An in-depth look at death certificates shows how this vital statistic document can impact rural healthcare, rural healthcare policy, and public health interventions.
Read MoreThe Death Certificate: A Document to be Honored and Accurate
Topics: Maine
Rural Post-Acute Care: Healthcare Leaders Offer Practical Solutions to Workforce Challenges
Across the country, recruitment and retention challenges are common for rural healthcare entities providing post-acute care. Healthcare leaders share practical examples that have created incentive for staff to join, and stay on, their healthcare teams.
Read MoreRural Post-Acute Care: Improving Transitions to Enhance Patient Recovery
Post-acute care (PAC) services available locally can make fully recovering from a serious illness or injury faster and easier, setting the patient and provider up for the best possible outcome. This article looks at how a tertiary facility’s communication with skilled nursing facilities, a Critical Access Hospital’s swing bed program, and a home health agency are improving patient transitions from acute care to PAC.
Read MoreFeasting on Rural America: The Spread of Tick-Borne Diseases
Photo credit: James Gathany,
CDC Public Health Image Library
Lyme and other tick-borne illnesses have become the most prolific zoonotic diseases in our nation. Because of their proximity to tick environments, rural areas are more susceptible. In this article, we hear from a Lyme disease patient, a scientist, psychiatrist, nonprofit leader, and a medical doctor about the spread and what’s being done about it.
Read MoreProviding Patients with Access to Nutritious Food
Money, distance, and lack of education are just a few barriers between rural Americans and nutritious food. Find out how a Critical Access Hospital, a prescription program, and a research project are creating tangible examples of how to promote nutrition and increase patients’ access to healthy food.
Read MoreVolunteering A Win-Win for Seniors and Rural Communities
Many rural nonprofit organizations benefit from senior volunteers, giving them a chance to share their expertise and stay engaged.
Read MoreHealth Care Integration Offers Multiple Benefits
As healthcare reform encourages integration of healthcare to treat the patient as a whole, behavioral health and oral care are being integrated into primary care practices around the country.
Read MoreModels of Care Integration Continue to Evolve
There is not one nationally recommended model for care integration, but local and federal efforts support more widespread use.
Read MoreServices Integration Strengthens Rural EMS
By integrating rural EMS with other services, programs in Oregon, Minnesota and Maine are improving patient care, EMS response times and provider skills.
Read MoreTelemedicine Reaches Beyond Clinic Walls
Telemedicine isn’t confined to hospitals—it can reach patients in nursing homes, prisons and isolated geographic regions.
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