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Top Stories

Top news stories from the past 60 days. For more, see news by topic or news by state.

Jan 10, 2025 - Analyzes Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data to discuss alcohol habits by region and rurality. Notes the challenges with measuring alcohol habits in surveys relying on self-reported health measures.
Source: The Daily Yonder
Jan 6, 2025 - Describes challenges with access to hospice services for rural families based on recent research. Discusses recent hospice closures, caregiver burnout, quality of care, and communication preferences.
Source: Hospice News
Jan 3, 2025 - Describes how a temporary extension of telehealth rules impacts rural healthcare providers. Discusses quality of care concerns, benefits for rural residents, and broadband investments.
Source: Public News Service
Jan 3, 2025 - Describes the economic and workforce impacts of widespread childcare shortages and efforts by state lawmakers to support providers. Highlights legislative efforts to support growth in rural child care capacity, including a Nebraska grant program that supports the provision of child care services in nursing homes and assisted living facilities.
Source: Stateline
Dec 30, 2024 - Describes the findings of new research on hospital obstetric units published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Notes that, between 2010 and 2022, a greater proportion of rural hospitals lacked obstetric services compared to urban hospitals. Discusses the wide-ranging health implications for rural mothers and babies, and provides an overview of proposed federal legislation to address the issue.
Source: The Daily Yonder
Dec 24, 2024 - Profiles a mobile clinic offering maternal healthcare to women who struggle with access in rural Eastern Kentucky, noting the maternal health disparities in the area. Discusses the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) grant funding the program and sustainability plans.
Source: Kentucky Lantern
Dec 24, 2024 - Interviews the director of a new project offering a dashboard of Indigenous health research. Describes how the project involves tribal communities, can impact Indigenous health disparities, future plans, and more.
Source: Native News Online
Dec 22, 2024 - Features harm reduction efforts by the Choctaw Nation in rural Oklahoma, funded through an Indian Health Service Community Opioid Intervention Pilot Project grant. Describes the implementation of a multi-pronged approach including street-level naloxone distribution and training, expanded availability of medication-assisted treatment, and support for culturally-relevant recovery services.
Source: Native News Online
Dec 21, 2024 - Describes rising numbers of cardiovascular disease-related deaths among rural working-age adults. Explores a variety of factors contributing to rural-urban cardiovascular disparities, including elevated rates of opioid use and limited health care access in many rural communities. Discusses efforts by a research network to develop rural-specific solutions to increase access to cardiovascular care.
Source: NBC News
Dec 20, 2024 - Announces the release of a new U.S.-Mexico border region health framework created by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Global Affairs. Highlights features of the publication including health data assessment, identification of priority issues, and strategic recommendations for governmental and community-based stakeholders.
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Dec 19, 2024 - Reports on physician shortages in rural communities and efforts to reduce those shortages through practice incentives. Discusses remaining barriers including funding for rural residencies, the amount of time necessary to launch a rural residency, and patient density for specialists.
Source: Medscape Medical News
Dec 19, 2024 - Reports on trends in maternal health and mortality in Arizona and drivers of poor outcomes such as limited mental health training for providers, mental health workforce shortages, and stigma. Discusses rural-specific challenges in accessing care like transportation, labor and delivery service access, broadband, and low provider reimbursement rates for care.
Source: Tuscon Sentinel
Dec 17, 2024 - Announces a new round of funding for the Rural Health Care Services Outreach Program, a Health Resources and Services Administration program aiming to increase access to healthcare for rural communities. Describes how previous funding has been used in rural Pennsylvania.
Source: The Center Square
Related funding: Rural Health Care Services Outreach Program
Dec 17, 2024 - Describes a forensics training to teach healthcare professionals how to provide care to patients that have experienced sexual violence. Notes that rural communities with limited access to the state's sexual assault response team benefit from trained healthcare workers. Discusses the value in healthcare worker documentation of signs of abuse in patients.
Source: Alaska Public Media
Dec 15, 2024 - Explores the impacts of behavioral health provider shortages on rural communities in the northwest. Notes that immigrants may face additional challenges finding care due to language barriers and some providers not accepting Medicaid. Describes strategies to increase access to behavioral health providers, including telehealth, increased reimbursement for services, and workforce programs.
Source: Northwest News Network
Dec 13, 2024 - Announces a major update to the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) Mapping Broadband Health in America platform. Notes that the tool can be used to analyze data at the intersection of broadband connectivity and a range of public health challenges, now including maternal morbidity and mortality.
Source: Federal Communications Commission
Dec 13, 2024 - Highlights a free mobile clinic in rural Arizona making routine healthcare more accessible to farmworkers in the area. Discusses effective outreach methods including collaborations with the farm supervisors and using promotoras.
