Rural Health
Resources by Type: Document
Distribution of Block Grant Funding: Considerations for Rural Communities
Analyzes the allocation of federal block grant funding from states to local communities via case studies of public health, community development, and substance use treatment funding distribution in six states. Highlights barriers and facilitators of rural funding, including agency staffing, flexibility, and cooperation and state-by-state variation in approaches to rurality.
Author(s): Kate E. Beatty, Casey P. Balio, Margaret M. Francisco, Michael B. Meit, Stephanie M. Mathis
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: ETSU/NORC Rural Health Research Center
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Analyzes the allocation of federal block grant funding from states to local communities via case studies of public health, community development, and substance use treatment funding distribution in six states. Highlights barriers and facilitators of rural funding, including agency staffing, flexibility, and cooperation and state-by-state variation in approaches to rurality.
Author(s): Kate E. Beatty, Casey P. Balio, Margaret M. Francisco, Michael B. Meit, Stephanie M. Mathis
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: ETSU/NORC Rural Health Research Center
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The National Dementia Workforce Study: The Plan for Organization Sample Frames and Data Collection
Details a plan for sampling and recruitment procedures of the dementia workforce, focusing on previously unsampled populations working in assisted living communities or home health agencies. Discusses sampling and recruitment strategies with considerations for Census region and rural areas.
Author(s): James Wagner, Laura M. Wagner, Sheryl Zimmerman, et al.
Citation: Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 73(11), 3336-3343
Date: 09/2025
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Details a plan for sampling and recruitment procedures of the dementia workforce, focusing on previously unsampled populations working in assisted living communities or home health agencies. Discusses sampling and recruitment strategies with considerations for Census region and rural areas.
Author(s): James Wagner, Laura M. Wagner, Sheryl Zimmerman, et al.
Citation: Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 73(11), 3336-3343
Date: 09/2025
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Rural and Tribal Transit: The Federal Transit Administration Should Evaluate Its Efforts to Help Improve Accessibility and Service
Explores the primary federal funding sources for accessible transit for older adults and people with disabilities for rural and tribal communities. Describes the approaches these communities have used to provide accessible transit, and the challenges they have faced. Discusses how the Department of Transportation (DOT) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) have helped communities use funds to improve these transit services.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Explores the primary federal funding sources for accessible transit for older adults and people with disabilities for rural and tribal communities. Describes the approaches these communities have used to provide accessible transit, and the challenges they have faced. Discusses how the Department of Transportation (DOT) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) have helped communities use funds to improve these transit services.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Reasons for Experiencing Delayed or Forgone Health Care among Rural American Indian/Alaska Native and Rural Non-Hispanic White Individuals, 2022
Policy brief offering reported reasons for experiencing delayed or forgone healthcare and how this differs between rural American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) and rural non-Hispanic white people, as well as by Indian Health Service care access among rural AI/AN people. Uses data from the 2022 National Health Interview Survey.
Author(s): Ingrid Jacobson, Julia Interrante, Hailey A. Baker, Mariana Tuttle, Katy B. Kozhimannil
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Policy brief offering reported reasons for experiencing delayed or forgone healthcare and how this differs between rural American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) and rural non-Hispanic white people, as well as by Indian Health Service care access among rural AI/AN people. Uses data from the 2022 National Health Interview Survey.
Author(s): Ingrid Jacobson, Julia Interrante, Hailey A. Baker, Mariana Tuttle, Katy B. Kozhimannil
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Comparing Utilization of Home Health Care Between Traditional Medicare and Medicare Advantage Beneficiaries by Rural-Urban Status
Policy report describing differences in utilization of home healthcare between beneficiaries enrolled in Traditional Medicare (TM) and Medicare Advantage (MA), and by rural or urban status. Examines differences in use of home health overall, provision of specific services, including physical and occupational therapy, and receipt of care from home health agencies by enrollment in TM and MA. Features statistics with breakdowns by urban, large rural, small rural, and isolated rural areas.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Policy report describing differences in utilization of home healthcare between beneficiaries enrolled in Traditional Medicare (TM) and Medicare Advantage (MA), and by rural or urban status. Examines differences in use of home health overall, provision of specific services, including physical and occupational therapy, and receipt of care from home health agencies by enrollment in TM and MA. Features statistics with breakdowns by urban, large rural, small rural, and isolated rural areas.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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A Rural Lens on Federal Block Grant Distribution
Provides an overview on federal block grants and how they are allocated in rural and underserved areas. Includes data on funding allocation, interview feedback from grant representatives, and an analysis of the application materials of 5 block grants: Preventive Health and Health Services (PHHS), Community Services Block Grant (CSBG), Child Care and Development Fund/Block Grant (CCDF, CCDBG), Substance Use Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Services Block Grant (SUBG), and the Community Mental Health Services Block Grant (MHBG). Discusses how federal block grants can move toward equitable distribution for rural communities.
