Topics: Healthcare workforce

For more information and resources, see RHIhub’s Rural Healthcare Workforce topic guide.

Enhancing Services for Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and Deafblind Patients in Rural America

Deaf, hard of hearing, and deafblind people in rural communities may struggle to access healthcare due to a lack of interpreters as well as providers’ misunderstanding of their culture and communication needs. A Michigan clinic hires ASL-fluent staff and provides telemental health, a New Jersey state division provides deaf sensitivity training, and a Colorado program brings interpreters to rural communities.

Vaccination rates for rural children and adolescents are lower than for their urban counterparts. A nurse practitioner in Louisiana and a former professor in Kentucky share how they’ve increased vaccination rates in their communities.

Healthcare workers are four times more likely to be seriously injured on the job than other professionals. Research, tools, and campaigns are equipping rural hospital leaders to better protect their employees and develop a culture of safety.

Dr. Crystal Willie Sekaquaptewa is the first Native American to work as a dentist in the Utah Navajo Health System. She discusses the importance of patient education and cultural competency.

To address rising ER readmissions, an Arizona healthcare system and network partners adapted an unconventional EMS telehealth service to help rural patients. Coupled with care coordination, mobile telehealth units are saving the healthcare system money while better meeting patients’ healthcare needs.

CAPABLE is a national model that connects low-income seniors with an occupational therapist, registered nurse, and home repair services. Program coordinators from Hawaii and Maine share their successes and the challenges of helping rural residents age safely in place.

Difficult economic conditions have caused many farmers to experience high levels of stress and a sense of hopelessness about saving their business and way of life. The Minnesota Farm & Rural Helpline and NY FarmNet are working to improve farmers’ mental health and prevent suicides.

In rural America, many community members do not understand the skill level, training, and availability of the people who answer their 911 calls. The Informed Self-Determination Process helped the community of St. George, Maine learn about their EMS system and created consensus about what EMS would look like in their town.

Peer support specialists are trained laypeople in recovery with a mental health condition or substance use disorder who act as mentors and coordinators for clients with similar behavioral health issues. PSSs in rural Arizona, Michigan, and North Dakota share the challenges and successes they see in their communities.

Teleophthalmology has an established track record. Two ophthalmologists talk about present and future realities for remote eye care technology.

The Rural Monitor

Articles and resources on key rural health issues, from the Rural Health Information Hub

Topics: Healthcare workforce

Enhancing Services for Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and Deafblind Patients in Rural America

Effective Communication and Consistency in Increasing Rural Vaccination Rates

Violence Against Hospital Workers: Growing Awareness, Rural Interventions, and Why It Still Goes Unreported

Dentistry in the Navajo Nation: Q&A with Dr. Crystal Willie Sekaquaptewa

Mobile Telehealth Units and Care Coordinators Improve Emergency Care Services for Rural Arizona Patients

Preventing Farmer Suicides through Helplines and Farm Visits

Making Informed Decisions about Rural EMS

Peer Support Specialists Care for and Connect Rural Behavioral Health Clients

Teleophthalmology: Ophthalmologists Talk Remote Eye Care Solutions