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Rural Health
Resources by Type: Document

Examining the Diversity of the Rural United States
Explores the sociodemographic diversity of rural counties. Discusses research on the mortality for chronic respiratory diseases, substance use disorders, and transportation injuries by ethnicity and urbanicity. Describes the importance of engaging local community members and organizations to understand the needs of rural communities. Profiles Jefferson County, Oregon, diversity in rural Central Oregon, and the Central Oregon Regional Health Assessment.
Author(s): Parkes Kendrick
Date: 08/2023
Sponsoring organization: Think Global Health
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Rural Health Research Recap: Rural Behavioral Health Workforce
Summarizes recent research from Rural Health Research Centers examining numbers of social workers, psychologists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, and counselors. Features statistics including percent of counties without behavioral health professionals from 2014-2021 and behavioral health professionals per 100,000 residents from 2014-2021, with breakdowns by urban or rural location and profession type.
Author(s): Jessica Rosencrans
Date: 08/2023
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Research Gateway
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MedPAC Comment on CMS's Proposed Rule on the End-Stage Renal Disease Payment System Update for FY 2024
Comments on a June 30, 2023, Federal Register proposed rule related to Medicare payment policies for end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Includes comments addressing the low-volume payment adjustment (LVPA) and recommending the development of a new payment adjustment based on geographic isolation.
Date: 08/2023
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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MedPAC Comment on CMS's Proposed Rule on the Home Health Prospective Payment System for FY 2024
Comments on a July 10, 2023, Federal Register proposed rule related to Medicare payment policies for home health agencies. Includes comments on expanding the Home Health Value-Based Purchasing Model nationwide, wage index adjustments, the Hospice Special Focus Program (SFP), and more.
Date: 08/2023
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program: Feedback Should Be Provided to Applicants Receiving Equitable Distribution Grants
Provides an overview of the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program (TBCP) and the grants awarded under the program through July 25, 2023. Summarizes findings from a review of program documents and interviews and surveys with program officials and eligible entities regarding whether applicants who received equitable distribution grants received constructive feedback to improve applications in subsequent rounds of funding.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 08/2023
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Public Belief in the Maternal Health Benefits of Breastfeeding — United States, 2018 and 2021
Examines public belief in breastfeeding health benefits for the mother. Utilizes 2018 and 2021 survey data to analyze perceptions related to decreased cancer, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes risk according to survey respondent sex, age, race/ethnicity, education, income, employment, marital status, region, and metro versus nonmetro location.
Author(s): Ellen O. Boundy, Jennifer M. Nelson, Ruowei Li
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 20
Date: 08/2023
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Reaching Out to People Who Live in Rural Areas about Medicaid and CHIP Renewals
Information and resources for communicating with people enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP about how to maintain health insurance coverage. Includes strategies specific to reaching people living in rural areas.
Date: 08/2023
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
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Rates of Nursing Home Closures Were Relatively Stable Over the Past Decade, but Warrant Continuous Monitoring
Evaluates nursing home closures between 2011 and 2021 to identify trends and characteristics associated with closure. Considers location, Medicaid and Medicare, resident race, and more.
Author(s): Kelly Hughes, Zhanlian Feng, Qinghua Li, et al.
Citation: Health Affairs Scholar, 1(2)
Date: 08/2023
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Broadband and Student Performance Gaps After the COVID-19 Pandemic
Analyzes the impact of broadband access during the COVID-19 pandemic on adolescent student experience in rural Michigan. Provides data and information related to digital device and broadband access, learning from home, student achievement and well-being, and future directions for broadband equity.
Author(s): Keith N. Hampton, Gabriel E. Hales, Johannes M. Bauer
Date: 08/2023
Sponsoring organizations: Michigan State University, Quello Center
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Dual Barriers: Examining Digital Access and Travel Burdens to Hospital Maternity Care Access in the United States, 2020
Analyzes the relationship between drive time to hospital maternity units and access to digital/telehealth care in mitigating travel burden. Utilizes 2020 American Hospital Association Annual Survey data with information broken down by rural versus urban location, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and broadband and digital device access.
Author(s): Peiyin Hung, Marion Granger, Nansi Boghossian, et al.
Citation: The Milbank Quarterly, 101(4), 1327-1347
Date: 08/2023
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