Source: Arizona Luminaria
Dec 12, 2024 - Highlights the occupational exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) for firefighters, efforts to adapt best practices and policies to reduce exposures, the associated costs with those efforts, and changing firefighter culture to account for health and safety. Profiles one rural Maine fire department, describing challenges for adapting with fewer resources and the impact on workforce.
Source: Maine Morning Star
Dec 10, 2024 - Reports on a new Nevada language-access law that exempts smaller counties and discusses the impacts on rural residents that speak a language other than English. Highlights the growing diversification of rural areas as well as the challenges with offering services and information in languages other than English for small jurisdictions with limited resources. Discusses the importance of language-access for topics related to public health and voting for health-related issues.
Source: KFF Health News, Daily Yonder
Dec 9, 2024 - Provides overview of resources available through the Rural Mental Health Resources Hub, created by Mental Health America (MHA). Describes resources including a free mental health screening, educational overviews, and information for communities looking to better serve residents with mental health conditions. Discusses rural disparities in access to mental health treatment and efforts by MHA's South Carolina chapter to expand access through a mobile mental health clinic program.
Source: The Daily Yonder
Dec 9, 2024 - Discusses anticipated challenges with receiving prescription medication for rural Missouri residents relying on the U.S. Postal Service due to planned changes to distribution routes and less frequent service. Notes there have been increases in mail-order prescriptions alongside a national trend in rural pharmacy closures.
Source: Missouri Independent
Dec 6, 2024 - Highlights a partnership between the American Heart Association (AHA) and the National Rural Health Association (NRHA) to address cardiovascular health to reduce rural health disparities. The Get With The Guidelines program focuses on quality improvement for rural hospitals, offering free clinical consultants, evidence-based education, access to AHA resources, and peer collaboration for up to 700 hospitals.
Source: National Rural Health Association
Dec 6, 2024 - Features a program led by the Oklahoma Breastfeeding Resource Center (OBRC) which works to expand access to breastfeeding education in rural communities. Notes the health benefits of breastfeeding and lower rates of breastfeeding initiation in some rural areas. Describes how OBRC offers training to rural providers on evidence-based best practices and helps hospitals achieve Baby-Friendly designation.
Source: National Rural Health Association
Dec 4, 2024 - Summarizes recent research finding that between 2010 and 2022 access to obstetric care has declined in both rural and urban hospitals, though closures for rural areas are felt more acutely. Notes the impact closures have on already high maternal mortality rates.
Source: University of Minnesota News and Events
Dec 3, 2024 - Highlights the 2025 class of Rural Health Fellows from the National Rural Health Association.
Source: National Rural Health Association
Dec 2, 2024 - Describes the findings of a 2024 report by County Health Rankings & Roadmaps on health disparities between urban and rural counties. Includes analysis and visualization of data on uneven health outcomes and regional disparities. Highlights the correlation between poor health outcomes in rural counties and lack of access to civic infrastructure, including libraries, high speed internet, and local news.
Source: The Daily Yonder
Dec 2, 2024 - Describes the findings of a recent report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on the use of nirsevimab to treat RSV among infants in rural Alaska. Notes that the drug helped to reduce the severity of illness among babies and young children in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta region, which has the highest rate of RSV-related infant hospitalization in the nation. Discusses how inadequate water and wastewater services and overcrowded housing in rural Alaska contribute to disease spread.
Source: Alaska Beacon
Nov 29, 2024 - Proclamation from the Executive Office of the President declaring November 21, 2024 National Rural Health Day. Summarizes investments and resources committed to rural health by the Biden Administration.
Source: Federal Register
Nov 29, 2024 - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is seeking nominations to the Veterans' Rural Health Advisory Committee. The committee advises the Secretary through the Under Secretary for Health on ways to improve and enhance access to VA health care services for Veterans residing in rural areas by reviewing current program activities and identifying barriers to accessing care and services. Nominations must be received by January 21, 2025.
Source: Federal Register
Nov 26, 2024 - Discusses a student-led peer support initiative to destigmatize mental health in a rural Nevada community. Highlights existing challenges in accessing mental healthcare due to workforce shortages as well as limited transportation.
Source: The Nevada Independent
Nov 25, 2024 - Describes the work of clinicians deployed to rural communities by the North Carolina Office of Emergency Medical Services (NCEMS) in the wake of Hurricane Helene. Discusses the challenges faced by providers staffing the temporary sites, including flooded roads and limited electricity. Notes the wide range of services that were offered at the sites, from wound care to replacing medications that were lost in the storm.
