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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Social determinants of health

Introducing the Social Determinants of Health in Rural Communities Toolkit
Webinar recording presents the Social Determinants of Health in Rural Communities Toolkit. Discusses strategies, models, and lessons learned for addressing social determinants of health in rural communities. Features presentations from representatives of NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis, CASA of Oregon, and the Community Outreach and Patient Empowerment Program.
Additional links: Audio Recording, PowerPoint Handout
Date: 08/2020
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Investing in Rural Communities to Achieve Health Equity
Brief describing how The Two Georgias Initiative supported communities in their efforts to address the growing health and healthcare disparities occurring in rural areas of Georgia. Discusses the collective efforts of 11 organizations representing rural communities to establish a community health coalition and a community health improvement plan that includes representation of those most impacted by health inequities. Encourages grantmaking organizations to create funding opportunities that address health equity issues in rural areas.
Author(s): Lisa Medellin, Samantha Bourque Tucker
Date: 07/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Grantmakers in Health
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The Improved Health Outcomes Program (iHOP): A Unique Model to Promote Provider-Driven Research in a Medicaid Population
Describes the iHOP program, a grant-funded partnership between a Medicaid managed care insurer, the University of Louisville, and healthcare providers in Kentucky. The program operated from 2007-2018 and was designed to address the healthcare needs of Medicaid and uninsured populations across the state. Includes information on specific project initiatives, including those focused on special populations such as refugees, Latinos, and rural individuals.
Author(s): Tara J. Schapmire, Jill Bell, Mark. P. Pfeifer
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(14), 5079
Date: 07/2020
Type: Document
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The Role of Public Health in COVID-19 Emergency Response Efforts From a Rural Health Perspective
Examines the difficulties rural communities face in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in the southeastern region of the U.S. Discusses the COVID-19 Community Vulnerability Index, a tool that analyzes epidemiological factors, socioeconomic status, and other indicators to determine which communities are at an increased risk of COVID-19.
Author(s): Sandra Melvin, Corey Wiggins, Nakeitra Burse, Erica Thompson, Mauda Monger
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 17
Date: 07/2020
Type: Document
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Rural Matters - Coronavirus and the Navajo Nation
Presents a first-hand account of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Navajo Nation. Discusses the social and environmental factors that contribute to the spread of the virus.
Author(s): Heather Kovich
Citation: New England Journal of Medicine, 383, 105-107
Date: 07/2020
Type: Document
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Left Out: Barriers to Health Equity for Rural and Underserved Communities
Summarizes responses to a Request for Information from the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee's Rural and Underserved Communities Health Task Force. Describes factors contributing to healthcare challenges in rural areas, including demographics, social and structural determinants of health, insurance coverage, access to care, and workforce shortages. Highlights promising models of healthcare delivery in rural areas. Includes state-by-state health equity maps.
Additional links: State and Territory Health Equity Maps, Summary
Date: 07/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: House Ways and Means Committee
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Sociodemographic Determinants of Acute Myocardial Infarction Hospitalization Risks in Florida
Identifies sociodemographic determinants of myocardial infarction (MI) hospitalization risks and assesses whether the impacts of these determinants vary by geographic location. Features statistics with breakdown by rural location and county-level maps showing the spacial distribution of MI hospitalization risks in Florida from 2005-2014.
Author(s): Evah Wangui Odoi, Nicholas Nagle, Russell Zaretzki, et al.
Citation: Journal of the American Heart Association, 9(11)
Date: 06/2020
Type: Document
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Population Health in Rural America in 2020 - A Virtual Workshop
Recording of a 2-day workshop on rural population health. Features presentations by experts in the field, with discussion on rural demographics and social determinants of health; health disparities; public health, healthcare, and community efforts to improve health outcomes in rural America; health policy; and more. Presentation slides and workshop agenda are available to download.
Author(s): Roundtable on Population Health Improvement
Date: 06/2020
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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Social Determinants of Health and County Population Rates of Opioid-Related Inpatient Stays and Emergency Department Visits, 2016
Examines characteristics of U.S. counties, comparing counties with high and low rates of opioid-related inpatient stays and treat-and-release emergency department (ED) visits among patients 15 years and older. Includes data for metro, rural adjacent to metro, and rural remote counties, as well as by urban-rural location and poverty rate.
Author(s): Pamela L. Owens, Audrey J. Weiss, Marguerite L. Barrett, Lawrence D. Reid
Date: 06/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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Spatial Disparities in Coronavirus Incidence and Mortality in the United States: An Ecological Analysis as of May 2020
Explores the spread of COVID-19 across the U.S. Details the virus's relation to different levels of socioeconomic status by mapping the spatial patterns of its spread through both rural and urban communities. Aims to inform first responders and policy makers.
Author(s): Charlie H. Zhang, Gary G. Schwartz
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 36(3), 433-445
Date: 06/2020
Type: Document
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