July 24, 2024
For decades, community health workers (CHWs) provided their services outside usual healthcare reimbursement models. In recent years, with research supporting CHWs as professionals effectively assisting patients with navigating health-related social determinants, federal and private payers are exploring reimbursement mechanisms. Four rural healthcare organizations share both the impact and the continued sustainability challenges — and successes — of their CHW programs.
March 13, 2024
Studies find that rural people have higher rates of hearing loss than urban people but face significant barriers to care. Experts from a hearing clinic in South Dakota, a telehealth program in Alaska, and a nationally available agriculture safety program discuss these barriers, ways to improve access to hearing care, and the importance of hearing conservation.
February 7, 2024
Hoarding disorder can lead to serious health risks and a hazardous home environment, with older adults especially vulnerable – but in rural places, diagnosing and treating the condition can be a challenge.
January 24, 2024
Produce prescription programs have gained popularity in recent years as a model for addressing food insecurity and diet-related disease. While such programs are still uncommon in rural areas, those that do exist report wide-ranging impacts on participants and local food systems.
September 20, 2023
The health impacts of extreme heat events are being felt by both urban and rural populations. But experts say the factors contributing to urban and rural vulnerability may differ significantly — and some of the most promising strategies for mitigating the impacts in urban areas may not be as useful in sparsely populated rural counties.
September 6, 2023
In rural communities, where funding is often limited and mental health resources may be scarce, ensuring incarcerated people have access to needed care can be a challenge.
June 28, 2023
New HIV infections are on the decline in the U.S. — but in some rural areas, lingering stigma and misunderstanding still stand as barriers to the prevention and treatment of the virus.
June 14, 2023
A December 2021 survey from the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) suggests that farmers and farmworkers are more aware of mental health resources and less likely to see stigma as a barrier to care, compared to previous surveys. Experts from AgriSafe, AgWell, and AFBF share their own success stories of stigma reduction as well as the challenges that remain in addressing farmers' mental health.
May 24, 2023
Pivoting from a universal question, "How'd you sleep?" clinical sleep experts, a federal public health agency representative, and Nebraska Extension discussed sleep's impact on rural health and public safety.
