Healthcare Access in Rural Communities – Resources
Selected recent or important resources focusing on Healthcare Access in Rural Communities.
Supportive Services and Caregiving for Older Rural Adults: Policy Brief and Recommendations to the Secretary
Provides an overview of current supportive services and caregiving policies for rural older adults, in terms of availability, accessibility, and acceptability of services. Explores topics including long-term services and supports, telehealth, care coordination, transportation, stigma, and unpaid caregivers, and describes federal programs for older adults. Offers policy recommendations and considerations.
Date: 08/2019
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
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Provides an overview of current supportive services and caregiving policies for rural older adults, in terms of availability, accessibility, and acceptability of services. Explores topics including long-term services and supports, telehealth, care coordination, transportation, stigma, and unpaid caregivers, and describes federal programs for older adults. Offers policy recommendations and considerations.
Date: 08/2019
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
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A Conversation on Maternal Health Care in Rural Communities: Charting a Path to Improved Access, Quality and Outcomes
Provides a recording of a day-long forum on maternal health access in rural communities. Addresses statistics on maternal health access, disparities in access and mortality rates, healthcare quality, models of care, state and federal policies related to maternal health, and more.
Additional links: Agenda, External Summary
Date: 06/2019
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Provides a recording of a day-long forum on maternal health access in rural communities. Addresses statistics on maternal health access, disparities in access and mortality rates, healthcare quality, models of care, state and federal policies related to maternal health, and more.
Additional links: Agenda, External Summary
Date: 06/2019
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Rural Health Research Recap: State of Rural Women's Healthcare Utilization and Health Indicators
Summarizes rural and urban statistics describing health indicators and healthcare utilization for women, maternal and obstetric healthcare services, and maternal substance use. Includes information regarding barriers to accessing care.
Author(s): Shawnda Schroeder
Date: 04/2019
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Research Gateway
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Summarizes rural and urban statistics describing health indicators and healthcare utilization for women, maternal and obstetric healthcare services, and maternal substance use. Includes information regarding barriers to accessing care.
Author(s): Shawnda Schroeder
Date: 04/2019
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Research Gateway
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Preventive Health Service Use among Rural Women
A study of national data to understand whether health status and sociodemographic characteristics explain the differences in use of preventive services among women in rural and urban areas from 2014-2016. Features statistics including receipt of various services, health status indicators, sociodemographic characteristics, and predictions of women's health service receipt, with breakdowns by rural or urban residence.
Author(s): Erika Ziller, Jennifer Lenardson, Nathan Paluso, Jaclyn Janis
Date: 04/2019
Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center
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A study of national data to understand whether health status and sociodemographic characteristics explain the differences in use of preventive services among women in rural and urban areas from 2014-2016. Features statistics including receipt of various services, health status indicators, sociodemographic characteristics, and predictions of women's health service receipt, with breakdowns by rural or urban residence.
Author(s): Erika Ziller, Jennifer Lenardson, Nathan Paluso, Jaclyn Janis
Date: 04/2019
Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center
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Health Insurance in Rural America
A set of interactive graphics providing urban and rural uninsured rates for people under age 65, based on data from the Small Area Health Insurance Estimates. Includes county-level data for 2017 and the change since 2013.
Date: 04/2019
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
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A set of interactive graphics providing urban and rural uninsured rates for people under age 65, based on data from the Small Area Health Insurance Estimates. Includes county-level data for 2017 and the change since 2013.
Date: 04/2019
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
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Rural Report: Challenges Facing Rural Communities and the Roadmap to Ensure Local Access to High-Quality, Affordable Care
Reports on continuing, current, and emerging challenges for rural hospitals working to provide access to healthcare services in rural communities. Includes discussion on policy recommendations to improve access and covers new models of care, reimbursement policies, regulatory requirements, telehealth, workforce issues, and prescription drug costs.
Additional links: Executive Summary, Infographic
Date: 02/2019
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Reports on continuing, current, and emerging challenges for rural hospitals working to provide access to healthcare services in rural communities. Includes discussion on policy recommendations to improve access and covers new models of care, reimbursement policies, regulatory requirements, telehealth, workforce issues, and prescription drug costs.
Additional links: Executive Summary, Infographic
Date: 02/2019
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Access to Care: Health Centers and Providers in Underserved Communities
Recording of a January 29, 2019, Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions hearing on the importance of community health centers and National Health Service Corps providers in helping to address issues of access to primary care for rural and urban underserved communities.
Additional links: Andrea Anderson Testimony, Dennis Freeman, Cherokee Health Systems Testimony, John B. Waits, Cahaba Medical Care FQHC Testimony
Date: 01/2019
Sponsoring organization: Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions
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Recording of a January 29, 2019, Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions hearing on the importance of community health centers and National Health Service Corps providers in helping to address issues of access to primary care for rural and urban underserved communities.
Additional links: Andrea Anderson Testimony, Dennis Freeman, Cherokee Health Systems Testimony, John B. Waits, Cahaba Medical Care FQHC Testimony
Date: 01/2019
Sponsoring organization: Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions
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Access to Rural Maternity Care
Policy paper describing obstetric care for rural women in the U.S. Covers challenges to providing access to rural maternity care, such as healthcare quality, birth outcomes, workforce shortages, access, and financial challenges. Includes discussion on policy alternatives and considerations to address workforce issues, barriers to practicing obstetrics in rural areas, and increasing access to maternity care services.
Author(s): Britta Anderson, Adam Gingery, Maeve McClellan, et al.
Date: 01/2019
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Policy paper describing obstetric care for rural women in the U.S. Covers challenges to providing access to rural maternity care, such as healthcare quality, birth outcomes, workforce shortages, access, and financial challenges. Includes discussion on policy alternatives and considerations to address workforce issues, barriers to practicing obstetrics in rural areas, and increasing access to maternity care services.
Author(s): Britta Anderson, Adam Gingery, Maeve McClellan, et al.
Date: 01/2019
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Eye Health Needs: Preserving the Eyesight of Rural Populations
Explains the importance of vision care in health and describes how rural vision care can be improved to increase quality of life and prevent disability in rural patients. Features a rural Federally Qualified Health Center that has added eye care to its services and a vision van that provides care in underserved areas.
Author(s): Kay Miller Temple
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 01/2019
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Explains the importance of vision care in health and describes how rural vision care can be improved to increase quality of life and prevent disability in rural patients. Features a rural Federally Qualified Health Center that has added eye care to its services and a vision van that provides care in underserved areas.
Author(s): Kay Miller Temple
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 01/2019
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Taking Flight: Charity Airplane Services Transport Patients to Medical Care
Highlights the role charitable flight services play in helping get rural patients to needed healthcare services. Features programs that serve veterans, cancer patients, the chronically ill, and abused children.
Author(s): Jenn Lukens
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 12/2018
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Highlights the role charitable flight services play in helping get rural patients to needed healthcare services. Features programs that serve veterans, cancer patients, the chronically ill, and abused children.
Author(s): Jenn Lukens
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 12/2018
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Last Updated: 12/12/2025