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Rural Health Information Hub
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
News by Topic: Access

Oct 8, 2025 - Announces a new telehealth service launching in 27 rural South Dakota long-term care facilities. A phone line will be monitored by registered nurses and advanced practice providers. The facilities are located in communities with limited medical resources, increasing healthcare access for patients in need of higher level care.
Source: McKnights Long Term Care News
Oct 8, 2025 - Louisiana has increased Medicaid reimbursement rates in an attempt to increase the number of physicians that will accept Medicaid patients. Discusses the impact on rural Louisiana where Medicaid use is higher.
Oct 6, 2025 - Discusses the benefits and downsides for hospitals considering converting to a Rural Emergency Hospital, highlighting the choices made by rural hospitals around Arkansas. Discusses reimbursement rates, labor and delivery service access, and general healthcare access.
Source: Arkansas Advocate
Oct 6, 2025 - Announces a new rural obstetric and gynecology fellowship in North Carolina. The goal is to increase access to maternal healthcare in areas identified as maternity care deserts.
Source: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill News
Oct 3, 2025 - Announces that a New York hospital is converting to a Rural Emergency Hospital. Outlines the benefits of converting and the impact on access to healthcare for the area.
Source: The Post-Journal
Oct 2, 2025 - Highlights the benefits of collaboration between academia and healthcare practitioners as demonstrated by a 10 year partnership between an Indian Health Service (IHS) hospital and the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy. Describes how the partnership was established to increase access to naloxone and other prevention work as well as how it has grown to include training, innovative pharmacy-based interventions and services, and international perspectives.
Source: Indian Health Service
Oct 2, 2025 - Notice of final rule from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) amending its medical regulations that govern the VA's healthcare professionals who practice healthcare via telehealth. This rule enables VA to maximize healthcare resource utilization and provide safe and convenient national healthcare to veterans using telehealth. This notice also summarizes and responds to public comments on the August 23, 2022, proposed rule. This rule is effective November 3, 2025.
Source: Federal Register
Sep 27, 2025 - Describes how the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs National Oncology Program expanded access to provide cancer and cancer survivorship care through most of the 23 Veteran Integrated Service Network (VISN) regional care systems.
Source: VA News
Sep 26, 2025 - The Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) will hold a virtual public meeting on October 29, 2025, from 8:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Eastern. Agenda items include updates from VA leadership, the Executive Director of the VA Office of Rural Health, and the Committee Chair, as well as presentations by subject matter experts on general rural healthcare access.
Source: Federal Register
Sep 25, 2025 - Highlights a group of resource-constrained colleges using innovation and collaboration to improve wellness and mental health for their students. Discusses scaling programs designed for larger universities, the strengths and challenges of rural mental health, and collaborating with similar institutions. Notes the early educational successes seen by the program.
Source: The Daily Yonder