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Rural Health
Resources by Type: Document

Non-Emergency Medical Transportation Needs of Middle-Aged and Older Adults: A Rural-Urban Comparison in Delaware, USA
A comparison of transportation patterns and costs for middle-aged and older adult Medicaid patients for medical care in rural versus urban Delaware. These patients were eligible for Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT) services. Discusses transportation barriers to care for rural residents, including cost, availability, and accessibility and suggests solutions for connecting residents to needed services.
Author(s): Matthew Lee Smith, Thomas R. Prohaska, Kara E. MacLeod, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 14(2)
Date: 02/2017
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Dental Therapy Toolkit: A Resource for Potential Employers
Toolkit designed to provide prospective employers of dental therapists a history and understanding of the field and offer information on how to integrate dental therapists into their practices in the state of Minnesota. Includes regulations and scope of practice details, education and training requirements, and examples of successful dental therapy models, among other topics.
Date: 02/2017
Sponsoring organizations: Health Reform Minnesota, Minnesota Department of Health - Office of Rural Health and Primary Care, Minnesota Department of Human Services
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Hunger in Older Adults: Challenges and Opportunities for the Aging Services Network
Report details the state of food security in older adults throughout the nation. Examines some of the negative health outcomes caused or worsened by malnutrition at an older age. Discusses some of the barriers that inhibit many elderly people from accessing food, such as immobility, lack of transportation, and poverty, among others.
Date: 02/2017
Sponsoring organization: Meals on Wheels America
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Community Health Workers: Recommendations for Bridging Healthcare Gaps in Rural America
Policy brief reviewing research findings on community health worker (CHW) integration, and how CHWs can help bridge healthcare gaps in rural communities. Also reviews various state policies related to CHWs, identifies a number of care settings where CHWs are working in rural areas, and makes policy recommendations to support the continued integration of CHWs into the rural healthcare delivery system.
Author(s): Kailyn Dorhauer Mock, Tracy Morton, Prisci Quijada, Julie St. John
Date: 02/2017
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Treating the Rural Opioid Epidemic
Policy brief reviewing the barriers to implementing effective, high-quality treatment for mental health and substance use issues in rural areas. Includes policy recommendations for addressing these issues, focusing on access to medication assisted treatment (MAT) and funding for rural mental health infrastructure.
Author(s): Christine Hancock, Heidi Mennenga, Nikki King, et al.
Date: 02/2017
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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A Rural-Urban Comparison of Hospitals Participating in the Medicare Electronic Health Record Incentive Program
Examines the history and progression of electronic health record (EHR) usage in rural hospitals across the U.S. Seeks to explain why rural hospitals, including Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), tend to lag behind their urban counterparts in EHR adoption, and makes policy recommendations for improving the meaningful use of EHRs in rural hospitals.
Author(s): Jan Eberth, Sharita R. Thomas
Date: 02/2017
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Russell County Hospital Aligning for Future Success
Details the improvements made by Russell County Hospital (RCH), a 25-bed Critical Access Hospital located in Russell Springs, Kentucky, as part of the Small Rural Hospital Transition (SRHT) project. Major accomplishments include expanding primary care and surgery services, developing a strategic plan, establishing and monitoring quality indicators, and optimizing participation in the 340B Drug Pricing Program. RCH is also working with the community and the media to promote their quality scores, which are consistently high.
Date: 02/2017
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Resource Center
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Evaluation of the Medication Management (MM) Health Care Innovation Awardees: Third Annual Report
Evaluations of 6 Health Care Innovation Awards Round One projects focused on medication management programs, including programs serving rural areas.
Additional links: Addendum, June 2017
Date: 02/2017
Sponsoring organizations: Acumen, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Westat
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Third Annual Report: HCIA Disease-Specific Evaluation
Findings from the third year for 18 Health Care Innovation Awards Round One projects targeting patient populations with specific diseases. Provides information on program effectiveness based on Medicare and Medicaid claims data and awardee-collected data. Includes projects that serve a variety of rural areas and address conditions such as diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and chronic pain. Approaches discussed include care coordination, education, and telehealth.
Additional links: Addendum, June 2017
Date: 02/2017
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, NORC at the University of Chicago
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HCIA Complex/High-Risk Patient Targeting: Third Annual Report
Third annual evaluations of Health Care Innovation Awards Round One projects focused on patients with medically complex conditions at high risk for hospitalization, re-hospitalization, emergency department visits, or nursing home stays. Presents program effectiveness findings based on Medicare and Medicaid claims data, surveys, site visits, and interviews. Several projects serve rural areas, offering caregiver education and support, telehealth services, and various care coordination approaches.
Additional links: Addendum, April 2017
Date: 02/2017
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, NORC at the University of Chicago
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