Recorded presentation

J. Scott Christman, California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development, 818 K Street, Room 300, Sacramento, CA 95814, 916-323-1414, schristm@oshpd.state.ca.us and Kathleen Maestas, California Rural Health Policy Council, 1600 9th Street, Room 400, Sacramento, CA 95814.

The Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP) within the United States Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has adopted geographic units called Rural Urban Commuting Areas (RUCAs). These are used as the basic unit for determining whether a specific area is eligible to apply for ORHP funds allocated for “rural” areas.

Other agencies within HRSA use geographic units other than RUCAs to determine a community’s eligibility for HRSA funds. Two categories of such units – medically underserved areas (MUAs) and health professional shortage areas (HPSAs) – are the basis for most of the HRSA programs that require designation of a geographic area as a condition of funding eligibility.

The concept of rural is complex, multi-faceted, multidimensional, and its definitions are tied to specific views and tasks. California’s 58 counties vary in size, population and geographic diversity. States and regions of our country also vary greatly. A flexible approach to rural and urban identification and methodologies is therefore essential. For California, its Medical Service Study Areas (MSSA) methodology accurately reflects itself as a “rural state” and continues to be an effective agent of public policy for California in terms of addressing its medical access and healthcare issues.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant will be able to

• Articulate three distinct differences between the Rural Urban Commuting Area (RUCA) and Medical Service Study Area (MSSA) methodologies.
• Describe the change in rural/urban idenification for California via Geographic Information Systems (GIS) mapping.
• Discuss implications for other states on the use of RUCA and MSSA methodologies.
• Identify two recommendations/solutions arising from the discussion of implications.

Keywords: Rural Communities, Federal Policy

Related Web page: www.ruralhealth.ca.gov/pdf/RUCA%20Overview.pdf

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

Recorded presentation