November 30, 2022
Rural EMS providers have fewer chances to practice their skills on the job, but simulation tools can help small agencies prepare for high-stress calls.
November 16, 2022
Palliative care, designed to treat the symptoms of a serious illness at any stage of diagnosis, is associated with better outcomes like higher patient satisfaction. Despite these benefits, many people in rural communities cannot access these services or don't know what palliative care is. The South Dakota Palliative Care Network is working to increase knowledge of palliative care among rural healthcare professionals, nursing students, and community members.
October 26, 2022
After a 1965 public law created the Medicare and Medicaid programs, many rural residents insured by these government health programs were unable to access care. This challenge was remedied by another public law: the Rural Health Clinic Services Act of 1977. Using a historical framework, rural health policy experts, researchers, and clinicians reviewed the Act's impact on outpatient healthcare delivery in rural America.
October 26, 2022
Over 5,200 rural organizations participate in the Rural Health Clinics program, a reimbursement model dedicated to rural low-volume healthcare delivery and now in its 45th year. The National Association of Rural Health Clinics — in its 30th year — is a membership organization that emerged as the program increased its participants. Bill Finerfrock, association cofounder and its recently retired executive director, shared the group's origin story as well as touchpoints from his own career.
October 5, 2022
To keep 24/7 urgent care available in Maine's Moose River Valley, a new pilot program lets paramedics take shifts staffing the local health center after-hours and on weekends.
August 31, 2022
A skilled nursing facility in New Hampshire and national experts share the benefits telehealth services can bring to the residents and staff of rural long-term care facilities as well as the challenges some facilities face in providing these services.
August 17, 2022
A partnership between a Federally Qualified Health Center and the local ambulance district in Washington County, Missouri lets chronically ill patients access preventive care from the comfort of home.
July 13, 2022
Rural mortality rates had been improving until recent years when a perfect storm of the opioid epidemic and COVID-19 pandemic converged to reverse these gains. However, federally funded efforts have sought to stem the tide through community, clinical, and policy efforts.
June 29, 2022
Dr. Luis Padilla, Associate Administrator for HRSA's Bureau of Health Workforce and Director of the National Health Service Corps (NHSC), discusses the NHSC's 50th anniversary and the organization's many initiatives to bring healthcare professionals to underserved communities.
June 15, 2022
For the 240,000 rural Americans with complete kidney failure, it's likely that very few knew they even had kidney disease. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, kidney disease is usually silent; 90% of people with kidney disease don't know they have it. With research pointing to the high costs of kidney disease for pediatric and adult patients alike — mostly covered by Medicare — experts and researchers discuss rural disparities around access to disease-stabilizing treatment and to renal replacement therapies.
