Rural Health
Research Gateway

Ashley Hernandez, MSPH

University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center

Phone: 254.366.4435
Email: herna806@umn.edu

University of Minnesota
2221 University Ave. SE #350
Minneapolis, MN 55414

Publications - (12)

2022

2021

2020

  • Racial and Ethnic Differences in Self-Rated Health Among Rural Residents
    Journal Article
    University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
    Date: 09/2020
    This study looks at racial and ethnic differences in self-rated health among rural residents as well as whether these differences can be explained by socio-demographic characteristics. Researchers used data from the 2011–2017 National Health Interview Survey to study differences in rural residents' self-rated health by race and ethnicity.
  • Supporting the Health and Wellbeing of Middle-Aged Adults Living Alone in Rural Counties
    University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
    Date: 06/2020
    This report shares insights from healthcare providers in 14 rural counties with the highest rates of middle-aged adults living alone in order to inform policy and practice in how best to support the health and well-being of this demographic.
  • Differences by Rurality in Satisfaction With Care Among Medicare Beneficiaries
    Journal Article
    University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
    Date: 05/2020
    There are stark differences between rural and urban areas in demographic characteristics, health status, and healthcare. Yet less is known about rural‐urban differences in Medicare beneficiaries' satisfaction with care. We seek to understand rural‐urban differences in satisfaction with care for Medicare beneficiaries.

2019

  • Access and Capacity to Care for Medicare Beneficiaries in Rural Health Clinics
    Policy Brief
    University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
    Date: 12/2019
    Access to timely, high-quality healthcare is essential for health, but rural areas face particular barriers to access, including for primary care. We present findings from an online survey of RHCs describing clinic characteristics related to healthcare access for rural Medicare beneficiaries.
  • Access to Specialty Care for Medicare Beneficiaries in Rural Communities
    Policy Brief
    University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
    Date: 12/2019
    Access to care is a challenge in many rural communities for both primary care services and specialty care services. We present findings from an online survey of Rural Health Clinics describing access issues for rural Medicare beneficiaries in seeking care from specialty care providers.
  • Rural Counties With Majority Black or Indigenous Populations Suffer the Highest Rates of Premature Death in the U.S.
    Journal Article
    University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
    Date: 12/2019
    Despite well-documented health disparities by rurality and race/ethnicity, research investigating racial/ethnic health differences among U.S. rural residents is limited. We used county-level data to measure and compare premature death rates in rural counties by each county's majority racial/ethnic group.
  • Rural-Urban Differences in Access to and Attitudes Toward Care for Medicare Beneficiaries
    Policy Brief
    University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
    Date: 12/2019
    Access to healthcare is important to health outcomes and well-being. Even among Medicare beneficiaries, access to care may differ by rural-urban location due to differences in the healthcare and socio-demographic landscape. We describe rural-urban differences in access to care for Medicare beneficiaries.
  • Differences in Preventive Care Among Rural Residents by Race and Ethnicity
    Policy Brief
    University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
    Date: 11/2019
    Disparities in preventive care by rural and urban location and by race and ethnicity are well documented in the literature, but less is known about whether there are differences in healthcare use among rural residents by race and ethnicity. We address this gap by examining differences in preventive care among rural residents by race and ethnicity.
  • Measuring Access to Care in National Surveys: Implications for Rural Health
    Policy Brief
    University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
    Date: 06/2019
    This brief presents data about how access to healthcare is measured, focusing on how this applies to rural populations.
  • Dying Too Soon: County-Level Disparities in Premature Death by Rurality, Race, and Ethnicity
    Policy Brief
    University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
    Date: 03/2019
    In this brief, we examined county-level differences in premature death (years of potential life lost before age 75 per 100,000 people) by county-level racial and ethnic composition, across rural and urban counties. We also calculated whether there were rural-urban disparities in mortality within counties with similar racial and ethnic compositions.