Closing the Rural Cancer Gap
Photo: Emily Westergard, Crossville, TN
Do you have a cancer story to share? Are you a patient, family member, caregiver, provider, or friend? We are soliciting stories of the rural cancer patient experience.
Rural Cancer is the nation’s first non-profit organization dedicated to being a platform for rural cancer care advocacy, research, and best practices.
Meet Ingrid
Ingrid Jacobson is our Research Fellow. She helps organize and guide the research agenda.
The daughter of a two-time pediatric rural cancer survivor, she brings research expertise and professional experience in rural health, infectious diseases, social determinants of health, and health policy and advocacy. She earned her BA in Biology at Concordia College (Moorhead, MN) in 2020, and her MPH in Epidemiology from the University of Minnesota in 2023. In addition to her work with the Rural Cancer Institute, she also works at the University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center (RHRC) on a wide range of rural health-related projects such as medical debt, aging in place, older adult mistreatment, and farmer mental health.
We were recently published in the May 2024 NEJM Catalyst making the case for The Rural Oncology Home
Rural Cancer Institute is proud to be a member of the Minnesota Cancer Alliance. The Minnesota Cancer Alliance is a broad partnership of organizations and leaders from across Minnesota. The mission of the organization is to reduce the burden of cancer for all people living in Minnesota by working together to promote the goals of Cancer Plan Minnesota.
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Why is it so hard to get doctors to stay in a small town?
In December 2023, we published a letter in Health Affairs, describing the importance of 340B in rural cancer care.
Photo: Andrew Armstrong, Fernley, Nevada
Make a donation.
Help support the research and advocacy work of Rural Cancer. RuralCancer.org is a non-profit but not tax-exempt organization. Our donation platform is Give Butter.
On the horizon…
Research & Quality Symposium, JPS Foundation, Fort Worth, May 21-22, 2024
American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting, Chicago, June 3, 2024
Rural Cancer Awareness Day, June 4, 2024
Dakota Conference on Rural and Public Health, Grand Forks, June 5, 2024
Mayo Clinic Transforming Community and Rural Healthcare, Rochester, October 21, 2024
American Public Health Association Annual Meeting, Minneapolis, October 27, 2024
Recent Activities…
National Rural Health Association Health Equity Conference, New Orleans, May 6, 2024
Rural Medical Training Collaborative Annual Meeting, Asheville, April 10, 2024
Minnesota Day At The Capitol, St Paul, March 23, 2024
“Zack's story began with a phone call confirming his melanoma diagnosis on his twenty-first birthday, June 4th, 2019. The diagnosis overturned his expectations and led to uncertainty about his future and a new reality of travel and cancer treatments. Living in southeast Kansas, Zack confronted the harsh reality that his treatment would require traversing over 1,000 miles to MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas.”
Photo: Brooke Gully, near Austin, Texas
What is the Rural Cancer Gap?
The rural cancer gap refers to the disparities and challenges faced by rural residents in accessing and receiving adequate cancer care compared to their urban counterparts. This gap encompasses limited access to healthcare services, a shortage of cancer care providers, transportation barriers, and financial issues.
Photo: Sahil Prakash, Paris, TX
The case for decentralizing cancer care
Rural residents often endure significant travel burdens to access necessary treatment, causing disruptions for both patients and their families. Decentralizing cancer care by bringing it closer to rural communities will not only alleviate the travel strain on patients but also bolster the capabilities of rural hospitals to provide essential healthcare services.
Photo: Emily Westergard, Gibson Station, TN
Why is 340B important for rural cancer care delivery?
The 340B program plays a crucial role in supporting rural cancer delivery by improving access to affordable medications, enhancing financial sustainability, expanding services, strengthening community healthcare infrastructure, and addressing disparities in cancer care access and outcomes.
Photo: Sahil Prakash, Faught, TX
The challenges to delivering oncology care to rural areas are diverse, and community-dependent, multiple strategies are needed to decrease nationwide rural disparities in cancer.
Levit LA, Byatt L, Lyss AP, et al. Closing the Rural Cancer Care Gap: Three Institutional Approaches. JCO Oncol Pract. 2020;16(7):422-430.