Christina Saint Louis

Christina Saint Louis was a correspondent for KFF Health News until September 2023.

@cnsaintlouis

Dental Therapists Help Patients in Need of Care Avoid the Brush-Off

Dental therapists are licensed providers who offer basic care traditionally provided by dentists, including fillings and simple tooth extractions. But opposition from interest groups and the profession’s relative newness mean more than two-thirds of states don’t yet have them.

The CDC Lacks a Rural Focus. Researchers Hope a Newly Funded Office Will Help.

Advocates for improving rural health pushed for the CDC to extend its rural health focus by creating an Office of Rural Health. They hope the agency will commit to rural health research and provide analyses that lead to good public health policies for rural communities.

Rural Seniors Benefit From Pandemic-Driven Remote Fitness Boom

When the pandemic began, senior service agencies hustled to rework health classes to include virtual options for older adults. Now that isolation has ended, virtual classes remain. For seniors in rural areas, those classes have broadened access to supervised physical activity.

The US Mental Health Hotline Network Is Expanding, but Rural Areas Still Face Care Shortages

On July 16, a three-digit number, 988, became the centerpiece of a nationwide effort to unify responses to Americans experiencing mental health crises. But many people, especially those in rural areas, will continue to find themselves far from help if they need more support than call operators can offer.

The Search for Scarce Formula Is Worse for Rural Families on WIC

Constraints imposed by the Special Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for Women, Infants, and Children, known as WIC, that prevent recipients from using benefits to buy formula across state lines weigh on families as the nationwide formula shortage drags on.

‘It’s Not a Haven’: With Limited Capacity for Abortion Care, Minnesota Clinics Brace for Influx

In Minnesota, where abortion rights are protected by the state’s constitution, legal doesn’t necessarily mean accessible. The state has just eight clinics that provide abortions, and both providers and advocates say resources available aren’t enough to meet demand as nearby states reduce abortion access.