Healthcare Access in Rural Communities – Resources
Selected recent or important resources focusing on Healthcare Access in Rural Communities.
Uninsured Rates in Urban and Rural America
Highlights a collection of interactive graphics providing data on uninsured rates for people under age 65 in completely rural counties, counties that are mostly rural, and counties that are mostly urban. Includes state and county-level data.
Date: 11/2018
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
view details
Highlights a collection of interactive graphics providing data on uninsured rates for people under age 65 in completely rural counties, counties that are mostly rural, and counties that are mostly urban. Includes state and county-level data.
Date: 11/2018
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
view details
5 Ways to Conduct Outreach in Rural Communities
Highlights 5 strategies to assist rural communities with outreach and enrollment of eligible children in Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
Date: 07/2018
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, InsureKidsNow.gov
view details
Highlights 5 strategies to assist rural communities with outreach and enrollment of eligible children in Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
Date: 07/2018
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, InsureKidsNow.gov
view details
Leveraging Health Care Reform to Accelerate Nurse Practitioner Full Practice Authority
Presents a descriptive study of legislation from 1994 to 2016 impacting the scope of practice for nurse practitioners (NPs). Discusses how supporting full practice authority (FPA) where physician involvement is not required can lessen the concern over the lack of primary care providers by allowing NPs to offer comprehensive healthcare services to rural and vulnerable patients. Identifies barriers and limitations to FPA.
Author(s): Heather M. Brom, Pamela J. Salsberry, Margaret Clark Graham
Citation: Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 30(3), 120-130
Date: 03/2018
view details
Presents a descriptive study of legislation from 1994 to 2016 impacting the scope of practice for nurse practitioners (NPs). Discusses how supporting full practice authority (FPA) where physician involvement is not required can lessen the concern over the lack of primary care providers by allowing NPs to offer comprehensive healthcare services to rural and vulnerable patients. Identifies barriers and limitations to FPA.
Author(s): Heather M. Brom, Pamela J. Salsberry, Margaret Clark Graham
Citation: Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 30(3), 120-130
Date: 03/2018
view details
Access to Care: Populations in Counties with No FQHC, RHC, or Acute Care Hospital
Findings brief focusing on the 3 main facility types providing primary care in rural areas and examining how many people will likely have limited access to primary care based on their locations. Includes statistics on numbers of people living in counties without these facilities, with breakdowns by 9 census divisions.
Author(s): Meagan Clawar, Randy Randolph, Kristie Thompson, George H. Pink
Date: 01/2018
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
view details
Findings brief focusing on the 3 main facility types providing primary care in rural areas and examining how many people will likely have limited access to primary care based on their locations. Includes statistics on numbers of people living in counties without these facilities, with breakdowns by 9 census divisions.
Author(s): Meagan Clawar, Randy Randolph, Kristie Thompson, George H. Pink
Date: 01/2018
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
view details
Rural Healthy People 2020: A Companion Document to Healthy People 2020, Volume 1
Provides a rural focus for the Healthy People 2020 priorities. Includes overviews of the top 10 rural health priority areas identified by rural stakeholders. (Volume 2 discusses priorities 11-20.) Topics addressed include: health insurance, primary care, emergency services, nutrition and weight status, diabetes, mental health, substance abuse, heart disease and stroke, physical activity, older adults, maternal and child health, and tobacco use. Each overview includes reviews of the relevant literature and models that rural communities can use to address the issues. Document is available for free download, after providing brief information about intended use.
Author(s): Jane N. Bolin, Gail Bellamy, Alva O. Ferdinand, Bita Kash, Janet W. Helduser
Date: 2015
Sponsoring organization: Southwest Rural Health Research Center
view details
Provides a rural focus for the Healthy People 2020 priorities. Includes overviews of the top 10 rural health priority areas identified by rural stakeholders. (Volume 2 discusses priorities 11-20.) Topics addressed include: health insurance, primary care, emergency services, nutrition and weight status, diabetes, mental health, substance abuse, heart disease and stroke, physical activity, older adults, maternal and child health, and tobacco use. Each overview includes reviews of the relevant literature and models that rural communities can use to address the issues. Document is available for free download, after providing brief information about intended use.
