Rural Health
News by Topic: Health workforce
Dec 29, 2025 - Reports on the stress placed on emergency medical services (EMS) due to labor and delivery unit shortages in Arkansas. Discusses the impact on recruiting and retaining EMS workforce, limited labor and delivery training, and long travel times for adequate care.
Source: Arkansas Advocate
Dec 29, 2025 - Announces the distribution of $50 billion of funding for the Rural Health Transformation Program. Highlights goals of the funding including making rural healthcare more accessible, strengthening the rural healthcare workforce, modernizing rural health infrastructure and technology, streamlining workflows, and testing innovative payment models.
Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Dec 29, 2025 - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced the establishment of the Office of Rural Health Transformation (RHT). The office will oversee the RHT Program, an initiative to strengthen rural health systems and expand access to care nationwide.
Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Dec 26, 2025 - Describes the patient increase hospitals see around December holidays and how rural hospitals respond. Discusses staffing challenges and limited access to specialty care.
Source: KFYR
A Group of Community Members Are Hoping to Start a New Medical School in Shasta. Here's What We Know
Dec 23, 2025 - Describes a community driven effort to establish a medical school in a rural California county to improve healthcare access and recruit the physician workforce to the area. Discusses the role residencies play in retaining the physician workforce, the goals of the committee driving the movement, and the resources required to open a medical school.
Source: Shasta Scout
Dec 23, 2025 - Profiles the Chair of Surgery at the University of South Dakota's Sanford School of Medicine. Describes his early education and work history as well as the need for and creation of a rural general surgery program.
Source: American College of Surgeons
Dec 22, 2025 - Notice from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)is allowing an additional 30 days for comments on an information collection related to the Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery (STAR) Loan Repayment Program (LRP) and the Pediatric Specialty LRP. The information collected is used to assess an applicant's eligibility and qualifications for the STAR and Pediatric Specialty LRPs. Summarizes a comment already received. Comments are due by January 21, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Dec 17, 2025 - The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is seeking comments on an information collection titled "Shortage Designation Management System OMB No. 0906-0029-Extension." The Shortage Designation Management System (SDMS) is used to accept applications for determining Health Professional Shortage Areas and Medically Underserved Area/Medically Underserved Population (MUA/P) designations. Comments are due January 16, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Dec 17, 2025 - Summarizes recent research finding gaps in access to sexual assault nurse examiners (SANEs) for rural residents due to training barriers for rural nurses. Offers interview with study author discussing those barriers, telementoring as a solution, and future research needs.
Source: Maverick News
CMS: Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request
Federal Register
Dec 16, 2025 - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is seeking comments on an information collection titled "Medicare Enrollment Application for Physician and Non-Physician Practitioners." The Form CMS-855I is the enrollment application submitted by physicians and non-physician practitioners to ensure the applicant has the necessary credentials to provide the healthcare services for which they intend to bill Medicare. Comments are due by February 17, 2026.
Source: Federal Register