OBJECTIVES:

1. Describe the healthcare status and needs of rural America

2. Define key terms pertaining to healthcare in rural America including: HPSAs, CHCs,

3. Access key resources for exploring needs and options in rural American healthcare

INSTRUCTIONS:  

This module is built as an elective module for course participants interested in learning more about rural healthcare in America. It is recommended as a foundation for TCH/UC residents participating in a rural healthcare elective. For R1s interested in rural healthcare, this module is recommended as an elective. All module components are optional, depending on how the course participant wishes to design his/her elective. If any links don’t work, please email Dr. Collins (you may also be able to google the title/key words and find the intended link).

MODULE COMPONENTS:

• Before diving in, click HERE to learn how “Rural” is defined by the US Census Bureau and the Office of Management and Budget.

• RHI Hub - The Rural Health Information Hub is funded by US HHS’s Federal Office of Rural Health Policy, and is a great first-stop website to learn about healthcare status and needs in Rural America

  • RHI Rural Data Explorer and Data Tools - Helpful maps and data to learn the U.S. landscape

  • RHI State Guide - Click on your state of interest to learn about its rural health status and needs

  • RHI Topics List - Visit this page for a list of a variety of topics pertaining to rural healthcare, from healthcare delivery (eg, What is a Critical Access Hospital?) to needs (eg, Oral Health) to special populations (eg, tribal care) in rural settings. A few recommended overview topics are additionally listed here:

    • Healthcare access in Rural Communities

    • Rural Health Disparities

    • Rural Healthcare Workforce - includes helpful FAQs on terms like HPSAs, FQHCs, and more

    • Community Health Workers (CHWs) in rural healthcare - includes a toolkit

• NRHA - The National Rural Health Association is a leading association advocating for and publishing on rural healthcare issues, including the Journal for Rural Health. They also have a front-page helpful summary of rural health in America linked here.

• FORHP - The Federal Office of Rural Health Policy regularly posts funding opportunities and updates on rural healthcare policy. They also include helpful information on options for telehealth for the rural physician.

• AHRQ’s National Health Disparities Report includes helpful data on health disparities in rural America. For example, the 2017 Report highlights the continuing Urban-Rural disparity, with a summary beginning on p38 evaluating metropolitan vs non-metropolitan (micropolitan or noncore) areas.

MODULE EXTRAS (OPTIONAL):  

• APHA - The American Public Health Association does not specifically focus on rural healthcare, but their policies frequently advocate for it. An example of a dated policy from the APHA on rural healthcare is HERE.

• Books to consider:

  • Zink, T. The Country Doctor Revisted, a Twenty-First Century Reader, Kent State University Press, 2010. An anthology of essays on rural healthcare experiences. Example posted HERE (“Inside the Mind of a Modern Country Doc”). Available for check-out from the TCH/UC Family Medicine Residency Global Health Library.

  • Hilfiker, D. Healing the Wounds. An autobiographical account of heroism and burn-out in rural Minnesota, from the author of “Not All of Us Are Saints”. Available for check-out from the TCH/UC Family Medicine Residency Global Health Library.