Rural Health
News by Topic: Hospitals
Oct 1, 2026 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services making technical corrections to the August 3, 2026, final rule. This correction is effective October 1, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Sep 29, 2026 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services making technical and typographical corrections to the August 4, 2026, final rule. These corrections are effective October 1, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Sep 25, 2026 - A hospital in Alaska will begin offering childcare to employees after being awarded Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) funds. The service will address employee needs including challenges like childcare for shift work and inconsistent schedules. The service is meant to aid with employee recruitment and retention. Includes a table of all RHTP funding awarded in Juneau.
Source: KTOO
Sep 22, 2026 - A new statewide collaboration has received funding to help rural North Carolina clinics and hospitals use artificial intelligence (AI) tools. Discusses ethical use of AI and an AI digital divide.
Source: UNC School of Medicine Newsroom
Sep 21, 2026 - More neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) have opened across Oklahoma, increasing access for rural families across the state.
Source: News 9
CMS: Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Application From DNV Healthcare USA Inc. (DNV) for Continued CMS-Approval of its Hospital Accreditation Program
Federal Register
Sep 17, 2026 - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announces the approval of DNV Healthcare USA Inc. (DNV) as a national accrediting organization for hospitals that wish to participate in the Medicare or Medicaid programs. This approval is applicable from September 26, 2026, through September 26, 2032.
Source: Federal Register
Sep 16, 2026 - Describes projects funded in the first round of Rural Health Transformation Program funding in South Carolina. Projects include equipment and facility upgrades, mobile healthcare, telehealth, and a rural health needs study. Highlights financial struggles for hospitals in rural South Carolina.
Source: South Carolina Daily Gazette
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
CMS: Medicare Program; Town Hall Meeting on the Fiscal Year 2028 Applications for New Technology Add-On Payments
Federal Register
Sep 8, 2026 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announcing a virtual town hall meeting to be held on December 9-10, 2026, to discuss FY 2028 applications for add-on payments for new medical services and technologies under the Medicare Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS). Information on how to join the meeting will be posted on the New Technology website. The deadline to register to present at the meeting is November 2, 2026. Written comments and agenda items for discussion at the meeting are due by November 12, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Sep 8, 2026 - Discusses the impact of labor and delivery department closures across the nation and highlights one Minnesota hospital that has managed to maintain labor and delivery services in spite of the trends. Describes budgeting and patient relationships as key factors in their success.
Source: NPR