SCRHRC Releases Dialysis Availability in Rural America Report
End stage renal disease (ESRD), a potential consequence of diabetes, hypertension and other chronic conditions, leaves the individual in need of a kidney transplant or kidney dialysis to survive. Depending on their clinical condition and service availability, patients may receive hemodialysis, generally performed in a clinic, or peritoneal dialysis, which can be performed at home. We used the Medicare Dialysis Compare files, which contain information about dialysis facilities in 2008, and the Standard Analysis File of the US Renal Data System, which contains information about ESRD patients in 2008, to explore the availability of services in rural America. Our research questions were:
What is the current distribution of dialysis facilities, by characteristics and capacity, across levels of rurality?
How does the distribution of facilities compare to estimated need, defined as patients with ESRD?
How do dialysis facility performance measures compare across levels of rurality?
Click here to download the Report Summary, or here to download the full report.
SCRHRC Releases HIV/AIDS in Rural America Report:
This report examines two main subjects: the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in rural counties across 28 states in 2008, and the rural-versus-urban distribution of Ryan White providers. The latter provide care for uninsured and financially vulnerable individuals and serve nearly half of all persons living with HIV/AIDS in the rural United States. While many individuals receive care from other sources, the Ryan White Programs national scope and large service population make it good proxy for the availability of services for persons living with HIV/AIDS in rural counties.
Click here to download the Report Summary, or here to download the full report.
SCRHRC Releases Rural Border Health Chartbook:
The chartbook adds to existing knowledge regarding conditions in the border region by examining potential geographic and ethnic disparities among U.S. border residents. Our chartbook describes select indicators related to access to care, women's preventive services, oral health, infectious and communicable diseases and mental health that have been previously identified as serious disparities warranting programmatic and policy interventions. We examine these issues among residents of the four border states, Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas, comparing indicators by ethnicity (Hispanic vs. non-Hispanic), rurality (rural vs. urban), and proximity to border (border vs. non-border). Our findings should be useful in educating public health officials, policymakers and intervening organizations such as the United States Border Health Commission, the Office of Rural Health Policy, and the National Rural Health Association.
Click here to download the Report Summary, or here to download the full report.
Visiting Rural: Celebrating National Rural Health Day at ECH:
The SCRHRC staff went all out for National Rural Health Day (November 15, 2012) - all the way out to Edgefield, SC to join the South Carolina Office of Rural Health and an assortment of others in celebrating at Edgefield County Hospital, a Critical Access Hospital, which was definitely in a rural community. Continue reading through SCRHRC's Blog: Visiting rural, lots of us >>
ORHP Announces Seven Rural Health Research Centers for 2012-2016
The Federal Office of Rural Health Policy has announced seven Rural Health Research Centers (RHRCs) for 2012-2016, not six as we reported on Wednesday. The amended and complete list, including the RUPRI Center for Rural Policy Analysis, follows:
Maine Rural Health Research Center
Institution: University of Southern Maine
Director: David Hartley, PhD, MHA
North Carolina Rural Health Research Center
Institution: University of North Carolina
Director: G. Mark Holmes, PhD
RUPRI Center for Rural Policy Analysis
Institution: University of Iowa
Director: Keith J. Mueller, PhD
Rural Health Reform Policy Research Center
Partner Institutions: University of North Dakota; NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
Director: L. Gary Hart, PhD
South Carolina Rural Health Research Center
Institution: University of South Carolina
Director: Janice C. Probst, PhD
University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Institution: University of Minnesota
Director: Ira Moscovice, PhD
WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Institution: University of Washington
Director: Eric H. Larson, PhD
Doctoral Candidate, Samuel D. Towne, received two national awards for original research at APHA 2012
The awards included:
2012 Medical Care, American Public Health Association: Student Paper Presentation Award for the abstract "Electronic Health Record Use among Residential Care Facilities: National Estimates" (authors: Samuel D. Towne, MPH, CPH; Janice C. Probst, PhD & Zhimin Chen, MS)
2012 Aging and Public Health Section, American Public Health Association: Rural and Environment Research Award for the manuscript " ן Poorer Quality Outcomes of Medicare-certified Home Health Care in Areas with High Levels of Native American/Alaska Native Residents" ן (authors: Samuel D. Towne, MPH, CPH; Janice C. Probst, PhD; Jordan Mitchell, PhD; & Zhimin Chen, MS)
In addition, he was awarded the 2012 Phi Kappa Phi Love of Learning Award for his doctoral studies by Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Society.