Author(s): Jane N. Bolin, Gail Bellamy, Alva O. Ferdinand, Bita Kash, Janet W. Helduser
Date: 2015
Sponsoring organization: Southwest Rural Health Research Center
view details
The 2014 Update of the Rural-Urban Chartbook
Updates information presented in Health, United States, 2001: With Urban and Rural Health Chartbook. Highlights current trends and disparities across different levels of metro and nonmetropolitan counties, including population characteristics; health-related behaviors and risk factors; mortality rates; healthcare access and use; mental health measures; and other health measures such as teen birth rates, tooth loss, and activity limitations due to chronic disease. Individual data tables are available in an Excel file.
Author(s): Michael Meit, Alana Knudson, Tess Gilbert, et al.
Date: 10/2014
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Reform Policy Research Center
view details
Updates information presented in Health, United States, 2001: With Urban and Rural Health Chartbook. Highlights current trends and disparities across different levels of metro and nonmetropolitan counties, including population characteristics; health-related behaviors and risk factors; mortality rates; healthcare access and use; mental health measures; and other health measures such as teen birth rates, tooth loss, and activity limitations due to chronic disease. Individual data tables are available in an Excel file.
Author(s): Michael Meit, Alana Knudson, Tess Gilbert, et al.
Date: 10/2014
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Reform Policy Research Center
view details
Mobile Health Map Clinics
Map of mobile health clinics. Includes filters by state, care delivered, primary population, and community types including frontier and rural.
Sponsoring organization: Mobile Health Map
view details
Map of mobile health clinics. Includes filters by state, care delivered, primary population, and community types including frontier and rural.
Sponsoring organization: Mobile Health Map
view details
Medicaid Primary Care Workforce Tracker
Interactive tool presenting state and county-level data on the primary care workforce providing healthcare to Medicaid enrollees. Uses data from the Transformed Medicaid Statistical Information System (T-MSIS) from 2016-2021 to identify primary care clinicians who saw Medicaid beneficiaries each year.
Sponsoring organization: Fitzhugh Mullan Institute for Health Workforce Equity
view details
Interactive tool presenting state and county-level data on the primary care workforce providing healthcare to Medicaid enrollees. Uses data from the Transformed Medicaid Statistical Information System (T-MSIS) from 2016-2021 to identify primary care clinicians who saw Medicaid beneficiaries each year.
Sponsoring organization: Fitzhugh Mullan Institute for Health Workforce Equity
view details
Exploring the Health Care Challenges Rural Americans Face Across 5 States
Articles from Rural RX, a series intended to explore the forces that shape rural health care in America. Features programs in Alabama, Texas, Colorado, New York, and West Virginia.
Author(s): Nicole Ellis, William Brangham, Caleb Hellerman
Sponsoring organization: PBS News Hour
view details
Articles from Rural RX, a series intended to explore the forces that shape rural health care in America. Features programs in Alabama, Texas, Colorado, New York, and West Virginia.
Author(s): Nicole Ellis, William Brangham, Caleb Hellerman
Sponsoring organization: PBS News Hour
view details
Medicaid/CHIP Coverage by School Districts, 2019-2023
Provides data on the percent of children covered by Medicaid/CHIP by school district, with separate, searchable lists for each state.
Sponsoring organization: Georgetown University Health Policy Institute
view details
Provides data on the percent of children covered by Medicaid/CHIP by school district, with separate, searchable lists for each state.
Sponsoring organization: Georgetown University Health Policy Institute
view details
Additional resources are available related to this guide. See the full list of resources by topic for:
Last Updated: 11/12/2025