Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Service delivery models
VA Health Care: Actions Needed to Improve Information Reported on Mobile Medical Units
Describes how the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) utilizes mobile medical units to provide primary and specialty medical care to veterans in communities with veteran populations too small to support local facilities and in areas with limited access to specialty care, including rural areas. Examines VA's annual reports to Congress between 2018 and 2023 about mobile medical units' operations and performance. Offers recommendations to the VA to improve the reliability of the data and contextual information reported to Congress on mobile medical units.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 12/2023
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Describes how the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) utilizes mobile medical units to provide primary and specialty medical care to veterans in communities with veteran populations too small to support local facilities and in areas with limited access to specialty care, including rural areas. Examines VA's annual reports to Congress between 2018 and 2023 about mobile medical units' operations and performance. Offers recommendations to the VA to improve the reliability of the data and contextual information reported to Congress on mobile medical units.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 12/2023
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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CMS Final Rules Overview - Impact for RHCs Beginning January 1, 2024
Recording of a December 11, 2023, webinar providing an overview of telehealth payment rates for Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and other regulatory updates and potential changes for 2024. Covers new billable providers for RHCs, changes to care management services and billing, telehealth regulations, intensive outpatient program (IOP) services, and more. Part of the Rural Health Clinic Technical Assistance Series.
Additional links: Presentation Slides
Date: 12/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Rural Health Clinics
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Recording of a December 11, 2023, webinar providing an overview of telehealth payment rates for Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and other regulatory updates and potential changes for 2024. Covers new billable providers for RHCs, changes to care management services and billing, telehealth regulations, intensive outpatient program (IOP) services, and more. Part of the Rural Health Clinic Technical Assistance Series.
Additional links: Presentation Slides
Date: 12/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Rural Health Clinics
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State Actions to Build the Behavioral Health Crisis Continuum
Toolkit features a continuum of behavioral health crisis services and supports and discusses the strategies for program planning and development for state officials and agencies. Highlights models and resources for core components such as regional call centers, mobile crisis teams, and stabilization facilities, among others. Also includes crisis care principles, such as peer supports, law enforcement partnerships, and rural and frontier delivery challenges.
Author(s): Rebekah Falkner, Laura Galbreath, Sandra Wilkniss
Date: 12/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Academy for State Health Policy
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Toolkit features a continuum of behavioral health crisis services and supports and discusses the strategies for program planning and development for state officials and agencies. Highlights models and resources for core components such as regional call centers, mobile crisis teams, and stabilization facilities, among others. Also includes crisis care principles, such as peer supports, law enforcement partnerships, and rural and frontier delivery challenges.
Author(s): Rebekah Falkner, Laura Galbreath, Sandra Wilkniss
Date: 12/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Academy for State Health Policy
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Community Health Partners in Unexpected Places
Examines how health systems partner with community services such as libraries, barber shops, dollar stores, and others to improve access and reduce health disparities in minority and rural populations. Discusses strategies to increase the use of community health partners, such as co-designing with input from the community, procuring funding, building awareness of available programs, and utilizing novel means to conduct day-to-day operations.
Author(s): Michael K. Hole, Sunjay Letchuman, Allister Chang, Leonard L. Berry
Citation: Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 98(12), 1883-1841
Date: 12/2023
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Examines how health systems partner with community services such as libraries, barber shops, dollar stores, and others to improve access and reduce health disparities in minority and rural populations. Discusses strategies to increase the use of community health partners, such as co-designing with input from the community, procuring funding, building awareness of available programs, and utilizing novel means to conduct day-to-day operations.
Author(s): Michael K. Hole, Sunjay Letchuman, Allister Chang, Leonard L. Berry
Citation: Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 98(12), 1883-1841
Date: 12/2023
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Geographic Variations in Driving Time to U.S. Mental Health Care, Digital Access to Technology, & Household Crowdedness
Evaluated distance to mental health services, household crowdedness, and access to technology and broadband alongside rurality to determine barriers to mental healthcare for both rural and urban residents in 31,924 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs). Discusses implications for telehealth and policy measures addressing the digital divide.
Author(s): Sophia N. D. Negaro, Rachel M. Hantman, Janice C. Probst, et al.
Citation: Health Affairs Scholar, 1(6)
Date: 12/2023
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Evaluated distance to mental health services, household crowdedness, and access to technology and broadband alongside rurality to determine barriers to mental healthcare for both rural and urban residents in 31,924 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs). Discusses implications for telehealth and policy measures addressing the digital divide.
Author(s): Sophia N. D. Negaro, Rachel M. Hantman, Janice C. Probst, et al.
