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Rural Health Information Hub
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
News by Topic: Community and economic development

May 15, 2026 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBCS) is accepting applications for grants under the Rural Business Development Grant Program for fiscal year 2026. Program guidance and application forms are available on USDA's website.
Source: Federal Register
May 13, 2026 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Rural Utilities Service (RUS) announces the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the Community Connect Grant Program for fiscal year 2026. The Community Connect Grant Program provides financial assistance to eligible applicants who will provide service at or above the broadband grant speed to all premises in rural, economically challenged communities where broadband service does not exist. Program guidance and application forms are available on USDA's website.
Source: Federal Register
Related funding: Community Connect Broadband Grant Program
May 8, 2026 - A recent episode of the Iowa Economy Podcast features 3 healthcare and public health experts, who discuss how statewide health challenges are affecting Iowa's economy. They point out that these issues have implications for employers, workforce stability, and long-term economic growth.
Source: Business Record
May 4, 2026 - U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Illinois State Director Jesus Ortega marked the 100th anniversary of the Route 66 designation by highlighting several Rural Development investments along the highway. Almost $11 million has been invested in recent projects to benefit people in rural Illinois and beyond.
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture
Apr 29, 2026 - Describes the implementation of the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program in Choctaw Nation and Osage Nation. Discusses the opportunities that become available to communities once reliable broadband is available.
Source: KOSU, NPR
Apr 16, 2026 - A study from Pennsylvania State University examines how the loss of everyday locations such as grocery stores, pharmacies, primary care clinics, schools, and churches may affect health. The authors focus on a rural township in Pennsylvania and argue that such places act as health infrastructure, particularly in rural areas.
Source: Population Reference Bureau
Apr 15, 2026 - Between 2020 and 2025 the country's rural counties experienced a total loss of about 460,000 people. In most cases the primary driver of decrease was deaths outnumbering births, rather than outmigration.
Source: The Daily Yonder
Apr 7, 2026 - The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is accepting applications for the fiscal year (FY) 2026 Passenger Ferry Program, Electric or Low-Emitting Ferry Pilot Program, and Ferry Service for Rural Communities Program. Applications are due by May 11, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Related funding: Ferry Service for Rural Communities Program
Apr 6, 2026 - A North Carolina hospital that closed in 2023 may be reopened as the state's first Rural Emergency Hospital. Discusses funding and the impact on local economies when facilities close.
Source: North Carolina Health News
Apr 6, 2026 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBS) is accepting applications for the Delta Health Care Services (DHCS) grant program for fiscal year 2026. The purpose of the program is to address the unmet healthcare needs in the Delta Region through cooperation among healthcare professionals, institutions of higher education, research institutions, and economic development entities in the region.
Source: Federal Register
Related funding: Delta Health Care Services Grant Program