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Rural Health Information Hub

The Rural Monitor

The Opioid Epidemic: Rural Organizations Fight Back

June 13, 2016
The initial shock of the opioid epidemic is settling, and rural communities have identified several avenues to combat opioid addiction. Rural organizations are implementing innovative solutions to shrink the number of opioid overdoses, and many are finding that great success requires teamwork.

Illinois Network Puts Hospitals' Needs First

May 31, 2016
Since its start, the Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network has designed services to meet the needs of rural hospitals across the state. Through leveraging FORHP funds and their partnership with the Illinois Department of Public Health, ICAHN has helped 54 hospitals transition from competition to collaboration.

Meeting the Needs of the Whole Child through CATCH

April 13, 2016
Across the nation, 11,000 sites are using The Coordinated Approach To Child Health (CATCH), the most widespread coordinated school health program in the world. This article focuses on one Illinois region that has engaged 76% of their elementary schools in healthy eating and physical activity through CATCH.

Providing Patients with Access to Nutritious Food

March 30, 2016
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.

Counteracting the Darkness of Physician Burnout

March 16, 2016
Physician burnout is rising as a popular healthcare topic, but the reality has been an ongoing problem in rural health settings. Dr. Jill Kruse shares her burnout experience, how she overcame it, and what she is doing to help others, while Dr. Randall Longenecker gives tips on building resiliency.

An Interview with Scott Ekblad

January 6, 2016
The Director of the Oregon Office of Rural Health shares his state's strategies to address common rural health issues and also newer epidemics such as opiate abuse.