This website is being reviewed for updates. Some information is offline. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Skip to main content
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Type: Document

National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey: 2013 Emergency Department Summary Tables
Provides data on ambulatory care emergency department hospital visits. Table 1 includes brief metro/non-metro overview information, and Table 14 has metro/non-metro injury visit data.
Date: 12/2016
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
view details
Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation: Report to Congress
Details the activities and progress of the CMS Innovation Center, focusing on the time period between October 1, 2014, and September 30, 2016. Includes updates on multiple rural-relevant models and initiatives such as the Accountable Care Organization Investment Model, Health Care Innovation Awards, and the Strong Start for Mothers and Newborns initiative.
Date: 12/2016
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
view details
Newborn Screening Timeliness: Most States Had Not Met Screening Goals, but Some Are Developing Strategies to Address Barriers
Discusses the processes, strategies, and organizations involved in testing newborns for heritable diseases. Uses data provided by 38 states from 2012 to 2015 addressing how well states are meeting the recommended time frames. Examines barriers to timely testing and how courier services are helping some rural hospitals shorten specimen transport times, thereby reducing the time it takes to obtain full test results.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 12/2016
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
view details
Supporting the Development of Young Children in American Indian and Alaska Native Communities Who Are Affected by Alcohol and Substance Exposure
Policy statement providing recommendations that promote the early development of American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) children who have been exposed to alcohol and substance abuse during pregnancy or early childhood. Discusses best practices and reviews promising strategies that tribal early childhood programs can use to support children's development and wellness. Also points out health disparities that exist between tribes and the general U.S. population, and uses case studies to show where success has been achieved in reducing the destructive effects of substance abuse.
Date: 12/2016
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
view details
Report to Congress: Social Risk Factors and Performance Under Medicare's Value-Based Purchasing Program
Uses Medicare data to examine the relationship between social risk factors and the performance of value-based purchasing programs. Discusses policy considerations that could help ensure value-based purchasing programs achieve their intended results, especially among high social risk populations. Categorizes rurality as a community risk factor and discusses whether beneficiaries with social risk factors such as rurality have worse outcomes due to their social risk profile, or because of the providers they see. Also provides rural-specific statistics and recommendations for using value-based purchasing to improve health outcomes among high social risk populations. Appendices summarize and provide additional details for each of the 9 programs evaluated. See the second report.
Additional links: Appendices
Date: 12/2016
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
view details
Resurgence of Progressive Massive Fibrosis in Coal Miners--Eastern Kentucky, 2016
Describes a sharp increase in cases of Progressive Massive Fibrosis (PMF) from January 2015 through August 2016, as reported by a radiologist treating 60 former or active coal miners in rural central Appalachia. Includes a chart showing percentages of miners with 25 or more years underground work experience in that region who were diagnosed with PMF from 1970-2016.
Author(s): David J. Blackley, James B. Crum, Cara N. Halldin, Eileen Storey, A. Scott Laney
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 65(49), 1385-1389
Date: 12/2016
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
view details
Influences and Practices in Colorectal Cancer Screening Among Health Care Providers Serving Northern Plains American Indians, 2011-2012
Analysis of data collected from 145 providers at 27 American Indian health facilities in the Northern Plains. Features statistics with breakdowns by type and frequency of tests, type of providers, and factors influencing screening practices.
Author(s): Melanie Nadeau, Anne Walaszek, David G. Perdue, et al.
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 13
Date: 12/2016
view details
Differences in Food and Beverage Marketing Policies and Practices in US School Districts, by Demographic Characteristics of School Districts, 2012
Analysis of data from the 2012 School Health Policies and Practices Study, showing how school district characteristics affect food and beverage marketing and promotion policies and practices. Features statistics with breakdowns including rural, suburban, or urban status, district size, and percentage of non-Hispanic White students.
Author(s): Caitlin L. Merlo, Shannon Michael, Nancy D. Brener, et al.
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 13
Date: 12/2016
view details
Community Perspectives on Access to and Availability of Healthy Food in Rural, Low-Resource, Latino Communities
Results of interviews and surveys with residents of a rural central California agricultural community, exploring their perceptions of access to healthy foods.
Author(s): Zulema Valdez, A. Susana Ramírez, Erendira Estrada, Kathleen Grassi, Stephanie Nathan
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 13
Date: 12/2016
view details
Animals Help People Heal in Rural Areas
Discusses the role of service and therapy animals in rural communities. Features service dogs of Hawaii, therapeutic riding horses of Wyoming, and a Florida skilled nursing facility with a therapy pig and tortoise.
Author(s): Allee Mead
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 12/2016
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
view details