Rural Health
Resources by Type: Document
Inequity, Workload, and External Factors: A Descriptive Study on High-Intensity Statin Prescriptions for Patients with Clinical Cardiovascular Disease and at High Risk for Cardiovascular Disease
Examines adherence to guidelines related to statin prescriptions to treat atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). Utilizes medical chart data from 20,923 ASCVD patients according to statin prescribing rates and patient demographics, including rural versus urban residence.
Author(s): Liberty Nguyen, Ethlyn Voorhies, Christy Jesme, et al.
Citation: BMC Cardiovascular Disorders, 25, 718
Date: 10/2025
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Examines adherence to guidelines related to statin prescriptions to treat atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). Utilizes medical chart data from 20,923 ASCVD patients according to statin prescribing rates and patient demographics, including rural versus urban residence.
Author(s): Liberty Nguyen, Ethlyn Voorhies, Christy Jesme, et al.
Citation: BMC Cardiovascular Disorders, 25, 718
Date: 10/2025
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Health Industry Cybersecurity Sector Mapping and Risk Toolkit (SMART)
Provides templates and methodologies for healthcare providers, insurance plans, and manufacturers to map and identify systemic cybersecurity risks posed by third party technology, software, and communications services. Includes considerations for small and rural healthcare organizations.
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: Health Sector Coordinating Council (HSCC) Cybersecurity Working Group
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Provides templates and methodologies for healthcare providers, insurance plans, and manufacturers to map and identify systemic cybersecurity risks posed by third party technology, software, and communications services. Includes considerations for small and rural healthcare organizations.
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: Health Sector Coordinating Council (HSCC) Cybersecurity Working Group
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More Than 5 Million Older Adults Are Eligible for Both the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and a Medicare Savings Program (MSP)
Examines characteristics of older adults who are eligible for both Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs) and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Provides data on eligibility, with data broken down by state, demographics, household size, income, and urban versus rural location.
Author(s): Olivia Dean, Tobey Oliver
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: AARP Public Policy Institute
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Examines characteristics of older adults who are eligible for both Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs) and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Provides data on eligibility, with data broken down by state, demographics, household size, income, and urban versus rural location.
Author(s): Olivia Dean, Tobey Oliver
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: AARP Public Policy Institute
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Higher Mortality Following SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Rural Versus Urban Dwellers Persists for Two Years Post-Infection
Compares two-year post-COVID-19 mortality by level of rurality among patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection which occurred between April 2020 and December 2022, utilizing National Clinical Cohort Collaborative COVID-19 Enclave data. Includes data on overall mortality risk, excess mortality, trends in mortality over time, and new onset conditions among urban, urban-adjacent rural, and nonurban-adjacent rural populations.
Author(s): A. Jerrod Anzalone, Michael T. Vest, Makayla E. Schissel, et al.
Citation: Nature Communications, 16, 8933
Date: 10/2025
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Compares two-year post-COVID-19 mortality by level of rurality among patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection which occurred between April 2020 and December 2022, utilizing National Clinical Cohort Collaborative COVID-19 Enclave data. Includes data on overall mortality risk, excess mortality, trends in mortality over time, and new onset conditions among urban, urban-adjacent rural, and nonurban-adjacent rural populations.
Author(s): A. Jerrod Anzalone, Michael T. Vest, Makayla E. Schissel, et al.
Citation: Nature Communications, 16, 8933
Date: 10/2025
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Where Have We Been and Where Are We Going? The State of the Hematology and Medical Oncologist Workforce in America
Examines the supply and distribution of medical oncologists and hematologists over time, utilizing 2014, 2019, and 2024 data sets from Medicare Care Compare. Includes data on associations between county-level rurality, oncologist availability, and oncologists close to retirement age, among other geographic and demographic analyses.
Author(s): M. Kelsey Kirkwood, Erin P. Balogh, Melissa K. Accordino, et al.
Citation: JCO Oncology Practice
Date: 10/2025
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Examines the supply and distribution of medical oncologists and hematologists over time, utilizing 2014, 2019, and 2024 data sets from Medicare Care Compare. Includes data on associations between county-level rurality, oncologist availability, and oncologists close to retirement age, among other geographic and demographic analyses.
Author(s): M. Kelsey Kirkwood, Erin P. Balogh, Melissa K. Accordino, et al.
Citation: JCO Oncology Practice
Date: 10/2025
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Affordability of Health Professional Education: Proceedings of a Workshop Series—In Brief
Summarizes presentations and discussions from the National Academies Global Forum on Innovation in Health Professional Education, convened in early 2025 to explore financial barriers, assess workforce effects, and consider ways to improve the value and accessibility of health professional education. Discusses primary care workforce shortages and lack of training opportunities in rural areas.
Additional links: Read Online
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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Summarizes presentations and discussions from the National Academies Global Forum on Innovation in Health Professional Education, convened in early 2025 to explore financial barriers, assess workforce effects, and consider ways to improve the value and accessibility of health professional education. Discusses primary care workforce shortages and lack of training opportunities in rural areas.
Additional links: Read Online
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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The Latest Trends in Health Workforce Legislation
Summarizes an August 2025 discussion of the National Conference of State Legislatures' Health Workforce Peer Learning Group regarding state healthcare workforce policy trends. Covers state policy levers to recruit and retain members of the health workforce and promote access to care. Includes rural references throughout.