Dr. Jan Probst, director of the South Carolina Rural Health Research Center, describes results of a Center study examining mortality differences between rural and urban adults.
For more SCRHRC's videos, watch us on
State Policy Levers for Addressing Preventive Dental Care Disparities for Rural Children: Medicaid Reimbursement to Non-Dental Clinicians for Fluoride Varnish and Dental Hygiene Supervision in Primary Care Safety Net Settings
Previous work has found that rural children are less likely to receive preventive dental services or any dental services
at all, during the year than are urban children. The children’s oral health care safety net can be characterized in
terms of the settings in which care is offered, the clinicians who offer it, and the sources of payment. In this report
we examine two questions:
(1) To what degree have states expanded access to and reimbursement of fluoride varnish applications by allowing non-dental
clinicians to provide this service?
(2) To what extent can dental hygienists provide select preventive dental services in primary care safety net settings
without supervision or under general, indirect, or public health supervision?
Click here to download the Report Summary, or here to download the full report.
Health Outcomes Among Children
and Families Living in Rural Communities Conference webcast
The Center for information Technology at
National Institutes of Health will videocast Health Outcomes Among Children
and Families Living in Rural Communities Conference, December 1-2, 2011. You can click on the picture below or
this link http://videocast.nih.gov/FutureEvents.asp to
the NIH VideoCasting and Podcasting Website for these seminars.
The SC Rural Health Research Foundation recently sent four
of our graduate students and one research assistant professor to the American Public Health Association
Annual Meeting in Washington, DC.
Students Deshia Leonhirth, MBA; Jordan Mitchell, MBA; Kristin
Schuller, MHA; and Samuel Towne, MPH, CPH attended and participated in the poster presentations to include
the topics of HIV, Maternal and Child Health, and Home Health. In addition, Jessica Bellinger, PhD,
participated in a Cancer Forum session and served with Elena Ong as an
organizer for an invited Women's Caucus session. See more on Dr. Bellinger's panel below.
Dr. Jessica Bellinger, Program Chair of the
Women's Caucus, organized an APHA special invited session, "Women's
Health in All Policies," with Elena Ong, a Caro Executive Fellow
Moderated by Adriane Casalotti, Health & Women's
Policy Advisor, Office of Congresswoman Lois Capps, the panelists were Avra Siegel of the White House Council
on Women and Girls; Marcia Greenberger, JD, National Women's Law Center; Heidi Hartmann, PhD, Institute for
Women's Policy Research; and Alina Salganicoff,
PhD, Kaiser Family Foundation. L-R: Kim Dauner (WC Policy Chair),
Sarah Gareau (WC Co-Chair), Jessica Bellinger (WC Program Chair, Session Organizer), Alina Salganicoff (Vice President & Director of Women's Health Policy, Kaiser Family Foundation), Adriane Casalotti (Health & Women's Policy Advisor, Office of Congresswoman Lois Capps), Marcia Greenberger (Co-President, National Women's Law Center), Heidi Hartmann (President, Institute of Women's Policy Research), Elena Ong (Session Organizer).
Higher Risk Of Death In Rural Blacks And Whites Than Urbanites
Is Related To Lower Incomes, Education, And Health Coverage - Health Affairs October 2011
The South Carolina Rural Health Research Center at the Arnold
School of Public Health, the University of South Carolina is pleased to announce the publication
of Higher Risk Of Death In Rural Blacks And Whites Than Urbanites Is Related To Lower Incomes, Education, And Health
Coverage in the October 2011 issue of Health Affairs. The authors on this article are Dr. Janice C. Probst, Dr.
Jessica D. Bellinger, Dr. Katrina M. Walsemann, Dr. James Hardin, and Dr. Saundra H. Glover.
