Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Healthcare needs and services
Practical Data Skills for Rural Public Health
Training module that provides core knowledge on data assessment for rural public health practice and decision-making. Focuses on building practical skills to collect, organize, analyze, interpret, and communicate data. Includes real-world examples and strategies to review and apply data skills to everyday rural public health work. Continuing education credits for this course are available through August 28, 2029, via CDC TRAIN.
Additional links: CDC TRAIN
Date: 08/2026
Sponsoring organization: NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
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Training module that provides core knowledge on data assessment for rural public health practice and decision-making. Focuses on building practical skills to collect, organize, analyze, interpret, and communicate data. Includes real-world examples and strategies to review and apply data skills to everyday rural public health work. Continuing education credits for this course are available through August 28, 2029, via CDC TRAIN.
Additional links: CDC TRAIN
Date: 08/2026
Sponsoring organization: NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
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Monitoring the Workforce Outcomes of North Carolina Medical School Graduates: Retention In-State and in High Need Geographic Areas and Specialties
Summarizes workforce outcomes for physicians who graduate from North Carolina medical schools, including whether they practice in North Carolina, in rural areas, in high-need specialties, and in North Carolina safety net settings 5 years after graduation. Features statistics on 2020 North Carolina medical school graduates, with breakdowns by practice specialty and rural location.
Author(s): Evan Galloway, Erin Fraher, Nathan Tarr, Hugh H. Tilson Jr.
Date: 08/2026
Sponsoring organizations: North Carolina Area Health Education Center Program, The Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research
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Summarizes workforce outcomes for physicians who graduate from North Carolina medical schools, including whether they practice in North Carolina, in rural areas, in high-need specialties, and in North Carolina safety net settings 5 years after graduation. Features statistics on 2020 North Carolina medical school graduates, with breakdowns by practice specialty and rural location.
Author(s): Evan Galloway, Erin Fraher, Nathan Tarr, Hugh H. Tilson Jr.
Date: 08/2026
Sponsoring organizations: North Carolina Area Health Education Center Program, The Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research
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Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program AIDS Education and Training Center (AETC) Program: Annual Data Report, 2024
Reports on the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program's AIDS Education and Training Center (AETC) Program, which focuses on increasing the size and skills of the HIV clinical workforce, improving HIV care outcomes, and decreasing HIV transmission. Provides AETC Program data for the years 2019-2024 on participants' rural/suburban/urban employment settings and training events focused on rural populations.
Date: 08/2026
Sponsoring organization: HRSA HIV/AIDS Bureau
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Reports on the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program's AIDS Education and Training Center (AETC) Program, which focuses on increasing the size and skills of the HIV clinical workforce, improving HIV care outcomes, and decreasing HIV transmission. Provides AETC Program data for the years 2019-2024 on participants' rural/suburban/urban employment settings and training events focused on rural populations.
Date: 08/2026
Sponsoring organization: HRSA HIV/AIDS Bureau
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Practical Approaches to Rural Public Health Policy
Training module that provides core knowledge about how the public health policy process functions, building support among decision-makers, and how contextual factors impact public health policy for rural public health practice. Focuses on building knowledge around a six-step policy process to identify an issue, identify options, strategize and build support, finalize and adopt the policy, implement the policy, and review and adjust the policy based on lessons learned. Includes real-world local public health policy examples. Continuing education credits for this course are available through August 28, 2029, via CDC TRAIN.
Additional links: CDC TRAIN
Date: 08/2026
Sponsoring organization: NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
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Training module that provides core knowledge about how the public health policy process functions, building support among decision-makers, and how contextual factors impact public health policy for rural public health practice. Focuses on building knowledge around a six-step policy process to identify an issue, identify options, strategize and build support, finalize and adopt the policy, implement the policy, and review and adjust the policy based on lessons learned. Includes real-world local public health policy examples. Continuing education credits for this course are available through August 28, 2029, via CDC TRAIN.
Additional links: CDC TRAIN
Date: 08/2026
Sponsoring organization: NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
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Examining Teacher Supply, Demand, and Shortages in Pennsylvania
Explores teacher shortages, supply, and demand in Pennsylvania rural and urban school districts from 2014-2025. Notes how rising student mental health needs are contributing to demand for teachers. Features statistics on vacancies from 2023-2025, with breakdowns by urban and rural areas.
