Rural Health Disparities – Resources

Evaluation of the Rural Maternity and Obstetrics Management Strategies Program: 2019 Cohort - Second Annual Report
Reports on the Rural Maternity and Obstetrics Management Strategies (RMOMS) program 2019 cohort's first implementation year, 2020-2021. Describes the program, the need for increased access to maternal and obstetric care in rural areas, and the program's strategic goals. Provides an overview of the 3 RMOMS awardees in Missouri, New Mexico, and Texas, including network characteristics, model and goals, health equity efforts, sustainability, and maternal health outcomes.
Additional links: Executive Summary
Date: 05/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Health Resources and Services Administration
view details

Hypertensive Disorders in Pregnancy and Mortality at Delivery Hospitalization — United States, 2017–2019
Examines the prevalence of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy among delivery hospitalizations. Includes data for metropolitan, micropolitan, and rural (nonmetro/nonmicro) counties on prevalence of any hypertension, chronic hypertension, pregnancy-related hypertension, and unspecified maternal hypertension.
Author(s): Nicole D. Ford, Shanna Cox, Jean Y. Ko, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 71(17), 585–591
Date: 04/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
view details

2022 County Health Rankings National Findings Report
Analyzes county-level health disparities by examining health factors and outcomes throughout the U.S. Covers living wages, gender pay gap, childcare costs, school funding, and more. Discusses impacts of COVID-19, key findings, and calls to action to improve community health outcomes.
Date: 04/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: County Health Rankings & Roadmaps
view details

Individual and Neighborhood Influences on the Relationship Between Waist Circumference and Coronary Heart Disease in the REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke Study
Explores a study correlating the waist circumference with incidence of coronary heart disease and discusses the influence of geography and socioeconomic factors, such as race, poverty, and rurality, among others. Breaks down data by individual and ecological characteristics.
Author(s): Anne H. Gaglioti, Desiree Rivers, Joanna Bryan Ringel, et al.
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 19
Date: 04/2022
Type: Document
view details

CMS Framework for Health Equity 2022–2032
Report outlines the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services plan for improving health equity across the U.S. for racial and ethnic communities, rural communities, people with disabilities, and those living in poverty. Details a 5 priority framework emphasizing data collections and standardization; language access and health literacy; and reducing health disparities through increasing healthcare capacity and workforce, among others.
Date: 04/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
view details

LGBTQIA+ Health in Rural America
Policy brief discussing LGBTQIA+ health and healthcare in rural areas. Explores limitations to address LGBTQIA+ health in rural communities, policy considerations, and policy recommendations to improve community-level disparities in LGBTQIA+ healthcare.
Author(s): Beth O'Connor, Kaitlin Phelon, Bryan Price, et al.
Date: 03/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
view details

Rural Children's Health and Health Care
Examines differences in child health conditions by rural and urban residency. Explores differences in use of preventative dental and medical services by poverty rate, adverse childhood experiences, overweight and obesity, food insecurity, and physical activity.
Date: 02/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Maternal and Child Health Bureau
view details

Structural Factors That Impact Rural Life Expectancy
Policy position paper focused on challenges to improving life expectancy in rural areas. Offers policy recommendations to address health outcomes in rural populations.
Author(s): Bryan Price, Elizabeth Ruen, Wade Swenson
Date: 02/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
view details

Quantifying Rural Disparity in Healthcare Utilization in the United States: Analysis of a Large Midwestern Healthcare System
Analyzes patient utilization of rural versus urban outpatient clinics. Explores electronic health record data from 474,674 adult patients from June 2018 to March 2019 across variables such as age, gender, race, ethnicity, smoking status, and health status. Includes statistics and discussion of clinic utilization in relation to rural healthcare disparities.
Author(s): Akua Nuako, Jingxia Liu, Giang Pham, et al.
Citation: PLoS ONE, 17(2)
Date: 02/2022
Type: Document
view details

The Problem Of The Color Line: Spatial Access To Hospital Services For Minoritized Racial And Ethnic Groups
Study examining inequities in access to healthcare by race and geography, covering distances to hospital services for minoritized ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZTCAs). Discusses factors that lead to disparities in access for rural minority communities, including policy, rural hospital closures, and safety-net program issues.
Additional links: Story Map: The Problem Of The Color Line
Author(s): Jan M. Eberth, Peiyin Hung, Gabriel A. Benavidez, et al.
Citation: Health Affairs, 41(2), 237-246
Date: 02/2022
Type: Document
view details