This article which documents research into rural disparities in mortality is funded by the Office of Rural Health Policy.
Health Status in the Delta: Comparisons to other
urban and rural U.S. Residents
In this Fact Sheet we examined
geographic differences in health behaviors, access to care, receipt of appropriate preventative services, and quality of diabetes care among residents in the Delta region. We compared their findings to non-delta urban and non-delta rural.
Data from the 2005 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System was linked with the 2008 Area Resource File
for the analysis.
Jordan Mitchell, Health Services Policy and Management/PhD:Jordan's dissertation, "Association between Clinical Decision Support Systems and Healthcare Disparities" has been funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and
Quality (AHRQ).
This dissertation encompasses two major health services research
topics, being health information technology along with health disparities. By integrating
health information technology research with examinations of healthcare quality disparities, this dissertation will
offer an innovative direction for addressing disparities
in care based on race and area of residence. His dissertation committee consists of: Dr. Janice Probst (chair), Dr.
Amy Martin, Dr. Kevin Bennett, Dr. Saundra Glover, and
Dr. James Hardin. Jordan plans to defend his dissertation in February, and graduate in May.
"New! " Handling the Handoff: Rural and Race-Based Disparities in Post Hospitalization
Follow-up Care Among Medicare Beneficiaries with Diabetes"
Diabetes is one of
the most common chronic diseases, affecting an estimated 23.6 million people in
the United States (7.8% of the total population). Rural African American
and Hispanic residents with diabetes are less likely to exhibit good control
of their condition, putting them at greater risk for the consequences of
this disease, such as kidney failure, blindness and amputation.
Effective outpatient care is key to diabetes management.
Absence of such care, conversely, may play a role
in poorer diabetes control in rural areas. The present report uses information regarding Medicare beneficiaries
with diabetes to examine the provision of care in rural America. It provides estimates of hospital admission rates
for rural Medicare beneficiaries with diabetes, tracks the proportion of patients who receive adequate outpatient
care post discharge, and assesses subsequent readmissions to the hospital. It also explores the potential for
race-based disparities in care for diabetes.
Click here to download the executive
summary, or here to download the
full report.
Sunday, April 24, 2011, In memoriam
The
faculty and staff of the South Carolina Rural Health Research Center mourn the passing of Rosemary McKenzie,
minority health liaison and program
services manager at the National Rural Health Association (NRHA). Rosemary had been part of the South
Carolina family since our Center
was founded in 2000. As an advocate for rural minority health, Ms. McKenzie served on our national advisory
workgroup from 2000 until her recent
death. Her passion for populations often lost in the majority white demographics of rural America kept us
honest and engaged. Over the years,
we used Rosemary's guidance as we developed our multiple presentations for the annual NRHA
Rural Multiracial and Multicultural Health conferences, as well as for NRHA's annual conference.
We remember Rosemary as a spirited, stylish woman whose energy lit up every room she entered.
If the Father's house has many mansions, we are assured that she is lighting those up, as well.
Picture: Rosemary at a meeting in the South Carolina Rural Health Research Center, 2004.
"New! " Diet, Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviors as Risk Factors for Childhood Obesity:
An Urban and Rural Comparison
Previous research found that rural
children, paradoxically, were more likely to be overweight or
obese and more likely to be physically active than urban children.
The current report expands on prior work by using information from the 1999-2006 NHANES.
Click here to download the executive
summary, or here to download the
full report.
"New!" Is Your Hospital's
Board Prepared to Govern?
Rural Acute Care Hospital
Boards Of Directors:
Education and Development
Needed
We found that many rural
chairs and CEOs lacked full
confidence in their board's
ability to conduct its
oversight and governance
functions effectively.
Click here to download the executive
summary, or
here to download the
full report.
"New! Dr. Jan Probst leads the
Alma Mater at the hooding
ceremony for the Arnold
School of Public Health held
on May 6th, 2010
Over the
years one of the
University's most revered
tradition has arisen of
raising the right hand, with
fingers cupped, when the
phrase "Here's A Health,
Carolina" occurs, as if
offering a toast.
