- Rural America Faces Growing Shortage of Eye Surgeons
- NRHA Continues Partnership to Advance Rural Oral Health
- Comments Requested on Mobile Crisis Team Services: An Implementation Toolkit Draft
- Q&A: What Are the Challenges and Opportunities of Small-Town Philanthropy?
- HRSA Administrator Carole Johnson, Joined by Co-Chair of the Congressional Black Maternal Health Caucus Congresswoman Lauren Underwood, Announces New Funding, Policy Action, and Report to Mark Landmark Year of HRSA's Enhancing Maternal Health Initiative
- Biden-Harris Administration Announces $60 Million Investment for Adding Early Morning, Night, and Weekend Hours at Community Health Centers
- Volunteer Opportunity for HUD's Office of Housing Counseling Tribe and TDHE Certification Exam
- Who Needs Dry January More: Rural or Urban Drinkers?
- Rural Families Have 'Critical' Need for More Hospice, Respite Care
- States Help Child Care Centers Expand in Bid To Create More Slots, Lower Prices
- Rural Telehealth Sees More Policy Wins, but Only Short-Term
- Healing a Dark Past: The Long Road To Reopening Hospitals in the Rural South
- Study: Obstetrics Units in Rural Communities Declining
- Q&A: Angela Gonzales (Hopi), on New Indigenous Health Research Dashboard
- Not All Expectant Moms Can Reach a Doctor's Office. This Kentucky Clinic Travels to Them.
National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services Meeting Summary, Washington, D.C., September 9-12, 2019
This resource summarizes the 86th meeting of the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services (NACRHHS), which was held in Washington, D.C. It presents an overview of national perspectives on several topics, including issues impacting rural children, youth, and families; the priorities of federal agencies regarding rural health; the implications of federal policy changes on rural providers; and challenges and opportunities affecting older rural Americans. It features perspectives from national stakeholder groups. Read more here.
How to Better Support Small Physician-led Accountable Care Organizations: Recent Program Updates, Challenges, and Policy Implications
This resource describes the strategies of successful small physician-led Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs). It discusses how policy changes contribute to the opportunities and challenges for these ACOs. It also explores how “ACO Enablers” aid small ACOs in participating in risk-bearing models. It includes a brief discussion of how the ACO Investment Model program supported ACOs in rural and underserved areas with access to capital. Read more here.
Head Start Program Transportation in Rural Areas
This resource discusses the role of transportation in Head Start programs and provides planning and implementation information. It includes information on funding and training, and provides several case studies of Head Start programs that provide transportation. Find more information here.
An Emerging Model for Community Health Worker-Based Chronic Care Management for Patients With High Health Care Costs in Rural Appalachia
This article describes a community health worker-based chronic care management model (CHW-Based CCM) conducted in rural counties within 3 central Appalachian states. It demonstrates how to engage health insurance companies to support and sustain the CHW-Based CCM model. Read more here.
Cancer Surveillance and Access to Care in Rural America
This Webinar Recording discusses a study on access to cancer care in rural areas nationally and in South Carolina. It analyzes travel distance to receive care for colorectal and cervical cancer care across the country and compares it to data on access to colorectal cancer care in South Carolina. Find more information here.
Additional links: Presentation Slides, Webinar Transcript
American Heart Association Issues Call to Action for Addressing Inequities in Rural Health
The American Heart Association published a Presidential Advisory on addressing social determinants of health and improving healthcare quality and outcomes in rural America. It summarizes the existing disparities in rural communities and proposes solutions that prioritize rural health policy, research, and innovation. Read more here.
In Rural Hospitals, Telemedicine May Promote Faster, Noninvasive Stroke Treatments
This article features West Virginia University’s telestroke program that connects rural hospitals with neurologists at WVU to assist in diagnosing and treating stroke cases. Researchers analyzed data from participating hospitals and found that the use of noninvasive stroke treatments increased since the program’s implementation. Read more here.
Study: Longer Ambulance Drives as Hospitals Close in Rural Communities
This article summarizes a study that identified an increase in EMS transport times when a local hospital closes. Rural residents already face longer wait times than urban residents, and as more rural hospitals close, wait times become more dangerous for patients. Read more here.
CMS: Non-Emergent, Elective Medical Services and Treatment Recommendations
CMS recently updated recommendations to postpone non-essential surgeries and other procedures to conserve critical healthcare resources and limit exposure of patients and staff to COVID-19. Developed in collaboration with medical societies and associations, the recommendations outline a tiered approach for state and local officials, clinicians, and delivery systems to consider to prioritize services and care to those who require emergent or urgent attention to save a life, manage severe disease, or avoid further harms from an underlying condition.
CMS: Dear Clinician Letter
CMS posted a letter to clinicians that outlines a summary of actions CMS has taken to ensure clinicians have maximum flexibility to reduce unnecessary barriers to providing patient care during the unprecedented outbreak of COVID-19. The summary includes information about telehealth and virtual visits, accelerated and advanced payments, and recent waiver information.