This resource establishes safety goals and practices for suicide prevention in Joint Commission-accredited hospitals. This 2019 update highlights specific requirements for accredited Critical Access Hospitals. Read more here.
The Impact of the Opioid Epidemic on the Aging Services Network and the Older Adults They Serve
This report highlights the results of a survey of National Council on Aging (NCOA) grantees and partners on the effect of the opioid epidemic on older adults. It details the percentage of respondents from rural areas and offers recommendations and resources to address the epidemic among the aging population. Read more here.
Geographic disparities associated with travel to medical care and attendance in programs to prevent/manage chronic illness among middle-aged and older adults in Texas
This report examines the relationship of rural and urban middle-aged and older adults with one or more chronic conditions who travel long distances to receive medical care, and their utilization of programs focused on prevention and chronic disease management. Participants from 9 counties in central Texas responded to health assessment surveys regarding their number of doctor’s visits within the previous year, distance to receive medical care, residential status, and other personal characteristics. Read more here.
Analysis: Disparities in Rural Child Mortality Rates Persist Despite Improvements
While child mortality rates in the U.S. have decreased, researchers find the improvements were not equal among minorities in rural areas. This article includes data outlining the disparities and emphasizes the importance of continuing research to further improve child mortality rates. Read more here.
Primary Care Visit Frequency Dropping
Adults in the U.S. are visiting primary care doctors less often, according to a new study in the Annals of Internal Medicine, a trend that is troubling since primary care is there to keep people healthy.
The study, which focused on adults enrolled with a large commercial insurer, found that:
- Between 2008 and 2016, visits to primary care physicians declined by 24.2%, and nearly half of adults didn’t visit one in any given year by the end of the time frame
- Groups with the largest declines were young adults, adults without chronic conditions, and those living in the lowest-income areas
Meanwhile, visits to alternative facilities like urgent care clinics increased by 46.9%
2020’s States with the Best & Worst Dental Health – WalletHub Study
With February being National Children’s Dental Health Month and about 15 percent of children aged 2-17 having not seen a dentist in the past year, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2020’s States with the Best & Worst Dental Health as well as accompanying videos.
In order to determine which places have the healthiest teeth and gums in the U.S., WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 26 key metrics. The data set ranges from share of adolescents who visited a dentist in the past year to dental treatment costs to share of adults with low life satisfaction due to oral condition.
|
States with the Best Dental Health |
States with the Worst Dental Health |
|
| 1. Wisconsin | 42. Florida | |
| 2. Illinois | 43. Kentucky | |
| 3. Minnesota | 44. Alaska | |
| 4. District of Columbia | 45. Texas | |
| 5. Connecticut | 46. Alabama | |
| 6. North Dakota | 47. Louisiana | |
| 7. Michigan | 48. Montana | |
| 8. Massachusetts | 49. West Virginia | |
| 9. Idaho | 50. Arkansas | |
| 10. Iowa | 51. Mississippi |
Best vs. Worst
- Rhode Island has the lowest share of the population who couldn’t afford more dental visits due to costs, 37.00 percent, which is two times lower than in Georgia, the state with the highest at 74.00 percent.
- Utah has the most dentists per 100,000 residents, 55, which is 3.1 times more than in Louisiana, the state with the fewest at 18.
- The District of Columbia has the highest share of the population receiving fluoridated water, 100.00 percent, which 8.8 times higher than in Hawaii, the state with the lowest at 11.30 percent.
- Minnesota, Hawaii and Illinois have the lowest share of adults with poor or fair oral condition, 22.00 percent, which is 1.8 times lower than in Montana, the state with the highest at 40.00 percent.
To view the full report and your state or the District’s rank, please visit: https://wallethub.com/edu/states-with-best-worst-dental-health/31498/
New Pre-K State Comparison Report Released: PA Ranks 19th out of 28th States
Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children recently released a report in their role as a principal partner with the Pre-K for PA Campaign, the third installment comparing Pennsylvania’s per-capita investments in pre-k. The Road to Success Includes High-Quality Pre-K shows states with similar political compositions and quality standards are making stronger per capita investments, putting their early learners on the road to success in school and in life at a faster pace than Pennsylvania. If Pennsylvania want to pave the way to success in adulthood for OUR early learners, we need to increase our investments in high-quality, publicly funded pre-k, because 56 percent of eligible children do not have access to this vital education.
Surgeon General Releases Report on Smoking Cessation
The U.S. Surgeon General released a report on smoking cessation that reviews and updates evidence on the importance of quitting smoking. The report discusses the immediate and long-term health and economic benefits of smoking cessation at the individual and societal levels. The report also covers clinical and population-based interventions that have been shown to effectively increase smoking cessation.
Infant Mortality Rates for Metro and Non-metro Counties, by Race and Hispanic Origin
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released data showing that infant mortality rates for nonmetropolitan counties was lowest for infants of Hispanic mothers, followed by infants of non-Hispanic white mothers. The rate of mortality for infants of non-Hispanic black mothers was more than double the lowest rate in both metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties. Read more here.
CDC Report on Suicide Rates by Industry and Occupation
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published data finding that suicide among the U.S. working-age population (ages 16-64 years) was increasing during the time period studied. The five major industry groups with suicide rates higher than the study population included 1) Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction; 2) Construction; 3) Other Services (e.g. automotive repair); 4) Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing, and Hunting; and 5) Transportation and Warehousing. Find more information here.