Credit: Ariel J. Cobbert via Capital B

Rural communities of color across the US find new ways to get the health care they needIt’s more common for people in rural areas to die earlier from illnesses than urban residents, according to the Centers for Disease Control, cites Kenya Hunter, an AP health writer, as part of a collaborative report initiative led by the Institute for Nonprofit News’ Rural News Network with Capital B. This only underscores the growing need for adequate healthcare access in rural areas, where resources are as crucial as they are in urban areas. Hospitals in places like Brownsville, Tennessee, a majority-Black city, saw one of the few care facilities within miles close in 2014 after a decline in patients. (It re-opened in 2022.) 

This isn’t the only case, Hunter writes.

More than one-third, or about 700, of the nation’s rural hospitals are at risk of closing because of “serious financial problems,” according to a July analysis from the Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform. In many of these communities, the hospital is the only place where residents can get laboratory tests or imaging services.  

“If the hospital didn’t exist, there wouldn’t be any physicians there,” said Harold Miller, the center’s president and CEO, adding that one hospital closure can have a devastating impact on a rural community. “There is no place to go and get a lab test except for that hospital. There may be no nursing home or place to get rehab or long-term care other than these hospitals.”

With more than half of rural hospitals discontinuing labor and delivery services, as shown in a recent analysis from the Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform, Capital B highlights how rural communities of color are now laying the groundwork for equitable healthcare through initiatives like mobile health clinics and doulas — a service covered by Medicaid in Virginia and a few other states.Read more here →

Credit: India Currents

Are you facing burnout at work?Arman, 32, is a first-generation immigrant residing in Chicago. He’s a computer engineer with five years of experience in IT. When he mortgaged a three-bedroom home last year, he also took on a new job at a new company, which has required him to work longer hours than before. India Currents sets this stage for a conversation between Arman and Dr. Manoj Sharma, a Professor of Social and Behavioral Health and Internal Medicine, adding that Arman’s transitions have been marked by fatigue, lack of sleep and low motivation to work or engage in other activities — all common signs of burnout.

Dr. Sharma explains that burnout is a type of work-related stress that manifests in three ways: emotional and physical exhaustion, apathy toward work and feelings of incompetence or inadequacy in completing tasks. While lifestyle changes and work demands have triggered Arman’s burnout, Dr. Sharma stresses that this condition is becoming increasingly prevalent in U.S. workplaces, citing this Aflac Workplace Benefits Trends Report, which states that over 59% of all workers have experienced moderate levels of burnout.

Dr. Sharma notes that burnout has escalated since Covid-19 and warns that if left untreated, it can have serious and devastating consequences on relationships, physical health (e.g., substance use and dependency), and even lead to suicidal ideation.

Read the full Q&A from India Currents to identify the signs of burnout and find resources to mitigate it here →

Credit: Instagram @underdogrescuemoab via Native News Online

Dog rescue team to host its largest veterinary care clinic on the Navajo Nation reservationFor four days this October, a rescue team of seven veterinarians will host its largest-ever free mobile clinic for reservation dogs, traveling through Upper Fruitland, New Mexico, to perform free and low-cost spay and neuter surgeries, treat sick animals, administer life-saving vaccines, and microchip pets, reports Native News Online. 

Part of the group’s mission includes the sprawling Navajo Nation, the largest Native American reservation in the country and home to an estimated 250,000 to 500,000 dogs. The need is great, especially on a rural tribal reservation where resources are scarce, and many homes lack running water and electricity. The group’s grant manager, Jennifer DeFosse, says their goal is to treat 1,000 animals during the mobile clinic. 

“It sounds pie in the sky,” she says, “but I think we can pull it off.” 

The lack of access to veterinary care poses a public health threat, as the Navajo Nation reported a dramatic increase in rabies cases on the reservation last year.

Read more here →

Highlighting the innovators transforming health outcomes in our communities

As a nurse, Sherema Fleming observed the health benefits of a vegan diet in her patients. Like many New Yorkers, she taught herself to bake cookies and sweets from scratch during the pandemic. Now, she has turned that skill into a new business, The Cocoa Vegan Pastries → Credit: Sherema Fleming via Epicenter NYC