In-depth stories examining key rural health issues.
October 17, 2018
In this in-depth story, multiple clinical issues surrounding domestic violence (DV) and intimate partner violence (IPV) in rural settings are discussed by providers, researchers, and those serving indigenous populations. Rural prevalence rates, provider knowledge gaps, and healthcare expenditures are also reviewed.
October 3, 2018
On average, rural residents wait twice as long for emergency medical services than urban residents. Stop the Bleed is a trauma training initiative that teaches laypeople how to pack wounds and apply tourniquets in order to improve survival rates until medical attention arrives.
September 19, 2018
Electronic health records are central to rural healthcare providers' and organizations' transition to value-based care. Several rural organizations are using their EHR data to make changes for the patient populations they serve.
August 8, 2018
An in-depth look at death certificates shows how this vital statistic document can impact rural healthcare, rural healthcare policy, and public health interventions.
July 11, 2018
Obstetric services were available in 205 fewer rural hospitals in 2014 than in 2004. Realizing the importance of maternity and childbirth services, a CAH in Alaska works to keep its providers' skills sharp and a rural OB-GYN residency program in Wisconsin is beginning to train a new generation of physicians.
June 27, 2018
Moving the conversation away from finances, advocates share why general surgery plays an important role in a comprehensive rural population health strategy by delivering the right care in the right place at the right time.
May 30, 2018
Super-utilizers are those patients who are hospitalized multiple times each year and, due to circumstances outside their control, are unable to make the changes needed to keep them out of the ER. Three rural Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) are working on reducing these readmissions and improving their super-utilizers' health.
May 16, 2018
Across the country, recruitment and retention challenges are common for rural healthcare entities providing post-acute care. Healthcare leaders share practical examples that have created incentive for staff to join, and stay on, their healthcare teams.
May 2, 2018
Post-acute care (PAC) services available locally can make fully recovering from a serious illness or injury faster and easier, setting the patient and provider up for the best possible outcome. This article looks at how a tertiary facility's communication with skilled nursing facilities, a Critical Access Hospital's swing bed program, and a home health agency are improving patient transitions from acute care to PAC.
April 18, 2018
Two healthcare organizations demonstrate how the social determinants of health and social risk assessment can be used as a framework for transforming a rural "health delivery system to a true health system."
