Category: Articles

Feature Article: How Federal Funding Helped Build a Rural Cancer Care Network

December 20, 2024

Feature Article: How Federal Funding Helped Build a Rural Cancer Care Network

This feature article in The Rural Monitor describes how an urban nonprofit organization collaborated with a regional health care system and a rural physician’s office to create a network that brings comprehensive cancer care to residents in rural Georgia.

The Southeastern Rural Cancer Care Network used federal funds administered by FORHP’s Community Based Division through the Rural Health Care Coordination Program.

Click Here to Read Article

New Policy Briefs from National Advisory for Rural Health Policy

December 6, 2024

New Policy Briefs from National Advisory for Rural Health Policy

The National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services is a citizens’ panel of rural health experts that convenes twice each year to examine pressing issues and make recommendations to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.

The most recent reports come from a meeting in Austin, Texas in April of this year, with an in-depth look at How Technology and Innovation Can Help Address Rural Health Care Challenges and Supporting Quality Measurement for Rural Health Clinics.

Click Here for Policy Brief: How Technology and Innovation Can Help Address Rural Health Care Challenges

Click Here for Policy Brief: Supporting Quality Measurement for Rural Health Clinics

Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Achieves Record-Breaking 90.6% Viral Suppression Rate among Its More than 576,000 Clients

December 3, 2024

Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Achieves Record-Breaking 90.6% Viral Suppression Rate among Its More than 576,000 Clients

In commemoration of World Aids Day, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), announce a record-breaking 90.6 percent of people with HIV receiving medical care through the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program are virally suppressed, exceeding national viral suppression rates. Viral suppression means people with HIV taking their medication cannot sexually transmit HIV and can live longer and healthier lives.

The new Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program data reflect several key milestones:

  • More than 576,000 people with HIV in the U.S. received life-saving care, medication, and essential support services through the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program representing over 50% of those with diagnosed HIV in the U.S.
  • Nearly 91 percent of Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program clients receiving HIV medical care were virally suppressed in 2023. This is up from 70 percent of clients virally suppressed in 2010 and significantly higher than the 65 percent virally suppressed nationally (which includes people who do not qualify or receive treatment through the Ryan White Program).
  • Nearly 48 percent of Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program clients are aged 50 years and older, demonstrating the program’s success in supporting older clients and its commitment to addressing the unique needs of people with HIV as they age.

Click Here to access the new 2023 Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program By the Numbers data infographic.

Click Here to learn more about HRSA’s Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program

Click Here to read full press release

Peer-Reviewed Publication: Utilization, Quality, and Spending for Pediatric Medicaid Enrollees with Primary Care in Health Centers vs non-Health Centers

December 2, 2024

Peer-Reviewed Publication: Utilization, Quality, and Spending for Pediatric Medicaid Enrollees with Primary Care in Health Centers vs non-Health Centers

Using 2012 Medicaid claims data, HRSA-funded researchers compared cost, use, and quality among health center and non-health center pediatric patients. They found that for health center patients, quality of care was comparable, and total expenditures were lower by $240 per patient. This suggests that delivering primary care pediatric services at a health center may be a more cost-effective health care model.

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Peer-Reviewed Publication: Study Finds that Improving Pediatric Emergency Care Could Save More than 2,100 Children’s Lives Annually

December 2, 2024

Peer-Reviewed Publication: Study Finds that Improving Pediatric Emergency Care Could Save More than 2,100 Children’s Lives Annually

During medical emergencies, children have distinct needs. But 83% of emergency departments nationwide are not highly prepared to meet those needs. The new study, in JAMA Network Open, found that bridging that gap, known as having high levels of “Pediatric Readiness” could prevent the deaths of 2,143 children each year while costing between $0 and $12 per child resident, depending on their state.

The study underscores the importance of MCHB’s partnership in two initiatives, known as the Pediatric Readiness Projects. These projects support the nation’s 5,000+ emergency departments and 15,000+ emergency medical services agencies in improving pediatric emergency care. Data from a recent national emergency department assessment were the foundation for this study.

Click Here to Learn More about Pediatric Readiness Projects

Click Here to Read Study

Stroke Performance Differences in Rural vs Urban Hospitals

November 25, 2024

Stroke Performance Differences in Rural vs Urban Hospitals

Using data from the American Heart Association’s Get with The Guidelines stroke registry, a recent study assesses how rural hospitals, including stroke centers and non-stroke centers, perform in providing thrombolytic treatment, achieving guideline-recommendations, secondary stroke prevention, and in-hospital outcomes.

