Office of Rural Health Policy
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Comments on Proposed Criteria for Defining Urban Areas
Comment letter responding to the U.S. Census Bureau on proposed changes to criteria used to define urban areas. Discusses how the proposed changes could impact the delivery of healthcare services in rural communities, including potential implications on the certification of Rural Health Clinics.
Date: 05/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
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Indicators of Rurality: How Should We Define "Rural" and "Urban" Communities?
Provides an overview of six federal datasets and how each is used to classify urban and rural communities. Offers recommendations for how to use each indicator of rurality.
Date: 05/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Institute for People Place and Possibility
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