Rural Health
News by Topic: Access
Mar 10, 2026 - Highlights a pilot program in a rural Missouri community offering a coordinated response to health and social needs for Medicaid patients. The program allows hospitals and other organizations to refer patients to service providers and track whether their needs are getting addressed. Describes how the program was started, the federal waiver that allows the program to run, and the technology used for it. Discusses sustainability challenges common for rural service providers.
Source: The Beacon: Missouri
Mar 10, 2026 - Describes the maternal healthcare workforce distribution in North Carolina and health disparities for rural residents where there are workforce shortages. Notes that recent policy measures aiming to increase rural access with certified nurse midwives has not fully addressed the shortage. Discusses the potential for doulas to fill the gap.
Source: NC Newsline
Mar 9, 2026 - Promotes mobile clinics as a delivery model for effective maternal health outreach in rural and other communities. Highlights maternity care deserts nationally and in Florida. Discusses successful use of the model in Florida for maternity care, noting that few of the nationally tracked mobile clinics offer maternal and infant healthcare.
Source: The Conversation
Mar 6, 2026 - A healthcare executive of a large rural healthcare network discusses use of artificial intelligence in healthcare for rural patients.
Mar 6, 2026 - Profiles a labor and delivery department in a rural North Carolina Critical Access Hospital. Maternity services were re-started in 2020 using family physicians after closing the department in 1991. Describes maternity care access across North Carolina, challenges with sustaining the service for rural communities, and how they can be a model to other rural communities.
Source: North Carolina Health News
Mar 5, 2026 - Describes challenges around building a new hospital on Navajo Nation. Discusses working within multiple levels of governments, funding, incorporating traditional medicine and facilities, and attracting workforce.
Source: Cronkite News
Mar 4, 2026 - Discusses a grant program for rural Nebraska grocery store owners that offers both financial support and business management training. The grant program has expanded after a successful pilot. Describes the economic challenges for rural Nebraska grocery stores and the impact on area residents when one closes.
Source: Nebraska Public Media, PBS, NPR
Mar 4, 2026 - A new wound care clinic has opened in rural West Virginia. Notes that rural residents are more likely to experience diabetes and vascular conditions, diseases associated with slow to heal wounds and increased risk of infection.
Source: WTOV 9
Mar 3, 2026 - Describes a teleoncology program in a rural Idaho hospital. The program allows cancer patients to meet with specialists through telehealth while using local facilities for lab work and treatment.
Source: KMVT, KSVT
Mar 2, 2026 - Summarizes remarks from Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) and the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) administrators at the 2026 National Rural Health Association Policy Institute. Discusses workforce, healthcare delivery, administration priorities, the Rural Health Transformation Program, and more.
Source: HRSA eNews