Rural Health
News by Topic: Wellness, health promotion, and disease prevention
Mar 19, 2026 - Summarizes conversations at the Rural Health Transformation Summit on March 18, 2026, a meeting of state officials, experts, and federal administrators to discuss implementation of the Rural Health Transformation Plan. Discusses state program alignment with RHTP's 5 strategic goals: Make Rural America Healthy Again, sustainable access, workforce development, innovative care, and tech innovation. Notes the role of the Office of Rural Health Transformation (ORHT) within the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS).
Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Mar 18, 2026 - Offers lessons for implementing large-scale state-based programs like the Rural Health Transformation Program based on a California program investing in primary care for small independent practices, tribal practices, and community health centers. Discusses technical assistance, timing of payments, tracking success, and collaboration to overcome measurement barriers.
Source: Health Affairs Forefront
Mar 10, 2026 - Highlights a pilot program in a rural Missouri community offering a coordinated response to health and social needs for Medicaid patients. The program allows hospitals and other organizations to refer patients to service providers and track whether their needs are getting addressed. Describes how the program was started, the federal waiver that allows the program to run, and the technology used for it. Discusses sustainability challenges common for rural service providers.
Source: The Beacon: Missouri
Mar 9, 2026 - Promotes mobile clinics as a delivery model for effective maternal health outreach in rural and other communities. Highlights maternity care deserts nationally and in Florida. Discusses successful use of the model in Florida for maternity care, noting that few of the nationally tracked mobile clinics offer maternal and infant healthcare.
Source: The Conversation
CDC: Board of Scientific Counselors, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control; Notice of Charter Renewal
Federal Register
Mar 4, 2026 - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announces the charter renewal of the Board of Scientific Counselors, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (BSC, NCIPC). The charter renewal is effective for a two-year period, through January 13, 2028.
Source: Federal Register
Mar 2, 2026 - Highlights a virtual emergency mental health program in rural South Dakota. The program connects law enforcement responding to mental health crises with behavioral health clinicians and offers the person in crisis access to resources available in their community. Following successful implementation in South Dakota, Wyoming is piloting a similar program.
Source: The Daily Yonder
Feb 28, 2026 - Describes the focus on native culture as a preventive strategy for suicide and mental health crises in Lummi Nation. Discusses high rates of drug overdoses among Lummi Nation youth.
Source: Native News Online
Feb 26, 2026 - Highlights a program in rural South Carolina offering resources and support to people with diabetes. Notes common challenges for rural residents in accessing healthcare.
Source: WACH
Feb 19, 2026 - Summarizes recent research finding that multimodal, telehealth delivered mind-body and exercise interventions are effective for rural veterans experiencing chronic pain. Notes that the program could be easily accessed by rural veterans due to the use of nonclinicians. Describes planned modifications for future programs iterations.
Source: NIH Pragmatic Trials Collaboratory
Feb 19, 2026 - Analyzes chronic disease data to discuss health outcomes in rural Texas. Discusses ways rural health challenges are different from urban ones, noting rural-specific issues around chronic disease, access to care, broadband access, and maternal health. Highlights rural-specific strengths that can be used in healthcare innovation.
Source: PCCI News & Events