Rural Dispatch: May 30, 2023

A Catch-22 for Clinics: State Bans Limit Abortion Counseling. Federal Title X Rules Require It.
By Rachana Pradhan Family planning clinics are getting caught between state abortion bans and a federal requirement to refer patients for abortion care on request.

California Hospitals Seek a Broad Bailout, but They Don’t All Need It
By Samantha Young and Angela Hart As hospitals squeeze Democratic leaders in Sacramento for more money, health care finance experts and former state officials warn against falling for the industry’s fear tactics. They point to healthy profits and a recession-era financing scheme that allows rich hospitals to take tax money from poorer ones.

Domestic Violence Shelters Move Out of Hiding
By Katheryn Houghton A new domestic violence shelter in Bozeman, Montana, reflects efforts nationwide to rethink the model that keeps survivors of abuse in hiding. But there are no guidelines for bringing shelters out into the open, leaving each to make it up as they go.

As Water Levels Drop, the Risk of Arsenic Rises
By Melissa Bailey As the West grapples with a megadrought, its driest spell in at least 1,200 years, rising levels of arsenic — a known carcinogen — in Colorado’s San Luis Valley offer clues to what the future may hold.

Small, Rural Communities Have Become Abortion Access Battlegrounds
By Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez After local leaders in rural Nevada reached an impasse over a proposed Planned Parenthood clinic, an anti-abortion activist pitching local abortion bans across the U.S. arrived at their remote City Hall.

A Striking Gap Between Deaths of Black and White Babies Plagues the South
By Lauren Sausser Infant mortality rates across the South are by far the worst in the U.S. A look at South Carolina — where multimillion-dollar programs aimed at improving rates over the past 10 years have failed to move the needle — drives home the challenge of finding solutions, especially in rural communities.

Thousands Face Medicaid Whiplash in South Dakota and North Carolina
By Arielle Zionts Thousands of South Dakotans are being knocked off Medicaid, only to be eligible to requalify several months later. Even more enrollees are likely to experience a temporary loss of coverage in North Carolina.

A Rural County’s Choice: Use Opioid Funds to Pay Off Debt, or Pay Them Forward to Curb Crisis
By Aneri Pattani Greene County, Tennessee, so far has received more than $2.7 million from regional and national settlements with opioid manufacturers and distributors. But most of the money is not going to help people and families harmed by addiction.

New Mexico Program to Reduce Maternity Care Deserts in Rural Areas Fights for Survival
By Sarah Jane Tribble A federally funded program in remote New Mexico has helped hundreds of pregnant mothers stay healthy, but it’s running out of time and money despite a growing national maternity care crisis. The four-year, nearly $3 million grant has provided telehealth, coordinated care, and social services to mothers in need.

Students in Rural Colorado Are Left Without Options as Specialized Schools Close
By Rae Ellen Bichell and Helen Santoro A new state law aims to keep the doors open at schools that accept students with intensive needs. One preteen in rural Colorado shows how the current system leaves some students bouncing between institutions far from home.

In Idaho, Taking a Minor Out of State for an Abortion Is Now a Crime: ‘Abortion Trafficking’
By Sarah Varney Under the nation’s first law of its kind, teens must have parental consent to travel for medical care, including in cases of sexual assault or rape. Any adult, including an aunt, grandparent, or sibling, convicted of violating the criminal statute faces up to five years in prison — and could be sued for financial damages.

On the Night Shift With a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner
By Katheryn Houghton Montana and other states are trying to increase the number of nurses specially trained to treat survivors of sexual assault.

Montana Passes Significant Health Policy Changes in Controversial Session
By Keely Larson The recently ended legislative session was marked by Medicaid reimbursement hikes, abortion restrictions, anti-LGBTQ+ statutes, behavioral health spending, and workforce and insurance measures.

After Idaho’s Strict Abortion Ban, OB-GYNs Stage a Quick Exodus
By Sarah Varney At least two Idaho hospitals are ending labor and delivery services, with one citing the state’s “legal and political climate” and noting that “recruiting replacements will be extraordinarily difficult” as doctors leave.

Community Paramedics Don’t Wait for an Emergency to Visit Rural Patients at Home
By Arielle Zionts Community paramedicine is expanding nationwide, including in rural areas, as health care providers, insurers, and state governments recognize its potential to improve health and save money.

Millions Are Stuck in Dental Deserts, With No Access to Oral Health Care
By Lauren Peace, Tampa Bay Times Vulnerable and marginalized communities are getting left behind in dental deserts, where patient volume exceeds provider capacity or too few dentists are willing to serve the uninsured or those on Medicaid.