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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Social determinants of health

#RuralHealthChat: Examining Social Determinants of Health in Rural America
#RuralHealthChat discusses social determinants of health (SOD) in rural communities and how they contribute to rural health disparities. Features experts from the Rural Health Research Gateway, the American Hospital Association, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, among others.
Date: 11/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Ensuring Health Across Rural Minnesota in 2030
Offers recommendations to policymakers and stakeholders on how to expand access to high-quality and inexpensive healthcare for rural communities in Minnesota. Covers trends in factors that may affect rural health, such as increased diversity, older populations, higher healthcare costs, lack of broadband, closures of healthcare facilities, and more. Discusses how the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated issues in rural communities.
Date: 11/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Resource Center
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Accountable Health Communities Model - Two Rural Participants' Experiences
Describes how two health systems, Ballard Health and Rocky Mountain Health Plan, implemented the Accountable Health Communities Model to address health-related social needs of rural Medicare, Medicaid, and dual-eligible beneficiaries. Discusses challenges each system faced while implementing the model.
Date: 11/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Value
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Bringing Lawyers onto the Health Center Care Team to Promote Patient & Community Health
Discusses the role of health center medical-legal partnerships (MLPs) to address social determinants of health. Offers information and tools for health centers, primary care associations, and other organizations to start, strengthen, and sustain an MLP. Describes how to develop screening, referral, and service delivery workflows; how integrating legal services can support health center workforce development; and types of projects MLPs can engage in to help health centers address social determinants of health and health equity at a policy level.
Author(s): Kate Marple. Mallory Curran, Ellen Lawton, Danielle Rahajason
Date: 10/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Medical-Legal Partnership
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Ohio's COVID-19 Populations Needs Assessment
Describes a statewide evaluation of the unique needs of communities in Ohio at increased risk of disease and death due to COVID-19, as well as barriers these communities face in following COVID-19 protective behaviors. Focuses on 6 population groups, including rural communities. Offers 8 recommendations that would mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 across multiple populations.
Additional links: Executive Summary, Findings & Recommendations for Rural Communities
Author(s): Julianna M. Nemeth, Tasleem J. Padamsee
Date: 10/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: The Ohio State University College of Public Health
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Rural Legal Deserts Are a Critical Health Determinant
Highlights the role attorneys play in addressing social determinants of health (SDOH) during the COVID-19 pandemic and how their absence in rural areas exacerbates SDOH. Discusses the concept of "legal deserts" in rural areas, how they affect SDOH, and how things have changed during the pandemic.
Author(s): Michele Statz, Paula Termuhlen
Citation: American Journal of Public Health, 110(10), 1519-1522
Date: 10/2020
Type: Document
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Association Between Social Vulnerability and a County's Risk for Becoming a COVID-19 Hotspot — United States, June 1–July 25, 2020
Examines associations between social vulnerability and COVID-19 hotspot locations, based on June 1–July 25, 2020 county-level COVID-19 cases and data from the 2018 CDC social vulnerability index. Includes data by level of urbanicity for large metropolitan, small/medium metro, and nonmetro counties. Looks at both social vulnerability overall and specific components, including racial/ethnic minority population, percent of residents who speak English less than well, and housing and transportation vulnerability.
Author(s): Sharoda Dasgupta, Virginia B. Bowen, Andrew Leidner, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 69(42), 1535-1541
Date: 10/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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NRHA Policy Paper: Rural Obesity
Policy position paper examining rural-urban differences in obesity prevalence, obesity as a factor in health disparities, differences in weight-related behaviors, and social determinants of health influencing rural obesity. Offers strategies and policy recommendations to address rural obesity.
Author(s): Demetrius Abshire, Cassity Gutierrez
Date: 10/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Health Equity Report 2019-2020: Special Feature on Housing and Health Inequalities
Provides an overview of the Health Resources and Services Administration's (HRSA) program efforts in reducing health disparities and promoting health equity for various populations at the national, state, and local levels. Chapter 10 addresses rural-urban health disparities, with a focus on rural housing inequities and the opioid epidemic, and describes Federal Office of Rural Health Policy programs.
Date: 10/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Health Resources and Services Administration
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The Financing of Rural Health
Features a recording of a panel discussion on innovative strategies for financing rural health. Discusses challenges in rural communities, such as health disparities, limited broadband access, hospital closures, and more. Mentions the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on rural health.
Date: 10/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond
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