Rural Health Research Gateway

National Rural Health Day is coming one week early at Gateway! Join us on November 14th, with the University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center, for an update on access to maternity care in rural communities. And follow the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health (NOSORH) for more National Rural Health Day events and activities! Register: https://ow.ly/yQSW50TTB3o #ruralhealth

🚨Rural Health Research Alert🚨 "Medical Debt in Collections Among Counties by Rural-Urban Location and Racial-Ethnic Composition" Medical debt, or medical costs owed for health care services, is a pressing issue across the U.S., with implications for health and well-being for those facing debt burden. While recognition of medical debt as a social problem is growing, details about who is most at risk of holding this debt remain less clear. This policy brief addresses this gap by examining the differences in the proportion of people with medical debt in collections and median amount of medical debt by rural-urban location. Researchers also focus on additional differences within rural and urban communities of color. Key Findings: • Rural counties have a higher proportion of people with medical debt in collections than urban counties (15.7% vs 14.8%), and this difference is associated with lower average household incomes in rural counties in general. • The county-level median amount of medical debt in collections held by rural residents is $62 higher compared to their urban counterparts, even after accounting for income differences. • The proportion of people with and amount of medical debt in collections are both higher in rural and urban communities of color than in rural and urban communities overall. View and subscribe: https://ow.ly/HiNQ50TZtec University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center #ruralhealth

18 states did not have any Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly organizations, while 32 states had one or more; 13 with at least one headquartered in a rural community and 20 with headquarters only located in urban areas. https://ow.ly/2Vxf50TZnEI University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center #ruralhealth

This article from The Daily Yonder profiles Montevideo Medical Academy, a medical training program creating a pipeline for rural Minnesota high school students toward healthcare professions. https://ow.ly/fXnm50TTu3K #ruralhealth

🚨Rural Health Research Alert🚨 "Trends in the Health Workforce Supply in the Rural U.S." This report describes trends in the supply and distribution of clinicians in primary care, behavioral health, and obstetrical care, as well as dentists, surgeons, community health workers, and home health aides, in the rural vs. urban U.S. workforce nationally and regionally. Researchers examined the availability of current and historical workforce data for professions important for rural communities. Researchers also discussed the relative advantages and disadvantages of using various health workforce data sources for rural health research, including the Area Health Resource File, National Provider Identification, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, the American Community Survey, and other single-profession data sources. Key Findings: • Nationally, the supply per 100,000 population of physicians overall, primary care physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, behavioral health clinicians (including psychiatrists, psychologists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, social workers, and counselors), obstetricians, advanced practice midwives, dentists, surgeons, and home health aides was lower in rural counties than urban counties. • The supply of rural nurse practitioners and physician assistants quadrupled and tripled respectively in the past 20 years. • More than half of all U.S. rural counties lacked an obstetrician (57.4%), and more than three-quarters lacked an advanced practice midwife (75.1%) or midwife (87.4%). • Nationally, the ratio of dentists per 100,000 population in rural areas (32.1) was about 55% that of urban areas (59.4). View and subscribe: https://ow.ly/vN1650TXvNa WWAMI Rural Health Research Center #ruralhealth

This article highlights the work of the nonprofit Northern Forest Center to fund workforce housing development in rural Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York. https://ow.ly/Oaru50TTtYo The Daily Yonder #ruralhealth

Maternal deaths have increased in the U.S., with half of those deaths occurring in the year after childbirth. In many rural communities, accessing necessary postpartum care has become increasingly difficult. https://ow.ly/KLwc50TTtQo Rural Health Information Hub #ruralhealth

During this webinar, leadership of the University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center Maternity Care Team will provide a timely update on critical issues impacting maternal health in rural U.S. communities. The presentation will describe disparities in maternal health outcomes for rural populations, the growing scarcity of obstetric care, and the far-reaching consequences of obstetric unit closures. Additionally, the presentation will delve into the reasons behind these closures and examine policy solutions aimed at improving access to maternal health care and advancing health equity. Register: https://ow.ly/xLEK50TTAue #ruralhealth

"The Rural Health Research Gateway published a report on Rural Emergency Hospitals (REHs) highlighting data from the first year of the designation. The report found that a majority of the REHs operating at the end of 2023 were in the south." https://ow.ly/nLzO50TTtmZ #ruralhealth

"The data revealed the devastating impact of COVID-19 beyond the deaths directly attributable to the virus," said Michael Meit. "However, the Appalachian Region appears to be rebounding more quickly than the rest of the country." https://ow.ly/nFiz50TTssP Rural Health Equity Research Center #ruralhealth