Rural Health
News by Topic: Health disparities
Nov 5, 2025 - Offers data showing rural and urban differences in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) incidence and factors contributing to those higher rates. Discusses smoking, occupational hazards, access to healthcare, and social determinants of health. Notes effective approaches for overcoming these contributors to COPD.
Source: Loma Linda University Health News
Oct 31, 2025 - The Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC) is opening a new office in rural North Carolina. Services offered include primary care, women's services, and behavioral health. Discusses disparities in care between rural and urban communities in the area, in part due to workforce shortages, and the mission of MAHEC to train and retain healthcare professionals.
Source: WLOS
Oct 26, 2025 - Discusses the impact of the expansion of Medicaid dental benefits on the oral health of Missouri residents. Notes that areas with dental workforce shortages are less likely to feel the positive impact of increases in reimbursement rates.
Source: Kansas City Magazine
Oct 22, 2025 - Highlights the rural focus of the new Association of American Cancer Institutes president. Goals include developing a rural focused oversight committee, understanding the connection between ruralness and other social determinants of health, identifying best practices related to decreasing rural morbidity and mortality in cancer, and more.
Source: University of Nebraska Medical Center Newsroom
New Texas Energy Package Could Help Older Adults in Long-Term Care Facilities During Extreme Weather
Oct 20, 2025 - Discusses the challenges with caring for older adults in rural long-term care settings during natural disasters with a close look at the impact of 2021's Winter Storm Uri in Texas. Describes the outsized impact infrastructure failures have on the health of older adults. Highlights the Texas Backup Power Package, legislation aiming to strengthen energy resilience for critical facilities and essential services.
Source: The Daily Yonder
Oct 17, 2025 - Discusses higher suicide rates for rural residents compared to urban residents and a Louisiana university's online therapy program to address those higher rates. Discusses the program's shift to focus on engaging communities, successes after year 1, and work to address broadband challenges.
Source: WAFB
Oct 10, 2025 - A new survey describes access to healthcare challenges for residents in the Finger Lakes region of New York. Discusses workforce distribution, transportation, access to health insurance, and disparities for rural and other communities. Notes community strengths that could be used to close gaps.
Source: Finger Lakes 1
Sep 15, 2025 - Announces a new pathway for enrolled American Indian/Alaska Native members to participate in a free post-baccalaureate program aiming to recruit, train, and retain medical students for tribal communities. The program is open to previously unsuccessful medical school applicants. Discusses the differences in health outcomes for tribal communities.
Source: Washington State University Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine News
Sep 10, 2025 - Summarizes recent research findings that rural residents are more likely to experience poor outcomes compared to urban residents following surgery for colon cancer. Greater access to minimally invasive surgery (MIS) for rural patients is identified as a solution for improving surgery outcomes. Discusses challenges with expanding access to MIS.
Source: Bioengineer.org