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Rural Health Information Hub
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
News by Topic: Healthcare facilities

May 15, 2026 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBCS) is accepting applications for grants under the Rural Business Development Grant Program for fiscal year 2026. Program guidance and application forms are available on USDA's website.
Source: Federal Register
May 13, 2026 - The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is encouraging HRSA-funded health centers to expand efforts to promote proper nutrition as part of the Administration's Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) initiative. Expanding access to food-based interventions can help improve health outcomes for patients with chronic diseases and other conditions.
Source: Health Resources & Services Administration
May 12, 2026 - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is seeking comments on proposed revisions to an information collection project titled "National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN)." The NHSN is designed to provide facilities, states, regions, and the nation with data necessary to identify problem areas, measure the progress of prevention efforts, and ultimately eliminate healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) nationwide. Proposed revisions include the addition, modification, or removal of certain questions and the adjustment of burden to more accurately reflect the time needed to respond to the NHSN modules. Comments are due by July 13, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
May 12, 2026 - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is seeking comments on proposed revisions to an information collection project titled "National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) Respiratory Data." The NHSN Respiratory Data collection provides situational awareness of the impact of respiratory diseases including information about COVID-19, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Proposed revisions include the addition, modification, or removal of certain questions and the adjustment of burden to more accurately reflect the time needed to respond to the NHSN modules. Comments are due by July 13, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
May 12, 2026 - A 5-year grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration has enabled Pennsylvania to launch the 'Healthy Moms, Vibrant Futures' maternal health strategic action plan, focusing on reducing maternal mortality and morbidity. Twenty-three rural counties in Pennsylvania do not have hospitals offering labor and delivery services.
Source: WVIA
May 11, 2026 - The Dolly Parton Children's Hospital, formerly known as East Tennessee Children's Hospital, is expanding pediatric care, particularly in rural communities. The hospital serves about 20 counties in the region, and its new pediatric residency program will begin in summer 2027.
Source: Knox News
May 6, 2026 - Lackey Memorial Hospital in Scott County, Mississippi will soon apply for Rural Health Transformation Program funds, to modernize technology in medical record keeping and surgical operations. The state has received almost $206 million for the first year of the program.
Source: WLBT
May 4, 2026 - Several Oklahoma rural hospitals have created or expanded swing bed programs, which allow hospitals to use inpatient beds for post-acute care. The additional revenue stream helps facilities remain viable and avoid closure, and allows patients to receive follow-up care locally.
Source: Oklahoma Watch
Apr 30, 2026 - Announces proposed bipartisan legislation to extend the Rural Community Hospital Demonstration program 5 more years. RCHD allows for innovative hospital payment model testing under Medicare to maintain healthcare access for rural communities.
Source: Office of Senator Chuck Grassley
Apr 24, 2026 - Health Affairs has issued a call for journal articles focusing on age-friendly health including a focus on rural topics such as innovation in rural delivery of long-term services and supports, addressing rural care gaps associated with nursing home closures, and the impact of payment policies that boost rural home health supply in addition to workforce, caregiving, social determinants of health, technology, and more. Articles will be considered on an ongoing basis through June 2028.
Source: Health Affairs