Healthcare Access in Rural Communities – Resources
Selected recent or important resources focusing on Healthcare Access in Rural Communities.
Drive Time to Care and Retention in HIV Care: Rural–Urban Differences Among Medicaid Enrollees in the United States South
Presents a study on the role geography plays in HIV care retention and maintenance. Draws data from Medicaid enrollees in 13 southern states including the District of Columbia and compares patient drive times to care in rural and urban areas. Breaks down data by county social determinants of health, healthcare supply, and HIV prevalence, as well as patient characteristics.
Author(s): April D. Kimmel, Rose S. Bono, Zhongzhe Pan, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(1), e12877
Date: 2025
Type: Document
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Presents a study on the role geography plays in HIV care retention and maintenance. Draws data from Medicaid enrollees in 13 southern states including the District of Columbia and compares patient drive times to care in rural and urban areas. Breaks down data by county social determinants of health, healthcare supply, and HIV prevalence, as well as patient characteristics.
Author(s): April D. Kimmel, Rose S. Bono, Zhongzhe Pan, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(1), e12877
Date: 2025
Type: Document
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National Advisory Council on the National Health Service Corps Meeting Agenda, November 19-20, 2024
Agenda and meeting materials for the November 19-20, 2024 meeting, including Bureau of Health Workforce and National Health Services Corps updates, and presentations on limited English proficiency populations, achieving deaf health equity, and re-framing language as an opportunity to improve health equity.
Additional links: Achieving Deaf Equity: Best Practices, Language Access at Yakima Farm Workers Clinic, Language Testing International Assessments and Proficiency Overview, Limited English Proficiency Populations, Re-Framing Language as an Opportunity to Improve Health Equity
Date: 11/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Council on the National Health Service Corps
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Agenda and meeting materials for the November 19-20, 2024 meeting, including Bureau of Health Workforce and National Health Services Corps updates, and presentations on limited English proficiency populations, achieving deaf health equity, and re-framing language as an opportunity to improve health equity.
Additional links: Achieving Deaf Equity: Best Practices, Language Access at Yakima Farm Workers Clinic, Language Testing International Assessments and Proficiency Overview, Limited English Proficiency Populations, Re-Framing Language as an Opportunity to Improve Health Equity
Date: 11/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Council on the National Health Service Corps
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Impacts of Telehealth on Rural Health Care Access
Policy brief highlighting the significance and effectiveness of telehealth. Includes analysis of current telehealth policies for Medicaid, Medicare, and private payors, and examines COVID-19 impacts on telehealth. Offers policy recommendations to enhance adoption and efficacy of telehealth services, particularly in rural areas.
Date: 11/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Policy brief highlighting the significance and effectiveness of telehealth. Includes analysis of current telehealth policies for Medicaid, Medicare, and private payors, and examines COVID-19 impacts on telehealth. Offers policy recommendations to enhance adoption and efficacy of telehealth services, particularly in rural areas.
Date: 11/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Access to Health Care in Rural America: Current Trends and Key Challenges
Highlights patterns in insurance coverage and uninsurance rates in rural and urban areas, explores non-financial challenges in accessing care faced by rural residents, and describes disparities in health outcomes between urban and rural areas. Features statistics on number of uninsured rural non-elderly adults by state, in 2010 and 2023.
Author(s): Gina Turrini, Eden Volkov, Christie Peters, Nancy De Lew, Thomas Buchmueller
Date: 10/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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Highlights patterns in insurance coverage and uninsurance rates in rural and urban areas, explores non-financial challenges in accessing care faced by rural residents, and describes disparities in health outcomes between urban and rural areas. Features statistics on number of uninsured rural non-elderly adults by state, in 2010 and 2023.
Author(s): Gina Turrini, Eden Volkov, Christie Peters, Nancy De Lew, Thomas Buchmueller
Date: 10/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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'A Silent, Unmet Need': Rural Motherhood and the Challenges of Postpartum Care
Discusses the importance of rural access to postpartum care, including perinatal mental healthcare. Features programs in Montana, Maine, and Alaska that are providing support to rural mothers via postpartum doulas, telehealth, and home visiting.
