Rural Health
News by Topic: Cancer
Feb 26, 2026 - Describes state-level legislation and community initiatives in Virginia to improve access to care for maternal mental health issues and cervical cancer screening. Discusses efforts to include rural residents to specialty care through telehealth.
Source: Cardinal News
Feb 13, 2026 - Describes the Cancer Analytics & Maps for Small Areas (CAMSA), a tool offering cancer incidence and mortality rates data at the Iowa county and Zip Code Tabulation Ares (ZCTA) levels. Notes that rural areas often have data gaps in national tools. Discusses collaborations with other states to develop similar tools.
Source: Iowa Capital Dispatch
Feb 11, 2026 - An analysis published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons found that rural adults with colon or lung cancer who had surgery for cancer closer to their homes had similar outcomes to those who went to more distant urban facilities. The study provides preliminary evidence that complex surgery for some cancers can be performed and with good results at smaller community hospitals.
Source: Medical Life Sciences News
Feb 10, 2026 - The Teledermatology Serving Georgia program offers primary care providers hands-on training in dermatology procedures. The project will lead to timely interventions and improved patient outcomes, especially for those living in rural and medically underserved areas.
Source: Jagwire
Feb 5, 2026 - Describes proposed bipartisan legislation permanently authorizing telescreening mammography services in rural and other areas for veterans.
Source: The Office of Representative Glenn Thompson
Feb 2, 2026 - Describes a study for a virtual exercise program, Response-Driven Individualized Virtual Exercise for Rural Survivors (RIVERS), aiming to positively impact rural cancer outcomes.
Source: University of Colorado Anschutz Health Science News and Features
Jan 14, 2026 - Describes various rural healthcare-focused investments across Oklahoma. Discusses long-term investment strategies, telehealth, workforce training and retention, cancer care access, and preventive care.
Source: News 9
Jan 10, 2026 - Highlights a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs mobile mammography unit in rural Tennessee. Describes the benefits for rural veterans in improving access to both preventive and follow-up care.
Source: VA News
Jan 7, 2026 - Discusses cancer outcomes for the American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) population and the work of a cancer center in Oklahoma to improve those outcomes. Describes the partnership between the center and 2 tribal nations to ensure tribal participation, inclusion of Indigenous knowledge, and prioritizing community needs.
Source: Open Access Government
HRSA: Update to the Women's Preventive Services Guidelines
Federal Register
Jan 5, 2026 - Notice from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announcing updates to the HRSA-supported Women's Preventive Services Guidelines relating to cervical cancer screening. For most non-grandfathered group health plans and health insurance issuers offering group or individual health insurance coverage, this update will take effect in 2027.
Source: Federal Register