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How Teletrauma Could Improve Rural Care, Decrease Costs

November 25, 2024

How Teletrauma Could Improve Rural Care, Decrease Costs

Teletrauma is a promising approach to improve access to health care expertise using remote consultation. It can bring expertise from a trauma center to injured patients in a non-trauma center, but experts say it is underutilized.

Additionally, telemedicine is enhancing emergency care in rural South Dakota, and the VA has proposed eliminating telehealth copays and expanding access for rural veterans.

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Journal of Rural Health Article: Clinical Outcomes and Profitability Following Rural Hospital Mergers and Acquisitions

November 25, 2024

Journal of Rural Health Article: Clinical Outcomes and Profitability Following Rural Hospital Mergers and Acquisitions

As US hospital markets become increasingly consolidated, empirical evidence is needed on the clinical and financial impacts of mergers on care provided by rural hospitals. This study identified characteristics of rural hospitals that underwent mergers or acquisitions and examined changes in profitability, clinical outcomes, and patient experience at acquired versus non-acquired rural hospitals.

Findings

Compared to non-acquired hospitals, acquired hospitals were more likely to be for-profit (18.6% vs. 4.6%, p<0.001) and tended to have lower total margins (-1.1% vs. 1.2%; p<0.05) despite higher average clinical volumes. Changes in acquired hospitals’ total margins, patient satisfaction, and risk-adjusted 30-day mortality rates were not different than changes among control hospitals. However, acquisition was associated with lower improvement in 30-day risk-adjusted readmission rates (0.58 percentage point [p.p.] difference in differences, 95% confidence interval -0.88 to -0.28 p.p., p<0.001).

Conclusions

Overall, mergers or acquisitions of rural hospitals were not associated with significant improvements in profitability, clinical outcomes, or patient experience. Policymakers may need to closely monitor rural hospital mergers in order to balance preserving access for rural patients with the consequences of health care consolidation.

Click Here to Read Full Report

Journal of Rural Health Article: Community Responses and Adaptations Following the Closure of a Rural Pharmacy and Primary Care Facility

November 25, 2024

Journal of Rural Health Article: Community Responses and Adaptations Following the Closure of a Rural Pharmacy and Primary Care Facility

This study investigates the experiences of one rural community in Central Pennsylvania following the closure of its singular pharmacy and primary health care facility. It aims to understand community members’ responses and adaptations to declining health care accessibility and broader implications for rural health policy and practice.

Findings:

The closure of the health care facilities resulted in significant social and economic impacts, particularly among vulnerable groups, such as older adults, people with disabilities, and working-class families. Participants reported:

  • Increased reliance on their social support networks to access care,
  • Delays in seeking care due to the strain from longer travel distances,
  • Loss of familiar and trusted care providers.

The study also found there to be an over-reliance on local emergency medical services for routine care. Although the community demonstrated resilience through the use of social networks, some adaptations carried health risks, including delayed care and unmonitored use of alternative remedies.

Conclusions

The study highlights the need for health care policies that address the immediate loss of services and support the social networks and economic stability that rural communities rely on in the absence of local health care facilities. This research contributes insights for policymakers, health care providers, and community leaders working to support rural communities facing similar health care losses.

Click Here to Read Full Report

New FMT Policy Brief: CAH Perspectives on Collection and Use of Demographic and Social Drivers of Health Data

October 29, 2024

New FMT Policy Brief: CAH Perspectives on Collection and Use of Demographic and Social Drivers of Health Data

The Flex Monitoring Team (FMT) recently released a new policy brief, CAH Perspectives on Collection and Use of Demographic and Social Drivers of Health Data. The brief explores the experiences of nine Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), in collecting and using demographic and/or social drivers of health (SDOH) data.

Challenges faced by CAHs during data collection:

  • Interviewee discomfort
  • Difficulty offering patient resources
  • Logistical or technical challenges
  • Limited staff capacity
  • Other broad challenges

Despite these challenges, CAHs described being able to use the demographic and/or SDOH data in various ways:

  • For individual patient needs
  • To assess community characteristics and needs
  • To assess health outcomes and utilization
  • To create or leverage partnerships
  • To plan for expanding data collection

Staff training, involvement with community partnerships, and collaboration with State Flex Programs will facilitate the best and standard practices of demographic and/or SDOH data collection, as well as data usage for CAHs.

Click Here to view policy brief