Oral

Nearly 3 million children in rural counties live below the federal poverty level. More than one-fifth of rural counties had child poverty rates of at least 20% in the last U.S. census. Children in rural counties have a 40% higher mortality rate than do urban or suburban children. Barriers to health access for children in rural communities will be discussed including mal-distribution of health professionals and health professional shortage areas (HPSAs), geographic barriers and restricted access to transportation, and economic issues including lack of health insurance. This session will describe health disparities that affect rural residents and focus on both targeted interventions that may be implemented by health care providers and policy changes that may be implemented by government. Strategies to reduce disparities include public-private partnerships to promote community-based participatory research, training, and education, and providing patients with enabling services such as case management to improve timely access to care. We will also focus on ways to improve access to mental health services in rural communities.

Session Objectives: At the end of this session, participants will: Understand barriers to health care for children in rural communities Discuss issues related to poor health and high mortality rates in rural communities Discuss strategies for improving access to care for rural populations

CE Credits: CME, Health Education (CHES), Nursing