Rural Health
Rural Health Impact Facts
- Many rural counties are losing health dollars as residents go out-of-county for their primary health care services. 40% of rural residents believe urban health services are better.
- Health care business is lost to other communities if local services close down.
- Proportionally fewer providers practice in rural areas.
- Fewer than one-half of U.S. hospitals are located in rural areas.
- Changes are occurring in the health sector that threaten the existence of local rural health care services The movement to managed care.
- The purchase of rural health services by large urban networks.
- The health sector is often the largest rural county employer. It is often directly responsible for 10-15% of jobs.
- Derect and secondary jobs can account for 15-20% of total employment.
- The hospital often is the second largest employer.
- Many rural hospitals are in financial trouble. Since 1980, more than 400 rural hospitals have closed.
- There is dependence on MediCare and Medicaid payments for as much as 80% of their revenue.
- Rural residents are more likely to lack health insurance.
- Limited health care options result in a diproportionate number of inappropriate and more expensive emergency room visits by rural residents.
- The average rural resident has little idea how important the health sector is to the rural economy. For business and industrial growth.
- To attract retirees.
- For jobs.
- Demographics of rural areas lead to higher health care costs The rural population is older than the urban population and tends touse more health care services.
- Poverty is more widespread in rural areas than urban areas.
- Rural residents are more likely to be uninsured.
- Employersin rural areas are less likley than urban employers to offer private health insurance.Health status of rural residents is frequently pooere than their urban counterparts.
Excerpted with permission from the Operation Rural Health Works Project Briefing Report, 1999. Report available online: http://www.rupri.org/pubs/archive/old/health/orhw/orhw11/index.html
Online Resources and Tools
California Institute for Rural Studies
http://www.cirsinc.org
Provides research and outreach on living conditions and economies of rural areas.
California Rural Health Policy Council
http://www.ruralhealth.ca.gov/
Council establishes rural health policy for the state of California.
California State Rural Health Association
http://www.csrha.org/
A nonprofit, nonpartisan grassroots organization that works to improve the quality and accessibility of the health care for rural Californians.
Center for Rural Health and Social Service Development
http://www.siu.edu/~crhssd/
Provides research, needs assessments, demonstration projects and program evaluations; tests new models of health care delivery; and develops policy recommendations to improve rural population health.
Federal Office of Rural Health Policy
http://www.ruralhealth.hrsa.gov/
Promotes better health care services, policies and research in rural America.
Indian Health Service
http://www.ihs.gov/
Provides comprehensive, culturally appropriate personal and public health servcies to American Indian and Alaska Native people.
Kellogg Collection of Rural Community Development Resources
http://www.unl.edu/kellogg/
Rural health care resources funded through the Kellogg Foundation.
Maine Rural Health Research Center
http://www.muskie.usm.maine.edu/research/ruralheal/index.html
One of five national rural health servcies research and policy analysis centers.
National Rural Health Association
http://www.nrharural.org/
Nonprofit association of individual and organizational members focused on rural health issues, advacacy, communications, education and research.
North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis
http://www.shepscenter.unc.edu/research_programs/Rural_Program/
Current policy anaysis and research agenda focuses on rural hopsitals and healthcare delivery organizations and access.
Online Journal of Rural Nursing and Health Care
http://www.rno.org/journal/
Offers the latest in peer-reviewed research and practice-related features for rural nurses and other health professionals. Experienced columnists present their thoughts and invite comments. Readers can join discussion groups for each featured article.
Rural Healthy People 2010
http://www.srph.tamushsc.edu/rhp2010/
For rural health priorities, a brief review of literature on this disease or condition in rural America is provided and illustrative solutions from rural communities are summarized.
Rural Institute on Disabilties
http://ruralinstitute.umt.edu/
Assists with training, research, service demonstration programs and information for persons with developmental disabilities.
Rural Policy Research Institute
http://rupri.org/programs/health/index.html
Provides research, information and links on rural health care.
Rural PSYCH
http://www.apa.org/rural/homepage.html
Resource center for rural behavioral health.
Universal Service Administrative Company Rural Health Care Program
http://www.rhc.universalservcie.org/2000/programoverview/rhcd.asp
Provides telecommunications support for rural health care providers.
Suggested Reading
Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved. This quarterly journal, disseminates information on the health and health care of low-income, under-represented and other medically underserved communities to health care practioners, researchers, policy makers and community leaders. Addresses such issues as health care access, culture-sensitive care, quality and costs. For more information: http://www.sagepub.co.uk/frame.html?http://www.sagepub.co.uk/journals/details/j0176.html
Ormond, Barbara A., Wallin, Susan and Goldenson, Susan M. 2000. Supporting the Rural Health Care Safety Net. Report focuses on selected rural health care systems and safety net and their importance in rural communities. Available online:
http://newfederalism.urban.org/html/op36/occa36.html#intro
© Public Health Institute, Center for Civic Partnerships 1999
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