Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Social determinants of health
Health Panel Comment Letter – Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment and Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment Systems Proposed Rule
Comments offered in response to a July 17, 2025, proposed rule revising the Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment Systems for calendar year 2026. Discusses proposals for the Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting (OQR), Rural Emergency Hospital Quality Program (REHQR), and Ambulatory Surgical Center Quality Reporting (ASCQR) Programs.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
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Comments offered in response to a July 17, 2025, proposed rule revising the Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment Systems for calendar year 2026. Discusses proposals for the Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting (OQR), Rural Emergency Hospital Quality Program (REHQR), and Ambulatory Surgical Center Quality Reporting (ASCQR) Programs.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
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Diabetes in Pennsylvania: Prevention and Maintenance Programs
Present data and describes government and non-government programs working to help people prevent and manage diabetes in Pennsylvania. Includes information about possible new treatments and summaries of other new research on diabetes including the effects of social determinants of health. Mentions special needs of rural and underserved populations.
Author(s): Allison Kobzowicz, Lydia K. Ring, Wendy L. Baker
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Joint State Government Commission, General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
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Present data and describes government and non-government programs working to help people prevent and manage diabetes in Pennsylvania. Includes information about possible new treatments and summaries of other new research on diabetes including the effects of social determinants of health. Mentions special needs of rural and underserved populations.
Author(s): Allison Kobzowicz, Lydia K. Ring, Wendy L. Baker
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Joint State Government Commission, General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
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Examining the Burden of Chronic Disease and Low SES to Identify High-Need Rural Counties
Analyzes the geographic and sociodemographic profile of rural, high-need counties in the United States. Examines chronic disease prevalence, socioeconomic status, and access to healthcare facilities by county, with additional breakdowns by demographic characteristics of low-, moderate-, and high-need counties.
Author(s): Gabriel A. Benavidez, Emma Boswell, Peiyin Hung, Elizabeth Crouch
Citation: Journal of Public Health Management & Practice, 31(5), 691-699
Date: 09/2025
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Analyzes the geographic and sociodemographic profile of rural, high-need counties in the United States. Examines chronic disease prevalence, socioeconomic status, and access to healthcare facilities by county, with additional breakdowns by demographic characteristics of low-, moderate-, and high-need counties.
Author(s): Gabriel A. Benavidez, Emma Boswell, Peiyin Hung, Elizabeth Crouch
Citation: Journal of Public Health Management & Practice, 31(5), 691-699
Date: 09/2025
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Precision Public Health Alliances as a Model and Method for Community Engagement
Examines the Precision Public Health Alliance (PPHA) approach of utilizing analytics to map social, demographic, and clinical comorbidity variables onto colorectal cancer (CRC) screening data in rural northeastern Kentucky and southeastern Ohio. Provides data on the relationship among sociodemographic information, clinical outcomes, and CRC screening to assess community needs. Discusses the importance of understanding social determinants of health (SDOH) and community collaboration when addressing population health.
Author(s): Margaret L. McGladrey, Mary Elizabeth Lacy, Kristen McQuerry, et al.
Citation: Frontiers in Public Health, 13
Date: 08/2025
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Examines the Precision Public Health Alliance (PPHA) approach of utilizing analytics to map social, demographic, and clinical comorbidity variables onto colorectal cancer (CRC) screening data in rural northeastern Kentucky and southeastern Ohio. Provides data on the relationship among sociodemographic information, clinical outcomes, and CRC screening to assess community needs. Discusses the importance of understanding social determinants of health (SDOH) and community collaboration when addressing population health.
Author(s): Margaret L. McGladrey, Mary Elizabeth Lacy, Kristen McQuerry, et al.
Citation: Frontiers in Public Health, 13
Date: 08/2025
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Community Navigation Intervention for Social Needs in Patients With Abnormal Mammography: A Randomized Controlled Trial Study Protocol
Presents a study exploring the efficacy of community navigators, such as 211, to help alleviate the social need and change the likelihood of cancer patients with unmet social needs to complete their follow-up care. Discusses the importance of follow-up care in the treatment and prevention of cancer and the barriers individuals with unmet social needs face to receive it. Explores rurality as a potential barrier.
Author(s): Kirstin Beck, Mackenzie Mitchell, Andrea S. Wallace, et al.
