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

Rural Health
News by Topic: Access

May 31, 2024 - Highlights a new federally-funded initiative designed to address dental workforce shortages in Maryland, affecting primarily low-income and rural areas. Outlines rural-related barriers to oral healthcare including lack of transportation to appointments.
Source: Maryland Matters
May 30, 2024 - Discusses efforts to address food insecurity in Tillamook County, Oregon. Notes disproportionately high rates of food insecurity among children, and explores rural-related barriers to food access.
Source: Public News Service
May 29, 2024 - Notice of proposed rule from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) proposing to require wireless carriers to implement one or more georouting solutions for calls to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline to ensure that calls are routed based on the geographic location for the origin of the call, rather than the area code and exchange associated with a wireless phone. The FCC also seeks comment on a variety of issues related to the implementation of a georouting solution for wireless calls, non-wireless calls, and text messages to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Comments are due by June 28, 2024. Reply comments are due by July 29, 2024.
Source: Federal Register
May 29, 2024 - Highlights new research which found lower mammography rates among women in rural Texas. Notes particularly low rates among Hispanic and Black women. Explores possible contributing factors including rural hospital closures and lack of health insurance.
Source: Medical Xpress
May 29, 2024 - Explores a variety of initiatives and policies working to improve cardiac health in rural Kentucky, including a hospital network working to improve access to cardiac care through telehealth and assistance with physician recruitment. Also highlights a program that allows hospitals to achieve various certifications based on the quality of heart-related care.
Source: American Heart Association
May 28, 2024 - Covers the launch of a harm reduction vending machine serving residents of Delaware County, Oklahoma. Discusses concerns from some local residents and efforts by providers to address misconceptions around addiction.
Source: Public Radio Tulsa
May 28, 2024 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Utilities Service (RUS) will hold virtual listening sessions to obtain feedback from stakeholders and other interested parties about the Distance Learning and Telemedicine (DLT) program. The purpose of the Distance Learning and Telemedicine (DLT) program grant program is to encourage and improve telemedicine services and distance learning services in rural areas through the use of telecommunications, computer networks, and related advanced technologies by students, teachers, medical professionals, and rural residents. Listening sessions will be held on June 11, 2024, and June 18, 2024, from 1:30 – 3:00 p.m. Eastern each day. Registration is required.
Source: Federal Register
Related funding: Distance Learning and Telemedicine Program Grants
May 28, 2024 - Highlights the role of volunteer drivers in assisting rural veterans with transportation to medical appointments. Outlines process for individuals to become volunteer drivers and notes current need for more volunteers in rural Montana.
Source: Public News Service
May 24, 2024 - Describes the launch of an HPV testing program and anticipated impacts on rural Alaskans. Highlights the relationship between HPV and cervical cancer, and high rates of cervical cancer among Alaska Native and American Indian women. Discusses how self-collecting for HPV tests can decrease barriers for rural populations.
Source: Alaska Public Media, PBS, NPR
May 24, 2024 - Discusses the needs of incarcerated people as they re-enter their North Carolina communities. Highlights initiatives to support reentry such as signing up for Medicaid, securing housing, employment, and more. New funding will establish Local Reentry Councils with a focus on rural areas. Discusses the lack of resources in rural communities as a challenge in offering support.
Source: North Carolina Health News