GNUR 8001 - Rural Health and Health Care Systems

Rural America is the home for more than 20% of US citizens yet the rural health care system has failed to ensure the health and mental health of these citizens. The population of rural areas has more women, children, and older people than do urban areas and these residents are more likely to be poor. Rural residents tend to limit their use of health care because of lack of facilities and health professionals, confidentiality issues, travel distance to care, and long held rural values of individualism. The economic demise of many rural areas has put enormous strain on available health care settings. The vast majority of rural areas have been designated as medically underserved and declared health and mental health professional shortage areas. The health care infrastructure is aging and many hospitals and other facilities closed because of reimbursement policies that discriminate against rural Americans. Few professionals conduct research in rural areas and thus rural health policy remains largely uniformed. Prerequisite: Completion of at least one doctoral level methods course or Permission of Instructor. Open to non-nursing students.

Credits: 2 to 3