This article presents the results of a study to examine the rates of severe, unexpected complications in full term newborns in 576 hospitals from January 2015 – December 2017. It explores whether rates vary significantly among hospitals and looks at risk factors and possible causes of variation. It also features statistics on characteristics of mothers, hospitals, and delivery types, and median percentage of rural population in the counties where deliveries occurred. Read more here.

This article describes a community health worker-based chronic care management model (CHW-Based CCM) conducted in rural counties within 3 central Appalachian states. It demonstrates how to engage health insurance companies to support and sustain the CHW-Based CCM model. Read more here.

This Webinar Recording discusses a study on access to cancer care in rural areas nationally and in South Carolina. It analyzes travel distance to receive care for colorectal and cervical cancer care across the country and compares it to data on access to colorectal cancer care in South Carolina. Find more information here.
Additional links: Presentation Slides, Webinar Transcript

This article features West Virginia University’s telestroke program that connects rural hospitals with neurologists at WVU to assist in diagnosing and treating stroke cases. Researchers analyzed data from participating hospitals and found that the use of noninvasive stroke treatments increased since the program’s implementation. Read more here.

This article summarizes a study that identified an increase in EMS transport times when a local hospital closes. Rural residents already face longer wait times than urban residents, and as more rural hospitals close, wait times become more dangerous for patients. Read more here.

This resource presents results of a 2016 study of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination among Iowa adolescents aged 13-15. It includes a county-level map showing urban and rural areas and their vaccination rates. Find more information here.

This resource provides an overview of the TestIT mobile app, developed to study cellular and broadband internet services, and the data collected from app users. It examines download speeds by county compared to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) standards. It also discusses challenges rural and underserved communities with a limited broadband infrastructure face, including economic development, education and workforce development, and access to health and human services. Find more information here.

This line chart shows metropolitan and nonmetropolitan population change from 1978-2018 and highlights a period of population loss in rural areas followed by a modest population gain. Find more information here.

This interactive map shows estimates of U.S. life expectancy at birth by state and census tract for the period 2010-2015, based on data from the U.S. Small-area Life Expectancy Estimates Project (USALEEP). Note that the map does not include access to county-level estimates. Find more information here.

This issue brief explores how hospitals can use telehealth services to improve patient outcomes and reduce costs. It discusses approaches to deliver telehealth services and provides guidelines to consider when developing a telehealth strategy. It also provides examples of how rural hospitals are using telehealth services to meet community needs. Read more here.