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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
News by Topic: Health disparities

Aug 5, 2026 - Describes the Rural Immersion Program, a program in Missouri offering healthcare students more information on the challenges associated with rural healthcare and wellness in Missouri.
Source: KTTN
Aug 4, 2026 - The American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer has added a new accreditation category for rural hospitals with the goal of improving healthcare quality and outcomes for cancer patients. Notes that there are fewer accredited hospitals and less access to specialty care in rural areas.
Source: PR Newswire
Jul 23, 2026 - Discusses a new healthcare clinic that opened in a rural Mississippi Delta community. Highlights the history of healthcare access in the area and the challenges the community faced when there was no clinic, particularly related to transportation to healthcare facilities in other communities. Discusses plans to expand services further in the future.
Source: Mississippi Free Press
Jul 15, 2026 - Describes a North Carolina network offering training and support for healthcare providers offering medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) through a hub-and-spoke model. Discusses how the model works in rural communities and integrating the treatment into primary care.
Source: The Daily Yonder
Jul 9, 2026 - Highlights recent research discussing the impact of where a person lives on health and how 8 data sets assess social risk across health conditions, populations, and geographies.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
Jul 5, 2026 - Describes high rates of suicide in Lake Tahoe and the surrounding rural communities. Discusses limited resources and mental healthcare available for suicide prevention, access to firearms, and community led efforts to address suicide.
Source: The Guardian
Jun 15, 2026 - Highlights health disparities for rural men and highlights work in Illinois to increase awareness. Notes how rural culture contributes to those disparities in addition to general healthcare access challenges.
Source: Public News Service
Jun 10, 2026 - Describes a collaborative program between 3 University of North Carolina institutions allowing cohorts of students from different healthcare disciplines to learn about and address rural health issues. Notes the program's impact on increasing the rural healthcare workforce.
Source: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill News
Jun 8, 2026 - Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) funding has been granted to 39 emergency medical services (EMS) agencies in North Carolina to enhance the EMS workforce as well as improve access to mental health and substance use disorder treatment and services through mobile integrated health. Describes drug overdose disparities in rural communities.
Source: North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services
Jun 8, 2026 - Discusses the findings of a recent study highlighting barriers to healthcare access for rural people with disabilities. Includes an interview with the study author discussing the rural impact of a correlation between disability and Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Source: Daily Yonder