Source: North Carolina Health News
Nov 25, 2024 - Provides overview of data on bird flu spread in western states. Notes the possibility of numerous unreported cases among farmworkers due to a widespread lack of testing. Features varying perspectives on the testing of asymptomatic individuals and best practices for increasing testing among farmworkers.
Source: Idaho Capital Sun
Nov 22, 2024 - Announces nearly $52 million for 54 Health Resources & Services Administration-funded health centers for increasing access to primary care for people reentering the community after incarceration. Funding will address health needs including managing chronic conditions, reducing the risk of drug overdose, mental health and substance use disorder treatment, and infectious disease prevention, screening, diagnosing, and treatment.
Source: Health Resources & Services Administration
Nov 22, 2024 - Summarizes the Biden-Harris Administration's investments in rural healthcare. Details funding for workforce development, technical assistance to improve healthcare facilities' economic viability, and access to primary care, maternal, HIV, mental health, and substance use disorder services.
Source: Health Resources and Services Administration
Nov 21, 2024 - National Rural Health Day, a day to recognize the efforts of rural community members, healthcare providers, and other rural stakeholders, is being celebrated on November 21, 2024. Includes a collection of stories from around the country recognizing and celebrating National Rural Health Day.
Nov 21, 2024 - Notice of final rule from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) adopting proposed modifications to the definition of rural areas to integrate the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Economic Research Service (ERS) 2023 Road Ruggedness Scale (RRS). The updated definition of rural will include geographic areas that are either nonmetropolitan counties, outlying metropolitan counties with no population from an urban area of 50,000 or more people, census tracts with rural-urban commuting area (RUCA) codes 4-10 in metropolitan counties, census tracts of at least 400 square miles in an area with a population density of 35 or less per square mile with RUCA codes 2-3 in metropolitan counties, or census tracts with RRS 5 and RUCA codes 2-3 that are at least 20 square miles in metropolitan counties. Lists the number of tracts newly defined as rural in 10 states. Changes go into effect November 21, 2024 and apply to FORHP's Notice of Funding Opportunity for fiscal year 2025 and future years.
Source: Federal Register
Nov 21, 2024 - Announces proposed legislation to reauthorize the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program, which funds Critical Access Hospitals.
Source: Office of Congresswoman Terri Sewell
Nov 19, 2024 - Notice from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issuing a temporary rule to extend certain exceptions to existing DEA regulations implemented in March 2020 because of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (COVID-19 PHE). The full set of telemedicine flexibilities regarding the prescription of controlled medications that were in place during the COVID-19 PHE as outlined in the Second Temporary Rule will remain in place through December 31, 2025. This rule is effective January 1, 2025, through December 31, 2025.
Source: Federal Register
Nov 18, 2024 - Presents overview of the Rural Public Health Strategic Plan developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Office of Rural Health (ORH). Includes commentary from ORH leadership on how the plan will guide their future work. Notes that the main priorities outlined in the plan include community health partnerships, rural public health infrastructure, rural public health science, and rural public health preparedness and response.
Source: The Daily Yonder
Nov 18, 2024 - Interviews rural health researcher Carrie Henning-Smith on rural healthcare access, quality of life, rural health innovation, and her research focus.
Source: University of Minnesota News and Events
Nov 14, 2024 - Highlights an initiative to increase vaccination for influenza among Kansas farmworkers. Discusses the increased risk of co-infection with H5N1 bird flu and seasonal influenza as well as the strain seasonal illnesses can place on low-staffed rural hospitals.
Source: KCUR, NPR
Nov 13, 2024 - Provides overview of recent research on rural medical debt. Notes that rural residents are more likely than urban residents to have problems paying medical bills, and identifies gender and racial disparities within rural survey respondents. Discusses the potential impacts of medical debt on the viability of rural hospitals.
Source: The Daily Yonder
Nov 11, 2024 - Highlights research finding that cardiovascular disease deaths have increased for rural adults between 2010 and 2020. The study analyzed death certificate data for over 11 million people from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's WONDER database. Discusses the impact of COVID-19 on already existing cardiovascular health outcomes on rural and urban populations. Notes possible solutions for reducing the disparity.
Source: American Heart Association Newsroom
Nov 11, 2024 - Discusses the ongoing impact of Hurricane Helene for a rural North Carolina county that lost its only dental clinic for low-income patients in the storm. Discusses barriers to recruiting more dental workforce and efforts to maintain some services in a repurposed mobile van.
Source: North Carolina Health News
Nov 11, 2024 - Announces a new proposal from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to eliminate copayments for telehealth services and create a grant program to fund telehealth in non-VA facilities in rural and other underserved locations. The goal of the 2 initiatives is to reduce healthcare costs and increase access to care. Also discusses other VA efforts to expand access to healthcare.
Source: VA News

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