Rural Health
News by Topic: Health workforce
Apr 22, 2026 - The University of Washington's Regional Initiatives in Dental Education (RIDE) program doubled in size last year, after moving to the Gonzaga University campus and expanding Spokane-based training to the first two years of dental school. 78% of RIDE students practice in rural areas after graduation.
Source: The Spokesman-Review
Apr 21, 2026 - Announces the Healthcare Career Guidance Hub Initiative from the Community College System of New Hampshire. The program will build pathways into healthcare careers for high school students in addition to offering career guidance, apprenticeships, job placement, credentialing, and other educational support. The initiative is funded with Rural Health Transformation Program money.
Source: The Concord Insider
Apr 21, 2026 - Describes psychiatrist workforce shortages in West Virginia following a recent report that the state has the lowest supply in the nation. Discusses drivers of the shortage, including reimbursement rates and administrative process, fewer people entering the field, and behavioral health disparities in the state.
Source: West Virginia Watch
DOD: Extension of the TRICARE Childbirth and Breastfeeding Support Demonstration; Correction
Federal Register
Apr 17, 2026 - Notice from the Department of Defense (DOD) making corrections to the April 10, 2026, notice announcing the extension of the Childbirth and Breastfeeding Support Demonstration (CBSD) through December 31, 2031. This correction is effective April 17, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Apr 17, 2026 - Researchers from Harvard have found that millions of Americans face serious barriers to dental care, and the barriers are especially severe in rural areas. Rural patients face considerably longer travel times, especially for specialty dental care.
Source: The Harvard Gazette
Apr 16, 2026 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) making technical corrections to the April 14, 2026, proposed rule. Comments on the proposed rule are due by June 9, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Apr 15, 2026 - Alabama Governor Kay Ivey has signed several bills designed to improve availability and delivery of healthcare services in rural areas.
Source: Office of Governor Kay Ivey
Apr 14, 2026 - Notice of a proposed rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding changes to the hospital inpatient prospective payment system (IPPS) for operating and capital-related costs of acute care hospitals for fiscal year 2027. Contains details of proposed changes related to Medicare graduate medical education (GME) for teaching hospitals; payment policies and the annual payment rates for the Medicare prospective payment system (PPS) for inpatient hospital services provided by long-term care hospitals; and certain quality programs, among other things. Comments are due by April 10, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Apr 14, 2026 - Google.org and the Johnson & Johnson Foundation are investing $10 million into training rural healthcare workers to use AI-powered tools. The initiative is intended to automate scheduling, streamline patient documentation, and make clinic operations more efficient, in facilities that are struggling with workforce shortages and administrative overload.
Source: The Tech Buzz
Apr 14, 2026 - EMS crews in rural Hawkins County, Tennessee can now carry antibiotics in ambulances. This allows them to treat sepsis, one of the leading causes of hospitalization in Hawkins County, before reaching the emergency room.
Source: WPLN