Author(s): Gretel Kauffman
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 10/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Discusses the importance of rural access to postpartum care, including perinatal mental healthcare. Features programs in Montana, Maine, and Alaska that are providing support to rural mothers via postpartum doulas, telehealth, and home visiting.
Author(s): Gretel Kauffman
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 10/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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The Intersection of Travel Burdens and Financial Hardship in Cancer Care: A Scoping Review
Examines the relationship among rurality, access to cancer care, travel burdens, and financial hardship. Identifies 95 studies published since 1995 related to cancer-related travel and financial burdens and discusses the impact on patient health outcomes and quality of life.
Author(s): Arrianna Marie Planey, Lisa P. Spees, Caitlin B. Biddell, et al.
Citation: JNCI Cancer Spectrum
Date: 10/2024
Type: Document
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Examines the relationship among rurality, access to cancer care, travel burdens, and financial hardship. Identifies 95 studies published since 1995 related to cancer-related travel and financial burdens and discusses the impact on patient health outcomes and quality of life.
Author(s): Arrianna Marie Planey, Lisa P. Spees, Caitlin B. Biddell, et al.
Citation: JNCI Cancer Spectrum
Date: 10/2024
Type: Document
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The First Year of Rural Emergency Hospitals: REHs Serve Relatively Disadvantaged Counties
Findings brief examining the kinds of communities with hospitals that converted to Rural Emergency Hospitals (REHs) in 2023. Features demographics and statistics including breakdown by rural location.
Author(s): Young Kim, Julie Perry, Kristie Thompson, George Pink
Date: 10/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Findings brief examining the kinds of communities with hospitals that converted to Rural Emergency Hospitals (REHs) in 2023. Features demographics and statistics including breakdown by rural location.
Author(s): Young Kim, Julie Perry, Kristie Thompson, George Pink
Date: 10/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Travel Burden and Bypassing Closest Site for Surgical Cancer Treatment for Urban and Rural Oncology Patients
Examines travel burden to surgical cancer care and its relationship to rurality, bypassing of the nearest surgical site, and mortality rates. Analyzes 2016-218 data of 211,025 Medicare beneficiaries with cancer and includes breakdowns for type of cancer, surgery versus no surgery, patient demographics, patient health conditions, travel time, mortality rates, and location of metro, micro, or small town/rural.
Author(s): Tracy Onega, Niveditta Ramkumar, Gabriel A. Brooks, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health
Date: 10/2024
Type: Document
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Examines travel burden to surgical cancer care and its relationship to rurality, bypassing of the nearest surgical site, and mortality rates. Analyzes 2016-218 data of 211,025 Medicare beneficiaries with cancer and includes breakdowns for type of cancer, surgery versus no surgery, patient demographics, patient health conditions, travel time, mortality rates, and location of metro, micro, or small town/rural.
Author(s): Tracy Onega, Niveditta Ramkumar, Gabriel A. Brooks, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health
Date: 10/2024
Type: Document
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Improving Care and Accessibility for Rural Patients with Disabilities
Provides an overview of barriers to healthcare access for rural patients with disabilities. Shares insights from a public health department in Montana and a disability and health program in New Hampshire on how to improve accessibility and communication with patients with disabilities.
Author(s): Allee Mead
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 10/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Provides an overview of barriers to healthcare access for rural patients with disabilities. Shares insights from a public health department in Montana and a disability and health program in New Hampshire on how to improve accessibility and communication with patients with disabilities.
Author(s): Allee Mead
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 10/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Nowhere to Go: Maternity Care Deserts Across the U.S. 2024
Explores maternal healthcare access and provides county-level U.S. maps that show maternity care deserts, hospitals that offer obstetric (OB) care, distribution of OB providers, travel time to maternity care, chronic conditions of birthing people, social drivers of health, and more. Includes rural versus urban characteristics of the maternal health workforce as well as access and policy discussions specific to rural areas.
Date: 09/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: March of Dimes
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Explores maternal healthcare access and provides county-level U.S. maps that show maternity care deserts, hospitals that offer obstetric (OB) care, distribution of OB providers, travel time to maternity care, chronic conditions of birthing people, social drivers of health, and more. Includes rural versus urban characteristics of the maternal health workforce as well as access and policy discussions specific to rural areas.
Date: 09/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: March of Dimes
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Last Updated: 11/25/2024