Winter 2014

Advanced Technologies

Technology Widens Care Options for Rural Hospitals
by Candi Helseth
Through advanced technologies, hospitals are offering new services, strengthening their bottom lines and keeping patients closer to home.

Patient Simulators Sharpen Skills of Rural Practitioners
by Candi Helseth
Simulation training, a promising innovation in healthcare education, is especially useful in rural areas where providers see fewer emergencies.

Challenges for Human Services

by Kathleen Belanger
A Concerted Effort to Help the Homeless in Vermont
Pathways Vermont is helping those who were previously chronically homeless achieve health and well-being.

Look What's Coming

by Wayne Myers, M.D.
Socioeconomic Policy Is Health Policy
The United States spends more on medical care and less on social services than other developed countries, yet social services can be just as important to health outcomes.

Around the Country

by Candi Helseth

New Jersey Clinic Promotes Healthy Lifestyles
Zufall Health Center is helping patients make healthy lifestyle changes and choices, reaching out to farmworkers and other special populations.

Small Idaho Hospital Achieves “Most Wired” Status
Syringa Hospital, a Critical Access Hospital in Idaho's frontier region, has twice been recognized as one of the nation's “Most Wired Hospitals.”

Focus on Funding

by Laura Grangaard, MPH
Programs for Loan Repayment and Forgiveness: A List for Rural Providers
A guide to loan repayment/forgiveness programs, which can be an optimal way to attract needed healthcare professionals.

Rural Spotlight

by Beth Blevins

An Interview with Leila Samy
The ONC Rural Health IT Coordinator describes how the hospitalization of her father led her to become an advocate for health IT.