Citation: Health Affairs Scholar, 1(6)
Date: 12/2023
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Participation in a Medicare Advanced Primary Care Model and the Delivery of High-Value Services
Examines if participation in the Comprehensive Primary Care Plus Initiative (CPC+) impacted the high-value services delivered by primary care providers. Utilizes multiple national data sets to estimate the association of CPC+ and services such as annual wellness visits (AWVs), advance care planning (ACP), flu shots, tobacco prevention counseling, and depression screening. Provides data on intervention groups and comparison groups by patient demographics as well as provider demographics, specialty, and location, including urban, large rural, small rural, and isolated rural.
Author(s): Fang He, Angela Gasdaska, Lindsay White, Yan Tang, Chris Beadles
Citation: Health Services Research, 58(6), 1266-1291
Date: 12/2023
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Examines if participation in the Comprehensive Primary Care Plus Initiative (CPC+) impacted the high-value services delivered by primary care providers. Utilizes multiple national data sets to estimate the association of CPC+ and services such as annual wellness visits (AWVs), advance care planning (ACP), flu shots, tobacco prevention counseling, and depression screening. Provides data on intervention groups and comparison groups by patient demographics as well as provider demographics, specialty, and location, including urban, large rural, small rural, and isolated rural.
Author(s): Fang He, Angela Gasdaska, Lindsay White, Yan Tang, Chris Beadles
Citation: Health Services Research, 58(6), 1266-1291
Date: 12/2023
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Temporal Trends in Telehealth Availability in Mental Health Treatment Settings: Differences in Growth by State Rurality, 2015–2020
Analyzes trends in telehealth availability at outpatient mental health treatment facilities by rurality and urbanicity at the state level. Utilizes 2015-2020 National Mental Health Services Survey data to evaluate growth preceding and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Author(s): George Pro, Brian Fairman, Jure Baloh, Don Willis, Broome E E Montgomery
Citation: Journal of Urban Health, 100(6), 1149-1158
Date: 11/2023
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Analyzes trends in telehealth availability at outpatient mental health treatment facilities by rurality and urbanicity at the state level. Utilizes 2015-2020 National Mental Health Services Survey data to evaluate growth preceding and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Author(s): George Pro, Brian Fairman, Jure Baloh, Don Willis, Broome E E Montgomery
Citation: Journal of Urban Health, 100(6), 1149-1158
Date: 11/2023
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The Role of Department of Veterans Affairs Community-Based Outpatient Clinics in Enhancing Rural Access to Geriatrics Telemedicine Specialty Care
Presents a study on the barriers and facilitators for using geriatric telemedicine through community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs) to provide specialty care to older rural veterans. Bases finding on interviews with clinicians and staff from 13 rural CBOCs and makes recommendations.
Author(s): Camilla B. Pimentel, Eileen M. Dryden, Kathryn A. Nearing, et al.
Citation: Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 72(2), 520-528
Date: 11/2023
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Presents a study on the barriers and facilitators for using geriatric telemedicine through community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs) to provide specialty care to older rural veterans. Bases finding on interviews with clinicians and staff from 13 rural CBOCs and makes recommendations.
Author(s): Camilla B. Pimentel, Eileen M. Dryden, Kathryn A. Nearing, et al.
Citation: Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 72(2), 520-528
Date: 11/2023
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The Value Chains Linking Together Rural Food Access
A recorded webinar that discusses innovative ways to improve food security in rural areas by linking services and organizations working toward a similar goal. Includes case studies from housing and healthcare collaborators who designed a mobile grocery store as well as an agricultural/environmental nonprofit who collaborated with local farmers and healthcare providers to create a produce prescription (PRx) program. Transcript available below description.
Additional links: Slide Deck
Date: 11/2023
Sponsoring organization: No Kid Hungry
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A recorded webinar that discusses innovative ways to improve food security in rural areas by linking services and organizations working toward a similar goal. Includes case studies from housing and healthcare collaborators who designed a mobile grocery store as well as an agricultural/environmental nonprofit who collaborated with local farmers and healthcare providers to create a produce prescription (PRx) program. Transcript available below description.
Additional links: Slide Deck
Date: 11/2023
Sponsoring organization: No Kid Hungry
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South Dakota's Regional Services Designation Ambulance System Study
Report offering analysis of stakeholder interviews and performance data of emergency medical service (EMS) in rural South Dakota. Discusses recruitment and retention of workforce, volunteerism, training, data analysis, telehealth, access, and more. Offers recommendations based on key findings and a timeline for implementation.
Date: 11/2023
Sponsoring organizations: Healthcare Strategists, South Dakota Department of Health
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Report offering analysis of stakeholder interviews and performance data of emergency medical service (EMS) in rural South Dakota. Discusses recruitment and retention of workforce, volunteerism, training, data analysis, telehealth, access, and more. Offers recommendations based on key findings and a timeline for implementation.
Date: 11/2023
Sponsoring organizations: Healthcare Strategists, South Dakota Department of Health
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