Author(s): Kelsie George
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Conference of State Legislatures
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Summarizes an August 2025 discussion of the National Conference of State Legislatures' Health Workforce Peer Learning Group regarding state healthcare workforce policy trends. Covers state policy levers to recruit and retain members of the health workforce and promote access to care. Includes rural references throughout.
Author(s): Kelsie George
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Conference of State Legislatures
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Transforming Rural Health Care Through Medicaid Innovation: Tip Sheet Series
Informational tip sheets discussing the use of Medicaid innovations to assist states in creating their Rural Health Transformation (RHT) Program applications. Covers issues such as behavioral health, school-based services, integrated care access, community health workers, community paramedicine, specialty care, and healthcare technology. Provides examples, strategies, Medicaid policy information, and resources.
Additional links: Improving Access to Integrated Care for Dually Eligible Individuals in Rural Areas, Leveraging Community Health Workers to Address Rural Health Care Needs, Leveraging Community Paramedicine to Address Rural Health Needs, Leveraging Peers and Lay Counselors to Address Behavioral Health Care Workforce Shortages in Rural Areas, Using Project ECHO to Deliver Specialty Care in Rural Areas, Using School-Based Services to Improve Access to Preventive Health Care for Children in Rural Areas, Using Tech-Enabled Solutions to Improve Care Quality and Access in Rural Areas
Author(s): Molly Knowles, Nancy Archibald, Karla Silverman, Lauren Scannelli Jacobs
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Care Strategies
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Informational tip sheets discussing the use of Medicaid innovations to assist states in creating their Rural Health Transformation (RHT) Program applications. Covers issues such as behavioral health, school-based services, integrated care access, community health workers, community paramedicine, specialty care, and healthcare technology. Provides examples, strategies, Medicaid policy information, and resources.
Additional links: Improving Access to Integrated Care for Dually Eligible Individuals in Rural Areas, Leveraging Community Health Workers to Address Rural Health Care Needs, Leveraging Community Paramedicine to Address Rural Health Needs, Leveraging Peers and Lay Counselors to Address Behavioral Health Care Workforce Shortages in Rural Areas, Using Project ECHO to Deliver Specialty Care in Rural Areas, Using School-Based Services to Improve Access to Preventive Health Care for Children in Rural Areas, Using Tech-Enabled Solutions to Improve Care Quality and Access in Rural Areas
Author(s): Molly Knowles, Nancy Archibald, Karla Silverman, Lauren Scannelli Jacobs
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Care Strategies
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Many Medicare Advantage and Medicaid Managed Care Plans Have Limited Behavioral Health Provider Networks and Inactive Providers
Examines the availability of behavioral health providers in selected Medicare Advantage (MA) and Medicaid managed care networks in 2023. Analyzes provider network lists and MA and Medicaid encounter data for four MA and two Medicaid managed care plans from 10 selected urban and rural counties across five states. Describes the proportion of the behavioral health workforce in each county included in the plans' networks. Discusses the extent to which managed care plans had inactive providers in their network and why these providers did not deliver services to enrollees. Includes data on the percentage of inactive providers in rural and urban counties. Offers recommendations to monitor and improve the accuracy of provider networks.
Additional links: Report Highlights
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Examines the availability of behavioral health providers in selected Medicare Advantage (MA) and Medicaid managed care networks in 2023. Analyzes provider network lists and MA and Medicaid encounter data for four MA and two Medicaid managed care plans from 10 selected urban and rural counties across five states. Describes the proportion of the behavioral health workforce in each county included in the plans' networks. Discusses the extent to which managed care plans had inactive providers in their network and why these providers did not deliver services to enrollees. Includes data on the percentage of inactive providers in rural and urban counties. Offers recommendations to monitor and improve the accuracy of provider networks.
Additional links: Report Highlights
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Supporting Individuals With Cognitive Impairment and Family Members in Rural Communities: Protocol for a Mixed Methods Digital Health Study
Study protocol for the Northern Arizona Memory Study (NAZMS), which will support dementia risk identification and promote understanding of cognitive health needs and supports via surveys and interviews of Alzheimer's disease and related dementia (ADRD) caregiver and care-receiver dyads in rural Northern Arizona. Details study design and implementation, and highlights the importance of culturally-tailored, accessible, and practical ADRD care supports and interventions for rural and tribal families in Arizona.
Author(s): Eric S. Cerino, Megan C. McCoy, Margarita Martinez, et al.
Citation: JMIR Research Protocols, 14, e77958
Date: 10/2025
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Study protocol for the Northern Arizona Memory Study (NAZMS), which will support dementia risk identification and promote understanding of cognitive health needs and supports via surveys and interviews of Alzheimer's disease and related dementia (ADRD) caregiver and care-receiver dyads in rural Northern Arizona. Details study design and implementation, and highlights the importance of culturally-tailored, accessible, and practical ADRD care supports and interventions for rural and tribal families in Arizona.
Author(s): Eric S. Cerino, Megan C. McCoy, Margarita Martinez, et al.
Citation: JMIR Research Protocols, 14, e77958
Date: 10/2025
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