Citation: BMC Public Health, 25, 2926
Date: 08/2025
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Presents a study exploring the efficacy of community navigators, such as 211, to help alleviate the social need and change the likelihood of cancer patients with unmet social needs to complete their follow-up care. Discusses the importance of follow-up care in the treatment and prevention of cancer and the barriers individuals with unmet social needs face to receive it. Explores rurality as a potential barrier.
Author(s): Kirstin Beck, Mackenzie Mitchell, Andrea S. Wallace, et al.
Citation: BMC Public Health, 25, 2926
Date: 08/2025
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Association of Injury-Related Mortality with Unique Domains of Social Determinants of Health Across the Urban-Rural Continuum
Examines whether social determinants of health associated with injury-related mortality vary by geography, utilizing 2000-2017 Pennsylvania Trauma Study Outcomes data. Compares rural and urban populations, with further data breakdowns by race, place of birth, income, and other demographic factors.
Author(s): Tamara Byrd, Nicholas Kass, Liling Lu, et al.
Citation: Surgery, 187, 109607
Date: 08/2025
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Examines whether social determinants of health associated with injury-related mortality vary by geography, utilizing 2000-2017 Pennsylvania Trauma Study Outcomes data. Compares rural and urban populations, with further data breakdowns by race, place of birth, income, and other demographic factors.
Author(s): Tamara Byrd, Nicholas Kass, Liling Lu, et al.
Citation: Surgery, 187, 109607
Date: 08/2025
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Building Healthier Rural Communities: Economic Development Districts Address Social Determinants of Health
Report outlining social determinants of health (SDOH) in rural areas and how Economic Development Districts (EDD) address them. Highlights workforce, infrastructure, food security, health, disaster preparedness, funding, data, and public-private partnerships. Includes a case study from an EDD in North Carolina and highlights the role of hospitals in the community.
Date: 08/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Economic Development District Community of Practice, National Association of Development Organizations
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Report outlining social determinants of health (SDOH) in rural areas and how Economic Development Districts (EDD) address them. Highlights workforce, infrastructure, food security, health, disaster preparedness, funding, data, and public-private partnerships. Includes a case study from an EDD in North Carolina and highlights the role of hospitals in the community.
Date: 08/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Economic Development District Community of Practice, National Association of Development Organizations
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Expanding Access to Integrated Medicare-Medicaid Programs in Rural Communities
Discusses the rural population who are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid and their unique physical health, mental health, and health-related social needs (HRSNs). Includes information on dual eligibility issues related to access, integrated care, and managed care infrastructure. Provides a literature review and stakeholder interview feedback focused on potential strategies to improve healthcare integration.
Author(s): Molly Knowles, Nida Joseph, Nancy Archibald, Ellen Breslin
Date: 08/2025
Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Care Strategies
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Discusses the rural population who are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid and their unique physical health, mental health, and health-related social needs (HRSNs). Includes information on dual eligibility issues related to access, integrated care, and managed care infrastructure. Provides a literature review and stakeholder interview feedback focused on potential strategies to improve healthcare integration.
Author(s): Molly Knowles, Nida Joseph, Nancy Archibald, Ellen Breslin
Date: 08/2025
Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Care Strategies
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Understanding the Influence of Social Determinants of Health on Symptom Reporting in Pediatric Cancer
Highlights a study on the social determinants of health of caregivers of children with cancer in Appalachia. Discusses the symptom burden of child cancer and breaks down data by child's age, rurality, and Appalachian versus non-Appalachian location, among other measures.
Author(s): Micah A. Skeens, Adelaide Booze, Mark Ranalli, Anna Olsavsky
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(3), e70071
Date: 08/2025
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Highlights a study on the social determinants of health of caregivers of children with cancer in Appalachia. Discusses the symptom burden of child cancer and breaks down data by child's age, rurality, and Appalachian versus non-Appalachian location, among other measures.
Author(s): Micah A. Skeens, Adelaide Booze, Mark Ranalli, Anna Olsavsky
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(3), e70071
Date: 08/2025
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Wisconsin Critical Access Hospitals: Meeting Rural Community Needs!
Provides the top community health priorities for Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) in Wisconsin, focusing on access to care, chronic disease, mental health, social determinants of health, and substance use. Lists each CAH and their county location.
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: Wisconsin Office of Rural Health
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Provides the top community health priorities for Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) in Wisconsin, focusing on access to care, chronic disease, mental health, social determinants of health, and substance use. Lists each CAH and their county location.
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: Wisconsin Office of Rural Health
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