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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
News by Topic: Health occupations

Oct 14, 2025 - A rural Montana sheriff's department is offering deputies a first responder medical training and certification program. The program would allow deputies to assist emergency medical services (EMS) providers in situations with multiple victims or provide aid while waiting for EMS to arrive. Notes that understaffing, poor weather, and large service areas can make EMS response times long. Discusses upcoming work by the state legislature to address EMS challenges.
Source: EMS 1
Oct 12, 2025 - Discusses the experience of rural school counselors as often the only access to mental healthcare for their students. Notes the importance of accounting for rural culture in mental healthcare and the limited representation of rural school counselors in research. Profiles a rural Tennessee school counselor.
Source: Clarksville Online
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 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
Sep 19, 2025 - Describes the shortage of nurses in North Carolina, particularly among licensed practical nurses (LPNs). Discusses factors driving shortages, a history of the shortage, and areas where progress has been made, particularly in training new LPNs. Looks at workforce projections for the coming decades. Discusses the impact on rural throughout.
Source: North Carolina Health News
Sep 18, 2025 - Highlights new ambulatory care pharmacy residency positions in South Carolina. The goal of the program is to focus on outpatient clinic work and community-based care with the aim of increasing the rural workforce.
Source: University of South Carolina College of Pharmacy
Sep 11, 2025 - Discusses a recent report on the mental healthcare worker shortage in New Mexico. Highlights programs at New Mexico State University working to fill workforce gaps with focus on training students to meet the needs of rural residents. Notes potential policy changes related to integrated care and certifications.
Source: Source NM
Sep 7, 2025 - Profiles a medical student at University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita and his path to choosing rural training close to home. Also discusses features of the program and how rural practice locations can use the training as a recruitment tool.
Source: Hays Post
Sep 3, 2025 - Highlights a new graduate program at Oregon Health and Science University to increase the family medical care workforce in rural Oregon. The program trains residents in rural communities with the goal of retaining them.
Source: Central Oregon Daily News
Sep 2, 2025 - Highlights an initiative in South Dakota for virtual nursing services. The program increases access to healthcare services in rural communities and addresses shortages in the registered nurse workforce. Discusses patient satisfaction and rural facility budgets.
Source: Rural Development, U.S. Department of Agriculture