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The Rural Monitor
Articles by Topic: Healthcare facilities

Still Stealing Rural America's Breath: An Update on Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

June 16, 2021
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, is a condition that continues to steal rural America's breath. Researchers, philanthropists, and healthcare professionals talk about new rural research efforts and the impact of COVID-19 on COPD. Also discussed is the importance of pulmonary rehabilitation, an impactful treatment long known to improve quality of life and now backed by new research proving it decreases death rates in select patients.

Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation: Taking a Leadership Role and Building Trust

January 20, 2021
Kim Barber Tieman, program director for health and human services for the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation, shares how her foundation set up a COVID-19 grant capture team and funded grant writers to help organizations navigate and apply for federal funding opportunities. In addition, her foundation worked with organizations and funded three mobile COVID testing units.

Lakewood Engage Tackles Food Insecurity in Rural Minnesota

December 23, 2020
To address the issue of food insecurity in the rural Minnesota communities it serves, Lakewood Health System created Lakewood Engage, a community-based program with multiple initiatives including a "Food Farmacy," home delivery, and a farmers market.

Listening to Rural Stories: Q&A with Alisa Druzba

November 25, 2020
Alisa Druzba, director of the New Hampshire's Office of Rural Health and Primary Care, discusses her journey to becoming a SORH director, the ways her state has been affected by the pandemic, and the favorite parts of her job.

Nursing Preparedness: Words from Researchers and Rural Nurses

November 10, 2020
Job preparedness is essential for quality caregiving, professional success, and satisfaction. Three rural registered nurses join a nursing doctoral candidate to share their stories about the path to their profession and their perspective on rural nursing preparedness.

“It's on Us”: Healthcare's Unique Position in the Response to Human Trafficking

July 29, 2020
Referred to as a form of "modern-day slavery," human trafficking occurs in every state and is not limited by the size of a community. Health services are one of the most common points of access to a lifeline for those actively being trafficked, giving healthcare professionals an advantage to help victims escape. A rural hospital CEO, a SORH director, a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner, and a Safe Harbor Regional Navigator share how they combat human trafficking through training and raising awareness.