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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Social determinants of health

Despair as a Cause of Death: More Complex Than It First Appears
Describes studies showing urban-rural and racial/ethnic comparisons of premature deaths due to self-destructive behaviors and possible underlying social and economic factors in the communities.
Author(s): Ana V. Diez Roux
Citation: American Journal of Public Health, 107(10), 1566-1567
Date: 10/2017
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Despair in the American Heartland? A Focus on Rural Health
Describes 4 research articles and accompanying editorials, examining problems associated with the current state of health among rural populations.
Author(s): Paul Campbell Erwin
Citation: American Journal of Public Health, 107(10), 1533-1534
Date: 10/2017
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Innovations in Rural Health System Development: Federally Qualified Health Center Initiatives
Reports on Maine's Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). Discusses strategies for workforce recruitment and retention, serving high-need patient populations, addressing critical community needs, and providing services that address the social determinants of health. Provides various examples of programs from across the state.
Author(s): Sara Kahn-Troster, Amanda Burgess, Andrew Coburn
Date: 09/2017
Sponsoring organizations: Catherine Cutler Institute, Maine Health Access Foundation
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Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure: Information on Identified Needs, Planning for Future Conditions, and Coordination of Project Funding
Reviews federal programs that provide funding for drinking water and wastewater infrastructure projects and describes how infrastructure needs are identified. Also details how federal agencies support states' efforts and the extent to which federal agencies coordinate funding initiatives. Analysis is based on a review of infrastructure projects in 6 states: Alaska, California, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, and Tennessee.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 09/2017
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Social Determinants of Health: A Quick Reference Guide for State Offices of Rural Health and State and Territorial Health Officials
Provides an overview of social determinants of health (SDOH) in rural communities and lists partners, resources, and national-level initiatives related to 4 significant SDOH in rural areas: housing, transportation, education, and food insecurity. Intended to serve as a starting point and guide for rural organizations that wish to address SDOH through multi-sector collaboration.
Date: 09/2017
Sponsoring organizations: Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health
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Medical-Legal Partnership Addresses Social Determinants of Health
Explores how FirstHealth of the Carolinas, a private, nonprofit healthcare network based in Pinehurst, North Carolina, reduced emergency department utilization and hospital readmission rates systemwide through the use of transitional care clinics (TCCs) and medical-legal partnerships (MLPs). Highlights how addressing non-medical factors can affect health outcomes.
Date: 08/2017
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Value
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Health Disparities in Appalachia
Measures population health in Appalachia and explores disparities within the region and between Appalachia and the country as a whole. Features statistics on mortality, morbidity, behavioral health, child health, community characteristics, lifestyle, healthcare systems, quality of care, and social determinants, with breakdowns between urban and rural areas.
Author(s): Julie L. Marshall, Logan Thomas, Nancy M. Lane, et al.
Date: 08/2017
Sponsoring organizations: Appalachian Regional Commission, PDA, Inc., The Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research
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Social Determinants of Health Series: Housing and the Role of Hospitals
Provides an overview of the role of housing in health, and discusses what hospitals can can do to address housing instability as a social determinant of health. Offers five case studies of innovative hospital and health system programs related to housing, including a rural California program that provides safe transitional housing to chronically homeless patients after discharge from the hospital.
Date: 08/2017
Sponsoring organizations: American Hospital Association, Health Research & Educational Trust
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Issue Brief: Social Services
Discusses the types, prevalence, and the agencies providing social services in schools, with information on city, suburban, and rural schools. Includes data on mental health services, health services, and other types of supports.
Date: 07/2017
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Education
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Screening for Social Determinants of Health in Michigan Health Centers
Examines screening practices for the social determinants of health in Michigan health center settings, including Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). Includes map of Michigan with health center locations, health center characteristics and statistics, patients in the study, and percentages of health center screenings for core domains.
Author(s): Elena Byhoff, Alicia J. Cohen, Mary C. Hamati, et al.
Citation: Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, 30(4), 418-427
Date: 07/2017
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