Skip to main content
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health Information Hub

 

Rural Health
News by Topic: Public health

Oct 16, 2020 - Covers an outbreak of COVID-19 in a rural Montana jail, in which infections make up a quarter of all known virus cases in the county. Describes how COVID-19 is affecting the rest of the town, as hospitals and the public health system are at capacity. Discusses the difficulty of containing the spread of infection as social distancing in the jail is nearly impossible.
Source: New York Times
Oct 8, 2020 - Announcement of funding available from the Federal Transit Administration to support research demonstration grants for public transit agencies to develop, deploy, and demonstrate innovative solutions that improve the operational efficiency of transit agencies, as well as enhance the mobility of transit users affected by the COVID-19 public health emergency. Applications are due by November 2, 2020.
Source: Federal Register
Sep 28, 2020 - The Department of Health and Human Services is seeking comments on the draft Viral Hepatitis National Strategic Plan: A Roadmap to Elimination (2021-2025). The Hepatitis Plan is intended to serve as a roadmap for all stakeholders at all levels to eliminate viral hepatitis as a public health threat in the United States by 2030. Comments are due by October 8, 2020.
Source: Federal Register
Sep 24, 2020 - Blog post discusses how COVID-19 highlighted the existing cracks in rural America's community health system, including increased risk of facility closures, loss of services, low investment in public health, and maldistribution of health professionals. Recommends four policy changes that would rebuild the rural health system, focusing on new financing and delivery models, community engagement, local health planning, and regionalization of delivery systems.
Source: The Medical Care Blog
Sep 23, 2020 - The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will provide $200 million to 64 jurisdictions for COVID-19 vaccine preparedness. Funding is provided through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES) to support states in distributing and administering COVID-19 vaccines.
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services