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State and federal efforts to bolster health care access for underserved rural communities.

A mid-session legislative update on five of ASTHO's top 10 public health state policy issues to watch in 2023: data privacy and modernization, reproductive health, health equity, strengthening public health agencies, and immunization.

When rural hospitals close, it increases the distance people must travel for essential healthcare services. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted and magnified the factors leading to rural hospital closures across the country. Many healthcare facilities suspended elective procedures to conserve critically needed personal protective equipment and reduce the risk of exposure to COVID-19 by patients and hospital staff. For many rural hospitals, however, the suspension of elective procedures with the reduced the use of non-urgent services by apprehensive patients meant a loss of revenue and the furloughed healthcare staff. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, approximately half of all rural hospitals are experiencing negative operating margins due to reduced outpatient revenue. The rate increases in states that have not expanded Medicaid. Unfortunately, these kinds of challenges are not new to rural hospitals.

This blog post discusses mitigating risks of AI use in government agencies, emphasizing privacy, transparency, and ethical concerns.

A Blueprint for Establishing a Health Equity or Minority Health Office 30:37 minutes Learn how to form and manage an office of health equity or minority health, based on several firsthand experiences. Listen to the podcast episode now. <!-- Podcast Embed ep 93 --> There are many considerations when forming and managing an office of health equity or minority health. The National Association of State Offices of Minority Health shares how agencies across the United States have overcome common challenges and benefited from having a dedicated health equity office. In addition, the United States Virgin Islands Department of Health discusses initial successes and challenges experienced while establishing their office. Finally, the California Department of Public Health, with a well-established office of health equity, shares how their office utilized health equity liaisons and supported rural/tribal communities. This podcast episode complements the recently published ASTHOReport “Establishing an Office of Health Equity or Minority Health,” which examines different approaches to sustainability. Show Notes Guests Rohan Radhakrishna, MD, MPH, MS, Former Deputy Director and Chief Equity Officer, California Department of Public Health Justa Encarnacion, RN, MBA, HCM, Health Commissioner and Chief Public Health Officer, United States Virgin Islands Department of Health Veronica Halloway, Executive Director, National Association of State Offices of Minority Health Resources Establishing an Office of Health Equity or Minority Health | ASTHO Islands Health Equity Framework | ASTHO Office of Health Equity | California Department of Public Health United States Virgin Islands Department of Health National Association of State Offices of Minority Health Podcast Transcript ep 93 website yes