Author(s): Edward J. Fuller
Date: 08/2026
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
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Explores teacher shortages, supply, and demand in Pennsylvania rural and urban school districts from 2014-2025. Notes how rising student mental health needs are contributing to demand for teachers. Features statistics on vacancies from 2023-2025, with breakdowns by urban and rural areas.
Author(s): Edward J. Fuller
Date: 08/2026
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
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Substance Use in Nonmetropolitan Counties
Spotlight highlights selected substance use in nonmetropolitan counties by urbanization. Breaks down rates of alcohol use, marijuana use, and illicit drug use, among others, by urbanized, less urbanized, and rural nonmetro areas.
Citation: NSDUH Data Spotlight, 3(4)
Date: 08/2026
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Spotlight highlights selected substance use in nonmetropolitan counties by urbanization. Breaks down rates of alcohol use, marijuana use, and illicit drug use, among others, by urbanized, less urbanized, and rural nonmetro areas.
Citation: NSDUH Data Spotlight, 3(4)
Date: 08/2026
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Top Provider Enrollment Mistakes in Rural Primary Care & Behavioral Health - and How to Fix Them
Recording of an August 31, 2026, webinar describing common Medicare provider enrollment mistakes that can result in application denials, credentialing delays, disrupted cash flows, and more. Identifies practical strategies to prevent or address these errors.
Additional links: Presentation Slides
Date: 08/2026
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Rural Health Clinics
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Recording of an August 31, 2026, webinar describing common Medicare provider enrollment mistakes that can result in application denials, credentialing delays, disrupted cash flows, and more. Identifies practical strategies to prevent or address these errors.
Additional links: Presentation Slides
Date: 08/2026
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Rural Health Clinics
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State RHTP & Telehealth Database
Excel spreadsheet detailing the telehealth-related initiatives included in each state's Rural Health Transformation Program project narrative. Allows users to filter by telehealth modality, healthcare issue addressed, proposed use of AI, and more.
Date: 08/2026
Sponsoring organization: Center for Connected Health Policy: The National Telehealth Policy Resource Center
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Excel spreadsheet detailing the telehealth-related initiatives included in each state's Rural Health Transformation Program project narrative. Allows users to filter by telehealth modality, healthcare issue addressed, proposed use of AI, and more.
Date: 08/2026
Sponsoring organization: Center for Connected Health Policy: The National Telehealth Policy Resource Center
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Rural and Urban Availability of Substance Use Treatment Facilities
Discusses the national availability of and regional variance in substance use disorder treatment facilities for rural and urban residents. Highlights the number of facilities per 100,000 population by rural status and county, as well as the number of facilities offering medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) services.
Author(s): Aaron P. Smith, Tyrone F. Borders
Date: 08/2026
Sponsoring organization: Rural and Underserved Health Research Center
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Discusses the national availability of and regional variance in substance use disorder treatment facilities for rural and urban residents. Highlights the number of facilities per 100,000 population by rural status and county, as well as the number of facilities offering medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) services.
Author(s): Aaron P. Smith, Tyrone F. Borders
Date: 08/2026
Sponsoring organization: Rural and Underserved Health Research Center
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Workplace Indicators and Well-Being among Oral Health Professionals in HRSA-Funded Health Centres
Discusses survey results on the associations between 16 drivers of well-being in the workplace and job satisfaction, burnout, engagement, and retention for 2,671 dental assistants, dental hygienists, and dentists. Highlights specific drivers by provider type and includes a rural and urban comparison of the study population. Notes findings related to dentists in rural facilities.
Author(s): Jinman Pang, Simona Surdu, Sage Shirey, Jean Moore
Citation: Health Affairs Scholar, 4(8)
Date: 08/2026
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Discusses survey results on the associations between 16 drivers of well-being in the workplace and job satisfaction, burnout, engagement, and retention for 2,671 dental assistants, dental hygienists, and dentists. Highlights specific drivers by provider type and includes a rural and urban comparison of the study population. Notes findings related to dentists in rural facilities.
Author(s): Jinman Pang, Simona Surdu, Sage Shirey, Jean Moore
Citation: Health Affairs Scholar, 4(8)
Date: 08/2026
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