Rural residents lag in
preventive services use; Lag
increases with service
complexity
This research
brief describes the receipt
of preventive services among
rural adults and explores
the factors that are related
to disparities in
utilization.
Click here to
see the preventive services
policy brief.
The South Carolina Rural
Health Research Center is
pleased to announce an
on-line email process for
subscription to the SC Rural
Health Research Center List
Serve.
To subscribe: send an
email with no subject and no
signature to listserv@listserv.sc.edu.
The body of the email should
read SUBSCRIBE SCRHRC-L
yourfirstname yourlastname.
"
'New!' Health Disparities: A
Rural-Urban Chartbook, is
now available for download
This chartbook presents
information on health,
health behavior, and
preventive services use
indicators across rural
America, with detailed
information for white,
African American, Hispanic,
American Indian, and
Asian/Pacific Islander
populations.
Click here to download the executive
summary, or here to download the Health Disparities Chartbook.
"New! " The SCRHRC has started
a blog to keep folks
informed of news and events
that might not be big enough for a formal release
If you wish to track our
goings-on and thoughts, and
add your own commentary,
visit http://scrhrc.blogspot.com/.
Although children’s dental
health in the U.S. has
improved over recent
decades, a subset of
children continues to suffer
dental disease severe enough
to constitute a public
health problem. SCRHRC is
publishing a Chartbook about
this issue.
Click here to download the executive
summary, or here to download
the Oral Health Chartbook.
The National Rural Health
Association has named SCRHRC
scientist Dr. Janice Probst
its 2008 Outstanding
Researcher.
As the nation's first report
on obesity and physical
inactivity among rural
youth, the Center's study
shows that children living
in rural areas are more
likely to be overweight or
obese than their urban
peers.
Click here to
see the details. Click here to download
the executive summary, or here to download
the Obesity Chartbook.
Documentary film-making: Dr.
Amy Martin, Deputy Director
of the SC Rural Health
Research Center,
collaborated with Susan
Hogue, instructor in Media
Arts in the College of Arts
and Sciences, University of
South Carolina, to bring a
new look to rural studies.
Special guests: Dr. Oscar
Lovelace, a family physician
from Newberry County SC,
spoke on emerging rural
health issues at the SCRHRC
Annual Rural Health Grand
Rounds on September 27, 2006.
Dean of the Arnold School of
Public Health, Dr. Donna
Richter, shakes hands
with Cocky, the USC Mascot
and this year’s Special
Guest at the Annual Open
House.
Dr. Janice Probst, Center
Director, and Jessica
Bellinger, a graduate
student staffer, contributed two
presentations to the
Leadership Summit on
Eliminating Racial and
Ethnic Disparities in
Health, sponsored by the
Office of Minority Health,
USDHHS.
We are now providing an Online
Report Request System!
You can choose either paper
or electronic copy for the
full report you need. we will
send out the requested
report to you via postal
mail (paper copy) or email
(electronic copy) within
7~10 days.
This service had been
stopped.
USC President Dr. Andrew
Sorensen visits the South
Carolina Rural Health
Research Center for our open
house, and sings with the
GameChords, USC’s own
barbershop quartet.
Dr. Samuels lectures at the
first of the Rural Health
Grand Rounds educational
series, being initiated by
the SCRHRC. The topic: "The
History, Evolution, Current
Status and Issues of
Community Health Centers".
Click here to view the
presentation PowerPoint
file.
The
faculty and staff of the South Carolina Rural Health Research Center mourn the passing of Rosemary McKenzie,
minority health liaison and program
services manager at the National Rural Health Association (NRHA). Rosemary had been part of the South
Carolina family since our Center
was founded in 2000. As an advocate for rural minority health, Ms. McKenzie served on our national advisory
workgroup from 2000 until her recent
death. Her passion for populations often lost in the majority white demographics of rural America kept us
honest and engaged. Over the years,
we used Rosemary's guidance as we developed our multiple presentations for the annual NRHA
Rural Multiracial and Multicultural Health conferences, as well as for NRHA's annual conference.
We remember Rosemary as a spirited, stylish woman whose energy lit up every room she entered.
If the Father's house has many mansions, we are assured that she is lighting those up, as well. 
