Contact tracing is an important step in preventing further spread of the coronavirus. Alaska’s AHEC program, a center for public health in Washington, and a national public health foundation share their training strategies while an IHS hospital in Arizona discusses its in-person contact tracing initiative.
Read More
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.
Read More
Advance care planning — planning for decision-making in times of medical crisis — has always been intended for all people, all ages, with or without a chronic disease. Clinicians talk about the challenges of these conversations now that COVID-19 has nudged planning from the realm of the theoretical future to current reality.
Read More
Butler Memorial Hospital in Pennsylvania received a HRSA Rural Health Care Services Outreach grant to develop a program for chronic disease patients. Partway through the grant cycle, the COVID-19 pandemic hit. The hospital shares how it was able to transition its program services to an online format and develop new initiatives to address stress in the healthcare workforce and the larger community.
Read More
A Federally Qualified Health Center used grant support to provide primary care oral health assessment and fluoride varnishes in 12 school-based health centers in nine Louisiana parishes, hoping to provide thousands of children with better oral health in the present as well as into adulthood.
Read More
National Rural Health Association CEO Alan Morgan discusses his organization’s work on the national and global stages and shares his rural health predictions for 2020.
Read More
Recent research has found that not only are nearly 40% of surveyed physicians burned out, but 40% are also experiencing depression. For many reasons — stigma among them — these professionals are not getting mental health support. Physician health programs, in collaboration with professional societies, are trying to change that by working with state licensure boards and other groups.
Read More
National research has revealed it and rural research suggests it: over 40% of today’s physicians are burned out. This in-depth story reviews information about burnout in healthcare professions and for physicians in particular. Along with reviewing causes and impact, a medical school wellness-advocate, a researcher, and a large healthcare organization with a rural footprint shared interventions and solutions.
Read More
Over 40% of today’s physicians are burned out. A closer look at research indicates that not only is this a system problem rather than an individual problem, but that burnout impacts a system’s revenue streams, healthcare quality, and patient safety and satisfaction. Experts suggest the problem may even be of more concern in rural areas.
Read More
Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) can offer flexible financing options, but many operate at full capacity and there is a general lack of awareness of these institutions in rural spaces. Foundation and CDFI leaders share their perspectives about the difference CDFIs can make on rural health outcomes.
Read More