Skip to main content
Rural Health Information Hub
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
News by Topic: Access

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 on 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 19, 2024 - Notice from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announcing seven regional meetings for Office of Internet Connectivity and Growth (OICG) grantees between February and May 2025. Roundtables will provide technical assistance and oversight and conclude with a regional roundtable that enables the public to engage with grantees, local experts, and other stakeholders working to address digital inequities. Information on how to register will be posted on the BroadbandUSA website.
Source: Federal Register
Dec 18, 2024 - Describes a telehealth program for critically ill patients implemented in 2 hospitals in rural Mississippi. Notes that 53 of Mississippi's 82 counties are more than 40 minutes away from specialty care. Discusses challenges with implementation, the increase in revenue for the 2 facilities, and planned use of AI for patient care and financial analysis.
Source: SmartBrief
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 17, 2024 - Notice from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Veterans Health Administration (VHA) seeking comments on the revision of an information collection titled "Survey of Veteran Enrollees' Health and Use of Health Care." Information collected is used to gain insights into factors influencing healthcare choices, enrollees' perceived health status and need for assistance, available insurance, self-reported utilization of VA services versus other healthcare services, barriers to seeking care, ability and comfort level with accessing virtual care, and more. Comments are due by January 16, 2025.
Source: Federal Register
Dec 16, 2024 - Announces $78.3 million in awarded funding through the Powering Affordable Clean Energy (PACE) program for projects making renewable energy more accessible and affordable to rural residents. Notes the impact of affordable rural energy sources on community institutions such as hospitals.
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture
Dec 16, 2024 - Notice of final rule from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announcing the approval of an information collection related to the 2022 Second Report and Order and 2023 Report and Order. Changes to amendatory instruction 3, published in the February 15, 2023, final rule, and amendatory instruction 4, published in the January 16, 2024, final rule, are effective April 15, 2025.
Source: Federal Register
Dec 16, 2024 - Highlights the way telehealth can improve access to healthcare for rural residents, discussing access to specialty care, services for children, economic barriers, services for women, travel difficulties for working adults and older adults, and equity.
Source: Tech Times