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Rural Health Information Hub

Washington Resources

Housing for Rural Residents Recovering from Substance Use Disorders
Presents a study featuring a number of programs providing housing for substance use disorder (SUD) recovery in rural communities. Discusses 3 different case studies on programs in MN, OR, and WV. Highlights the community need, organizational structure, and key features of each program.
Author(s): Katie Rydberg, Ingrid Jacobson, Mariana Tuttle, et al.
Date: 05/2024
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Addressing the Spectrum of Opioid Misuse Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery in Rural Washington State Communities: Provider Identified Barriers and Needs
Highlights a study on provider-identified barriers to opioid use disorder treatment, recovery, and prevention in rural Washington State. Draws conclusions from survey data taken from July-September 2020 and features some discussion of COVID-19 on top of other pre-existing barriers. Breaks down data by role in healthcare workforce, work setting, and substance focus, among other factors.
Author(s): Liat S. Kriegel, Katherine Hampilos, Elizabeth Weybright, et al.
Citation: Community Mental Health Journal, 60(3), 600-607
Date: 04/2024
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Grow Your Own Toolkit: A Guide to Implementing Workforce Strategies in Washington State's Rural Health Systems
A toolkit for creating grow-your-own workforce programs for addressing rural healthcare workforce shortages in Washington. Discusses strategies, collaboration opportunities, and implementation tips. Includes case studies from around Washington.
Author(s): Talia Horacek, Sarah Gambrill
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: Washington State Department of Health
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Racial, Ethnic, and Rural Disparities in Distance to Physicians among Decedents with Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias in Washington State
Evaluates travel distance to the nearest neurologist and primary care physician among people whose cause of death was related to Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (AD/ADRD) in the state of Washington. Utilizes 2011-2021 mortality data. Includes breakdowns of distance to care by race, ethnicity, and level of rurality. Highlights geographic access disparities experienced by American Indian, Alaska Native, and Hispanic people.
Author(s): Solmaz Amiri, Jonae I. Keffeler, Dennis R. Crain, Justin T. Denney, Dedra Buchwald
Citation: Alzheimer's & Dementia, 20(5), 3671–3678
Date: 03/2024
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Federally Designated Health Professional Shortage Areas for Dental Care in Washington
Shows full or partial areas of counties designated as Dental Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) in Washington.
Date: 02/2024
Sponsoring organization: Washington State Department of Health
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Washington Long-Term Care Workforce Initiative Legislative Report
Provides an overview of long-term care (LTC) for older adults in Washington and the available LTC workforce. Focuses on workforce demand, initiatives and projects to improve the LTC workforce, and policy recommendations. Provides LTC data for rural Washington, including average facility patient count, staffing hours, number of nursing homes per rural county, and more.
Author(s): Donald J. Smith Jr., Christopher W. Dula, Claire M. Fite, et al.
Date: 12/2023
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"This Is Not My Grandmother's Summer": Mitigating the Health Impacts of Extreme Heat in Rural Communities
Discusses the challenges rural areas face in helping address the impact of heat on health. Includes strategies used in rural North Carolina, Indiana, and Washington State to help inform and protect rural residents, including those exposed to heat through work outdoors.
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Wildfire Smoke Monitoring for Agricultural Safety and Health in Rural Washington
Highlights a study evaluating the efficacy of a low-cost smoke sampling platforms for monitoring wildfire smoke exposure in agricultural areas in Washington state. Compares several sampling platforms with data from a National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health approved system, evaluates results, and makes recommendations.
Author(s): Claire Schollaert, Elena Austin, Edmund Seto, et al.
Citation: Journal of Agromedicine, 28(3), 595-608
Date: 05/2023
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Factors Associated with Lengths-of-Stay for Inpatients with Substance Use Disorders
Policy brief identifying factors associated with inpatient length-of-stay (LOS) for the treatment of substance use disorders (SUDs) and exploring whether there are systematic differences in LOS for rural and urban residents. Includes statistics on characteristics of stays for a primary SUD diagnosis in Kentucky, North Carolina, Vermont, and Washington in 2018, with breakdowns by Mental Health Professional Shortage Area and rural or urban location, and selected factors on LOS for an SUD diagnosis, with breakdowns by mental diagnoses, chronic conditions, and sociodemographic measures.
Author(s): Curt Mueller, Craig Holden, Shena Popat, Alana Knudson
Date: 04/2023
Sponsoring organization: ETSU/NORC Rural Health Research Center
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The Washington Rural Palliative Care Initiative Handbook
Handbook explores Washington State's rural palliative care initiative. Details the structure of the program, the cohorts around the state, and the activities implemented by the program.
Date: 02/2023
Sponsoring organizations: Washington State Department of Health, Washington State Office of Rural Health
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Additional resources are available. See a full list of Washington Resources.