Rural / Urban Health

under-resourced urban communities

areas within an urban setting that historically have not had proper resources to help community members thrive and maintain good health

social determinants of health (SDOH)

1. economic stability

2. education access / quality

3. healthcare access / quality

4. neighborhood / build environment

5. social / community context

redlining

discriminatory practice where services are denied to residents of specific neighborhoods, often based on race / ethnicity, leading to disinvestment in those areas

rural communities

of or relating to the country, country people or life, or agriculture; small communities outside of cities or urban areas

intersectionality

framework for understanding how different aspects of a person’s identity, such as race, gender, class, and sexuality, overlap and interact to create unique systems of discrimination and privilege

leading causes of death in rural communities

1. heart disease

2. cancer

3. unintentional injuries

4. chronic lower respiratory disease (CLRD)

5. stroke

special populations in rural health

1. migrant farm workers

2. elderly

3. black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC)

4. unhoused

5. LGBTQ+

rural health systems

hospitals struggle financially; may rely on telehealth services; 14% employment, non-profit hospitals are required to offer activities that benefit the community (10.1% of profits go toward this)

rural hospital challenges

1. location

2. budgets

3. recruitment / retention

4. demographics

5. changes within healthcare

6. lack of finances

compensation management specialist (CMS) designation

designed to reduce the financial vulnerability of rural hospitals and improve access to healthcare; reimbursement for Medicare services

critical access hospitals (CAHs)

25 or fewer acute care inpatient beds; located more than 35 miles from another hospital; maintain annual average length of stay of 96 hours or less; provide 24/7 emergency care services

rural / urban nurse role

1. community organizing

2. coalition-building

3. collaboration

4. advocacy

5. policy development