Roadblocks to Rural Health: State Transportation Policies' Impact on Health Care Access in Virginia's Rural Communities: 2021-2022.

Tossas, Katherine Y; Owens, Bianca D; O'Grady, Michael; Zhao, Jinlei; Winn, Robert A · Am J Public Health · 2026

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Abstract

Individual and community-level transportation barriers are known drivers of health disparities, especially in rural areas. In a 2021-2022 community-based project to improve cancer screening at federally qualified health centers in Virginia, Department of Transportation policy governing road signage emerged as an unexpected but actionable barrier. Following successful advocacy for road signs directing patients to a rural federally qualified health center, screening rates increased. This highlights the need to recognize unexpected access barriers and engage nontraditional partners, such as transportation agencies, to reduce regulatory-level barriers. (<i>Am J Public Health</i>. 2026;116(2):175-179. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2025.308285).

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