Author(s): Casey P. Balio, Stephanie M. Mathis, Margaret M. Francisco, Michael B. Meit, Kate E. Beatty
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: ETSU/NORC Rural Health Research Center
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Provides an overview on federal block grants and how they are allocated in rural and underserved areas. Includes data on funding allocation, interview feedback from grant representatives, and an analysis of the application materials of 5 block grants: Preventive Health and Health Services (PHHS), Community Services Block Grant (CSBG), Child Care and Development Fund/Block Grant (CCDF, CCDBG), Substance Use Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Services Block Grant (SUBG), and the Community Mental Health Services Block Grant (MHBG). Discusses how federal block grants can move toward equitable distribution for rural communities.
Author(s): Casey P. Balio, Stephanie M. Mathis, Margaret M. Francisco, Michael B. Meit, Kate E. Beatty
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: ETSU/NORC Rural Health Research Center
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Forces Driving Change in Rural North Carolina
Examines major forces driving change in rural North Carolina communities, which influence people, communities, and businesses. Includes sections on rural healthcare inequities, social determinants of health, and the long-term impact of COVID-19 on rural people. Features a county-level map showing health outcome rankings as of 2022, and statistics on the number of healthcare professionals per 10,000 people, with breakdowns by urban, suburban, and rural areas.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: NC Rural Center
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Examines major forces driving change in rural North Carolina communities, which influence people, communities, and businesses. Includes sections on rural healthcare inequities, social determinants of health, and the long-term impact of COVID-19 on rural people. Features a county-level map showing health outcome rankings as of 2022, and statistics on the number of healthcare professionals per 10,000 people, with breakdowns by urban, suburban, and rural areas.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: NC Rural Center
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Improving Rural Health: State Policy Options for Increasing Access to Care
Offers resources for state legislatures regarding strategies states are pursuing to improve rural health through targeted investments in rural health facilities, strengthening the rural healthcare workforce, and addressing insurance coverage gaps.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Conference of State Legislatures
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Offers resources for state legislatures regarding strategies states are pursuing to improve rural health through targeted investments in rural health facilities, strengthening the rural healthcare workforce, and addressing insurance coverage gaps.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Conference of State Legislatures
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Current Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Project (MBQIP) Measures
Chart outlining the required and optional MBQIP measures. Measures are broken down into two categories, core and additional, and then into five domains: global measures, patient safety, patient engagement, care coordination, and emergency department. MBQIP is a Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility (Flex) quality improvement grant program for Critical Access Hospitals.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural Quality Improvement Technical Assistance (RQITA) Resource Center
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Chart outlining the required and optional MBQIP measures. Measures are broken down into two categories, core and additional, and then into five domains: global measures, patient safety, patient engagement, care coordination, and emergency department. MBQIP is a Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility (Flex) quality improvement grant program for Critical Access Hospitals.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural Quality Improvement Technical Assistance (RQITA) Resource Center
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Rural Collaborative Opportunities For Occupational Learning (R-COOL-Health) Scrubs Camps and Scrubs Academy
Provides an overview of the North Dakota Rural Collaborative Opportunities for Occupational Learning (R-Cool-Health) Scrubs Camps and Scrubs Academy programs, including information on the number of students and rural communities involved with the programs. Describes the opportunities for students in grades 5 through 12 to learn about and understand a wide range of healthcare careers available in their rural communities.
Author(s): Nicole Threadgold
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: University of North Dakota Center for Rural Health
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Provides an overview of the North Dakota Rural Collaborative Opportunities for Occupational Learning (R-Cool-Health) Scrubs Camps and Scrubs Academy programs, including information on the number of students and rural communities involved with the programs. Describes the opportunities for students in grades 5 through 12 to learn about and understand a wide range of healthcare careers available in their rural communities.
Author(s): Nicole Threadgold
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: University of North Dakota Center for Rural Health
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