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Rural Health Information Hub
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
News by Topic: Healthcare facilities

May 22, 2026 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services making technical and typographical corrections to the April 14, 2026, proposed rule. Comments on the proposed rule are due by June 9, 2026.
May 21, 2026 - Profiles Timothy Reed, CEO of Prosser Memorial Health, a rural Washington health system that has undergone significant expansion in recent years. Reed describes his plan to balance financial stewardship with expanded access to care.
Source: HealthLeaders
May 20, 2026 - The Helmsley Charitable Trust is funding a pilot program through the Civica Foundation that will give participating hospitals access to a consistent supply of drugs at wholesale prices, without having to buy in bulk. Dozens of independent hospitals in rural areas of Montana, Nevada, and Wyoming are eligible.
Source: Wyoming Public Media
May 19, 2026 - Congresswoman Kim Schrier of Washington, along with representatives Randy Feenstra of Iowa, Jill Tokuda of Hawaii, and Darin LaHood of Illinois have reintroduced the Rural Maternity Options for Medical Support Act. This legislation would allow Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) to count labor and delivery beds separate from acute care rooms, allowing hospitals to offer these services without putting their CAH status in jeopardy.
Source: Office of Congresswoman Kim Schrier (WA)
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
Related funding: Rural Business Development Grants
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) 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 - 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 - 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