Rural Health
News by Topic: Health workforce education and training
Dec 10, 2025 - Announces the expansion of a rural pediatric health networking and collaboration initiative in Georgia aiming to support access to pediatric healthcare. The program includes both a physician training and consultation component as well as specialty telehealth component to allow rural children to receive healthcare in their communities. Discusses scholarship opportunities to increase the pediatric health workforce and plans to continue expanding this program.
Source: The Den
Dec 10, 2025 - Describes the impact of new Arkansas legislation which will see 75 community health workers (CHWs) trained. Notes that CHW have had an impact in rural communities with less access to healthcare. Discusses recent CHW training initiatives across the state.
Dec 9, 2025 - Highlights a regional program pairing medical students with physician mentors as a method to recruit and retain healthcare professionals in rural communities. Profiles one student-mentor pair in Wyoming.
Source: Wyoming Public Radio
Dec 4, 2025 - Highlights the work of the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine in supporting rural health across the state. Discusses their work in securing funding for expanding medical training, partnering with the state's Medicaid program to advance maternal health outcomes, and supporting the emergency care workforce through professional development.
Source: Nevada Today
NCD: Request for Information; Disability Clinical Care
Federal Register
Dec 1, 2025 - The National Council on Disability (NCD) is requesting information to inform a policy brief discussing disability clinical care and competency training of medical professionals. Questions for consideration include challenges in incorporating disability clinical care in formal training, application of disability clinical care training to other populations, behavior and attitudes of trained healthcare providers, and existing resources and standards of learning to inform required standards of learning development. Comments are due January 6, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Nov 25, 2025 - Notice of final rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) making changes to the Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and the Medicare Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) payment system for calendar year 2026, including changes to the amounts and factors used to determine the payment rates for Medicare services paid under the OPPS and those paid under the ASC payment systems. Among other things, this rule also updates the requirements for the Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting Program, Rural Emergency Hospital Quality Reporting Program, Ambulatory Surgical Center Quality Reporting Program, Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating, and hospitals to make public their standard charge information and enforcement of hospital price transparency. This rule also announces the closure of a teaching hospital and the opportunity to apply for available slots. This rule is effective January 1, 2026. Applications for available resident spots are due by February 19, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Nov 25, 2025 - Profiles a rural general surgeon practicing in rural Kansas. Describes her path to rural practice beginning with an undergraduate rural pipeline program.
Source: KU School of Medicine Wichita
Nov 24, 2025 - Describes partnerships between the University of Rochester and rural New York schools. Highlights a program to increase the school-based mental healthcare workforce through a graduate student internship, rural-focused professional development, and high school curriculum aiming to introduce students to mental healthcare professions. Also describes other education and professional development collaborations with the University.
Source: University of Rochester News Center
Nov 20, 2025 - Discusses health disparities among rural healthcare provider shortages nationally and in Montana. Highlights 2 residency programs in Billings, Montana aiming to address the shortages of internal medicine and psychiatry providers. Describes how rural practice is integrated into the residencies as well as the benefits for both physician residents and rural communities.
Source: The Daily Yonder
Nov 12, 2025 - Describes a medical coding and billing training for rural healthcare providers in Texas. The training aims to help small clinics accurately submit reimbursement claims so that financially vulnerable facilities can stay open.
Source: KBTX