The rising number of uninsured children in California underscores the need to redouble efforts to enroll all eligible children in the Healthy Families Program (California's State Children's Health Insurance Program), or in Medi-Cal (California's Medicaid program). This report describes the research and fieldwork conducted by Consumers Union's…

A culturally appropriate oral health training course tailored to the needs of rural Aboriginal health workers was developed in Western Australia. The course is taught in three modules ranging from introductory material to comprehensive practical and theoretical knowledge of basic dental health care. The program encourages Aboriginal health workers…

Approximately 10% of children and adolescents have mental health problems necessitating intervention, but well below 50% of these children receive needed services, and far fewer receive the quality of care required to effectively reduce their impairments. Although system reform is needed to improve service utilization and quality of care for all…

School nurses often have the responsibility to ensure that students meet all immunization requirements for school entry and school attendance. In large inner-city school districts, many obstacles exist which make this task daunting and often result in lengthy absences and exclusions for students. It is critical that school nurses find creative and…

This paper explores the broad definition of health in the rural context and relates it to policy, practice, and pedagogical challenges in providing access to services in rural areas. Historically, policy, practice, and teaching institutions have supported a dependency model for health service delivery, forcing rural communities to rely on…

This document summarizes a report on the health status of minority groups in Michigan. Mortality rates and health problems are analyzed for the following groups: (1) Blacks; (2) Hispanics: (3) Arab Americans; (4) Asian and Pacific Islanders; and (5) Native Americans. The following problem areas are discussed: (1) nutrition and hunger; (2)…

Literature review addresses the status of farm families; farm stresses and their effects; dysfunctional family relationships; and the unique attitudes, behaviors, and perceptions of rural culture toward social service intervention. By implementing coordinated service programs and initiating new legislation that addresses rural health care issues,…

The Wellness Mobile transports medical supplies, equipment, informational materials, and staff to rural Saskatchewan communities to assist them in developing wellness programs that stress disease prevention. Staff from the Wellness Mobile offer health-risk screening and appraisal to community members and work with local practitioners and schools…

Some history on health-care decision making is reviewed. The current "individualist" model in the United States is contrasted with "collectivist" models of Asian and Pacific Islander cultures. Decision making styles are discussed in relationship to Western medicine. Six groups' cultural norms are presented. Conflicts with U.S.…

Current efforts to address the severe and worsening shortage of rural physicians include attracting and preparing rural students for medical school, enhancing medical school curricula, and placing and retaining rural physicians. Recommendations include creating incentives for successful rural training programs, encouraging innovation in rural…

This article has two primary objectives. The first objective is to assess the manner in which public subsidies for health and education are distributed among people of different socioeconomic standing in the Indian state of Karnataka. The second purpose is to highlight the policy lessons that follow from it. In undertaking these tasks, the author…

A program of research related to school-based models for urban children's mental health is described, with a particular focus on improving access to services, promoting children's functioning, and providing for program sustainability. The first study in this series responded to the urgent need to engage more families in mental health services, and…

The present study documented and evaluated steps taken by public mental health administrators to recruit members of underrepresented ethnic minority populations into treatment. By surveying county-level ethnic program specialists in the decentralized California state system, the study identified strategies considered effective for reaching African…

This bibliography contains 323 entries related to the provision of health care services in rural areas. The entries were derived form the AGRICOLA database produced by the National Agricultural Library and include journal articles, government reports, conference papers, Congressional hearings, and books. Entries cover such topics as community…

The wide and growing discrepancy in mortality rates between the minority populations of Blacks, Hispanics, Arab Americans, Asian/Pacific Islanders, and Native Americans and the White population of the State of Michigan make improving minority health status a matter of simple justice. Section I, "Introduction and Overview," comprises…