Rural Health
News by Topic: Statistics and data
Oct 23, 2025 - Highlights a Critical Access Hospital (CAH) in rural Minnesota successfully offering labor and delivery services in spite of nationwide department closures. Describes the challenges with offering this service in rural communities and factors contributing to this CAH's success including participating in a network and cross-training staff. Includes a state map of maternity care deserts at the county level.
Source: MPR News
Oct 22, 2025 - Analyzes recent and projected population shift data to describe anticipated changes to Appalachian communities. Discusses the impact declining population would have on those communities and vital services in them such as hospitals, emergency services, schools, and more.
Source: The Daily Yonder
Oct 14, 2025 - Describes a trend toward using mobile health clinics in rural and other communities to increase access to healthcare. Discusses how mobile clinics can fill gaps in telehealth services, improve health outcomes, be used for community paramedicine programs, develop the healthcare workforce, and more. Notes the need for better data and more funding to continue research on the impact of mobile clinics.
Source: The Daily Yonder
Oct 10, 2025 - Discusses a tuberculosis (TB) outbreak in rural Alaska, describing both the public health response and disparate rates of TB for Alaska historically. Notes stigma related to TB treatment as a barrier to successfully increasing testing.
Source: Alaska Public Media
Sep 24, 2025 - Analyzes birth and death data in Georgia to highlight population distributions trends between 1994 and 2024 with comparisons between rural and urban areas. Discusses the impact of COVID on the data.
Source: The Daily Yonder
Sep 23, 2025 - Announces revisions to the State & Congressional District Profiles Dashboard to include metrics relevant for The Rural Transformation Fund including workforce shortage area designations, opioid overprescribing counties, and Medicaid coverage data. The Dashboard was created in partnership with the National Rural Health Association (NRHA) and National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health (NOSORH).
Source: Stroudwater Associates
Sep 19, 2025 - Notice of final rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) amending the Medicare Advantage (Part C) regulations to establish a requirement for Medicare Advantage (MA) provider directory data to be submitted to CMS for publication online. This rule finalizes proposals that require MA provider directory data to be updated within 30 days of the date an MA organization becomes aware of changes to that data and that MA organizations must annually attest that the MA provider directory information is accurate. These regulations are effective November 17, 2025, and are applicable January 1, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Sep 19, 2025 - Describes the shortage of nurses in North Carolina, particularly among licensed practical nurses (LPNs). Discusses factors driving shortages, a history of the shortage, and areas where progress has been made, particularly in training new LPNs. Looks at workforce projections for the coming decades. Discusses the impact on rural throughout.
Source: North Carolina Health News
Sep 18, 2025 - The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is seeking comments on a new information collection for a National Roadside Survey (NRS). NHTSA intends to use the data to conduct two studies related to alcohol and other drug prevalence among drivers and other road users. Comments are due by October 20, 2025.
Source: Federal Register