Rural Health
News by Topic: Health workforce supply and demand
Oct 21, 2026 - Discusses a new Minnesota-based fellowship to train family medicine physicians in obstetrics to address limited access to obstetric care in rural communities.
Source: MPR News
Oct 20, 2026 - Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama offers a medical scholarship program to help students pursue healthcare careers. Recipients get financial support for their final 2 years of school and in return they agree to complete their residency and practice in an underserved area of Alabama for at least 3 years.
Source: Bham Now
Oct 20, 2026 - The Mercer School of Medicine in Georgia has been designated the Georgia Grown Medical School for its work in addressing rural physician workforce shortages by training local residents.
Source: The Den, Mercer University
Oct 20, 2026 - Discusses a Hawaii-based tuition scholarship program that addresses healthcare workforce shortages by requiring 5 years of work in qualifying rural Hawaii communities. The program is supported by Rural Health Transformation Program funding. Describes challenges with rural healthcare practice and other incentive programs aiming to address workforce shortages in the state.
Source: West Hawaii Today
Oct 8, 2026 - Highlights a health career pathways program in Montana that accelerates the path to completion for healthcare degrees. The program aims to train rural students in an effort to fill rural healthcare workforce gaps.
Source: University of Montana News
Oct 5, 2026 - Discusses recent research finding surgeon workforce shortages in rural communities. Notes that one driver of the shortage is surgeon training not meeting the workforce demand.
Source: The Week
Sep 23, 2026 - Discusses family medicine in rural communities following the announcement of new federally funded family medicine residency programs. Notes that clinicians from or trained in rural areas are more likely to practice there, addressing workforce needs in rural communities. Describes how residencies have been used in various states, the use of Rural Health Transformation Program funds, and tribal community residencies.
Source: Wyoming Public Radio
Sep 23, 2026 - Offers an interview with the Executive Director of the Michigan Association of Ambulance Services discussing emergency medical services (EMS) workforce challenges in rural Michigan.
Source: EMS World
Sep 10, 2026 - The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has announced awards to 132 hospitals in 13 states through the Rural Hospital Provider Assistance Program. This will help eligible small rural hospitals maintain their workforce, sustain essential services, and strengthen patients' access to care.
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Sep 3, 2026 - Discusses physician workforce shortages both nationally and in one Alabama county. Describes the rural-specific impacts of the shortage and how an Alabama health system recruits to address area shortages.
Source: Huntsville Business Journal