Skip to main content
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Type: Document

Home Health Agencies Used Multiple Strategies to Respond to the COVID-19 Pandemic, Although Some Challenges Persist
Presents results of a survey of home health agencies (HHAs) conducted between September through December 2021 to explore the challenges they faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Discusses challenges related to staffing, infection control, the use of telehealth, and the adequacy of emergency preparedness plans, as well as challenges specific to rural HHAs. Provides recommendations for how the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) can help HHAs prepare for and respond to current and future infectious disease outbreaks and changes to the home health care landscape.
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
view details
Safety Assurance Factors for EHR Resilience (SAFER) Guides Requirements
Infographic displaying the differences in the Safety Assurance Factors for EHR Resilience (SAFER) Guide requirements for hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) participating in the Medicare Promoting Interoperability Program and eligible clinicians participating in the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) Promoting Interoperability performance category for eligible clinicians.
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
view details
Changes in Emergency Department Visits in the Initial Period of the COVID-19 Pandemic (April–December 2020), 29 States
Presents data from 29 states on the difference between the number of emergency department (ED) visits and ED admission rates between April and December 2020 and compares this data to the same time period in 2019. Includes data by patient characteristics, including urban-rural status.
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
view details
How Resilient Are Communities Along the U.S.-Mexico Border?
Examines economic and health risk factor data for the United States-Mexico border region based on Community Resilience Estimates (CRE) and American Community Survey (ACS) data. Compares average risk factor statistics for border counties, non-border counties in border states, and all non-border counties in the U.S., and offers comparisons for the 4 border states.
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
view details
Association of Health Insurance, Geography, and Race and Ethnicity with Disparities in Receipt of Recommended Postpartum Care in the US
Explores whether there is a significant difference in the characteristics of patients who received a postpartum visit and the content covered in these visits. Uses data from the 2016-2019 Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) surveys to compare visit attendance and content across health insurance type, rural or urban residency, and race and ethnicity.
Author(s): Julia D. Interrante, Lindsay Admon, Caitlin Carroll, et al.
Citation: JAMA Health Forum, 3(10), e223292
Date: 10/2022
view details
How Alaska Supports Rural and Frontier Behavioral Health Services
Describes Alaska's Behavioral Health Aide (BHA) program, a non-licensed provider type designed to promote behavioral health and wellness in Alaska Native individuals, families, and communities through culturally relevant training and education. Discusses qualifications for the BHA certification, payment, and next steps for other states seeking to develop similar programs.
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: National Academy for State Health Policy
view details
Early Childhood Care and Education Programs in Rural Areas
Provides statistics on the percentage of children under 6 years and their access to child care by city, suburban, town, and rural locale. Includes discussions related to child care services such as impacts on parental employment and child development.
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Education Statistics
view details
Rural Students' Access to the Internet
Provides percentages of students who have access to fixed broadband by city, suburban, town, and rural locale, which is further broken down by fringe, distant, or remote areas. Includes discussions of related broadband issues such as influences of poverty and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Education Statistics
view details
Telemedicine Use Among Adults: United States, 2021
Reports on the percent of adults who used telemedicine in the past 12 months. Includes data on telemedicine use for those living in metropolitan, micropolitan, and noncore areas.
Author(s): Jacqueline W. Lucas, Maria A. Villarroel
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
view details
How To Improve Community Wildfire Defense Grants To Build Rural Resilience
Analyzes the impact of wildfires in northern New Mexico to plan for increased needs related to climate disasters in rural and vulnerable communities across the U.S. Discusses issues such as capacity in rural areas that create challenges when utilizing federal assistance. Provides suggestions for investments in built environment and collaborations across agencies to plan for grant funding that supports rural areas and increases rural resilience.
Author(s): Sofia Garcia George, Mark Haggerty
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: Center for American Progress
view details