Rural Health
News by Topic: Telehealth
Jun 29, 2026 - The Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) has announced new funding for rural communities, including funding for rural substance use prevention, treatment, and recovery services; expansion of medical residencies; strengthening rural healthcare networks, and advancing telehealth.
Source: Health Resources & Services Administration
Related funding:
Delta Rural Integrated Health Network Program · Rural Communities Opioid Response Program – Impact (RCORP – Impact) · Rural Communities Opioid Response Program – Planning (RCORP – Planning) · Rural Health Network Advancement Program · Rural Northern Border Region Network Planning Program · Rural Residency Planning and Development Program · Technology-Enabled Collaborative Learning Program · Telehealth Nutrition Services Network Grant Program
Jun 22, 2026 - Discusses challenges with offering trauma-informed sexual assault care in rural Idaho. Describes how workforce shortages contribute to access barriers and how a telehealth hub-and-spoke model overcomes some of those barriers. Offers lessons learned following implementation of the model.
Source: Healthcare IT News
Jun 22, 2026 - Describes mobile health programs in Rural Health Transformation Fund (RHTP) plans. Discusses the hub-and-spoke service delivery model, telemedicine, and remote patient monitoring as methods for increasing healthcare access using RHTP funds.
Source: Healthcare IT News
Jun 8, 2026 - Describes a recent study finding that a U.S. Veterans Administration (VA) telenephrology program improved mortality rates and increased guideline-directed medication prescriptions for veterans at rural VA clinics receiving treatment for chronic kidney disease. The program uses a hub-and-spoke system to connect rural veterans with specialized care. Notes additional research finding veterans are satisfied with telenephrology care.
Source: Military.com
Jun 7, 2026 - Discusses telehealth as a method for improving rural healthcare access and expanding rural healthcare provider networks, noting the importance of sustainability and reliable broadband access when using telehealth. Describes work by the Health and Resource Services Administration (HRSA) to fund and develop best practices around telehealth.
Source: Fed Gov Today
May 27, 2026 - Describes a telehealth program connecting patients in New Hampshire and Vermont rural hospitals with neonatologists. Notes that nearly half of babies receiving a consult are able to stay at their local facility. Success of the program led to expanding into outpatient high-risk obstetrics care and fetal-maternal medicine services. Expansion into emergency obstetrics is also planned.
Source: HealthLeaders Media
May 20, 2026 - Interview with Andrew M. Southerland, professor of neurology and public health sciences at the University of Virginia. Describes how the UVA telestroke program helps ensure that patients receive timely evaluation and treatment recommendations near home, while also identifying patients who may benefit from transfer to a comprehensive stroke center.
Source: DocWire News
RUS: Notice of Funding Opportunity for the Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grant Program for Fiscal Year 2026
Federal Register
May 7, 2026 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Rural Utilities Service (RUS) is accepting applications for the Distance Learning and Telemedicine (DLT) grant program for fiscal year 2026. DLT grant funds support the use of telecommunications-enabled information, audio and video equipment, and related advanced technologies by students, teachers, medical professionals, and rural residents. Program guidance and application forms are available on USDA's website.
Source: Federal Register
Related funding:
Distance Learning and Telemedicine Program Grants
May 4, 2026 - Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced the application process is underway for $209 million in funding through the Rural Health Transformation Program. Initial awards will be centered on the Telehealth, Health‑Monitoring, and Response Innovation for Vital Expansion (THRIVE) initiative, which will modernize rural healthcare delivery through telehealth, emergency medical response systems, and remote patient monitoring technologies.
Source: Office of Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders