Rural Health
News by Topic: Population health
Oct 22, 2026 - Executive Order from the Office of the President directing the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a Women's Health Division within the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Among other things, the Women's Health Division, in coordination with the NIH Office of Research on Women's Health, will increase the scientific review of women's health conditions in all phases of life that remain understudied or insufficiently understood; promote innovation and advanced research technologies to accelerate time to diagnosis and improve access to high-quality prevention, treatment, specialized healthcare services, personalized medicine, and coordinated care delivery for women's health conditions; and facilitate translation of scientific discoveries into clinical practice and public health implementation across federal, state, and local jurisdictions. This Executive Order also establishes the White House Women's Health Task Force, which will ensure that the federal government pursues a comprehensive approach to women's health that recognizes evolving health needs throughout the lifespan and will support necessary policy and regulatory reforms to ensure timely and stage-specific prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and care for women.
Source: Federal Register
Oct 19, 2026 - Discusses insufficient access to both labor and delivery services and emergency medical services across Iowa, noting the potential impacts on maternal health outcomes.
Source: KMTV
Oct 14, 2026 - Mississippi officials are creating a new state health plan focusing on access to care, workforce, and sustainability in public health systems. The new plan will update the last plan published in 2023. The process is being funded with Rural Health Transformation Program funds.
Source: Mississippi Today
Oct 13, 2026 - The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is seeking comments to inform the development of the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd edition Supplement: 2027 Steps and Muscle-Strengthening Guidance. Specifically, HHS seeks comments regarding existing high-quality, evidence-based reports, programs, or campaigns related to steps and/or muscle-strengthening physical activity and related positive health outcomes. Comments are due by November 12, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Oct 13, 2026 - Notice from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) seeking comments on an information collection request titled "Healthy Start Evaluation and Quality Improvement, OMB No. 0915-0338—Revision." Proposed revisions include changes to clarifying instructions, updating response options to improve accuracy in reporting, and adding fields to capture the month of infant birth and/or death. Comments are due by November 12, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Oct 13, 2026 - Describes discussions at the inaugural Rural Cardiovascular Care in the U.S. Symposium, a West Virginia gathering on heart healthcare delivery in rural and underserved communities. The event provided connections for clinicians, administrators, and innovators with the goal of creating partnerships that lead to new models of care and improved heart health outcomes.
Source: WVU Medicine
Oct 12, 2026 - Two recent studies by American Cancer Society (ACS) scientists found that survival and mortality disparities between rural and urban women with breast cancer have widened over time. Results showed that women in small metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas experienced worse breast cancer survival rates than women in large metropolitan areas.
Source: American Cancer Society
Oct 9, 2026 - The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has launched the Newborn Essentials Support Toolkit in West Virginia. The program aims to offer families supplies and information in the days following delivery of a baby. One goal of the program is to reach rural and other medically underserved families.
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Oct 5, 2026 - Announces awarded funding for the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Program which offers home visiting services for improved outcomes during pregnancy and early childhood. Notes that the program reaches families where services are more limited, including in rural communities.
Source: Health Resources and Services Administration
Oct 5, 2026 - Highlights a nonprofit organization working to increase access to and resources for mental healthcare for farmers and ranchers. Notes high rates of suicide in the population and discusses signs of poor mental health.
Source: High Plains Public Radio