Rural Health

Independent pharmacies pinched by preferred provider networks

0 | Dec. 31, 2012 | Health Care Delivery, Insurance, Rural Health

The expansion of preferred provider networks among Medicare Part D plans has owners of smaller, independent pharmacies crying "foul." Some are worried the mom-and-pop pharmacies that have served rural Kansas communities for years may be forced to close. “They’re what’s going to drive independent pharmacies out of business,” said Charles Bankes, who owns Bankes Drug Store in Abilene.

Study: Rural cancer survivors at risk for poor outcomes

0 | Nov. 27, 2012 | Rural Health

Cancer survivors who live in rural areas are more likely to say they are in poor health than those who live in urban areas, according to a study in the journal "Cancer." They are also more likely to have other health disorders, more psychological distress, and be unemployed due to health reasons than city dwellers.

Rural Kansas towns cope with aging hospital facilities

0 | Nov. 26, 2012 | Hospitals, Rural Health

Many rural hospitals in the state are dealing with aged facilities because they were built with Hill-Burton Act funds in the 1940s and '50s. The 1946 act provided grants and guaranteed loans to improve the national hospital system, including for two facilities in south central Kansas.

Rural hospitals bracing for change on multiple fronts

0 | Nov. 19, 2012 | Hospitals, KanCare, Rural Health

In small towns across Kansas, hospital administrators are paying close attention to federal deficit-reduction talks that could lead to a 2 percent cut in Medicare spending, starting Jan. 1. A cut in Medicare reimbursement would force some hospitals to ask for help from county governments in offsetting the loss of federal support.

VA poised to expand telemedicine for Kansas vets

0 | Nov. 13, 2012 | KU Medical Center, Health Care Delivery, Rural Health

After a successful, two-year pilot project, Veterans Administration officials today said their telemedicine partnership with the University of Kansas Medical Center is poised to expand across the state with the goal of putting mental health services within easier reach of Kansas veterans. They said the program, the first of its kind, could serve as a national model, if all goes as expected.