Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Access

How Do Services Offered Within Opioid Treatment Programs Vary Based on State Methadone Policies?
Examines the availability of opioid treatment programs (OTPs) in various states as well as access to medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) options, psychosocial services, and housing supports. Analyzes 1,501 opioid treatment programs (OTPs) and their characteristics, including state restrictiveness, services offered, facility type, rurality, and more.
Author(s): Zoe Lindenfeld, Noa Krawczyk, Erin A. Taylor, Denis Agniel, Jonathan H. Cantor
Citation: Journal of Substance Use & Addiction Treatment, 190, 210062
Date: 11/2026
view details

Rural Health Transformation Program State Programmatic Snapshots: 2026 Release
Provides an overview of each state's Rural Health Transformation Program initiatives and focus areas, as well as policy action commitments outlined in states' applications.
Date: 10/2026
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
view details

Strategies for Addressing California's Rural Behavioral Health Workforce Shortages
Issue brief discussing behavioral health workforce shortages in rural California and identifying state policy and healthcare delivery strategies to support workforce supply and improve behavioral health access in the state. Covers topics including expanded behavioral health availability in primary care settings, use of community health workers and telehealth to expand service availability, workforce development, recruitment and retention, and more. The associated planning guide provides guidance on planning and implementing behavioral health workforce strategies at the community level.
Additional links: Planning Guide
Author(s): Rachel Davis
Date: 10/2026
Sponsoring organization: Healthforce Center at UCSF
view details

Rural Health Transformation Program Planned State Initiatives: Budget Period 1
Presents an overview of initiatives planned by states as part of the Rural Health Transformation Program organized across eight categories: population health, workforce, payment and service models, health system innovation, accessible care, technology, disease prevention and care, and health promotion.
Date: 10/2026
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
view details

Rural Versus Urban Distribution of Obstetrics and Gynecology Residency Training and Associated Rural Community Characteristics
Examines location of OB/GYN residency program training sites and the community's associated sociodemographic characteristics and healthcare workforce supply. Utilizes 2023-2024 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) data to provide a map showing OB/GYN training site distribution across the U.S. as well as 2022-2023 Area Health Resource File data to analyze healthcare access characteristics of rural communities with or without OB/GYN residency program training sites. Discusses challenges in providing rural-focused opportunities during graduate medical education (GME) rotations and the related impact on maternity care shortages.
Author(s): Ryan Spencer, Mukesh Adhikari, Lori Rodefeld, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 42(4), e70231
Date: 10/2026
view details

Miles From Specialty Care, This Island Hospital Has a Plan
Podcast episode discussing how Nantucket Cottage Hospital, a 14-bed hospital 30 miles from the Massachusetts coast, uses telehealth to improve patient care and reduce unnecessary patient transfers.
Date: 10/2026
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
view details

Treatable Mortality in Illinois Counties, "Them That Has, Gets"
Examines preventable mortality in Illinois caused by diseases that could have been treated by available medical care. Utilizes CDC Wonder data from 2018 and 2024 and provides county-level, as well as metro versus nonmetro, mortality rates and causes of death.
Author(s): Adee Athiyaman
Date: 10/2026
Sponsoring organization: Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs
view details

Rural Cardiovascular Health in Missouri: Needs, Care Gaps, and Resources for a More Connected System
Discusses the importance of cardiovascular risk to rural health in Missouri, and provides suggestions for improving rural cardiovascular disease prevention, treatment, and recovery via state policy, Rural Health Transformation initiatives, and facility-level service delivery improvements.
Author(s): Adnan I. Qureshi, Hatem Tolba, Muhammad Shah Miran, Muhammad Shakir, Camilo R. Gomez
Citation: Missouri Medicine, 123(5), 449-456
Date: 10/2026
view details

Veterans' Views on Alcohol Use and Experience of Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome Treatment and Subsequent Alcohol Use Disorder Care at Two Highly Rural-Serving VA Hospitals: A Qualitative Study
Presents findings from interviews with veterans with alcohol use disorder (AUD) about the alcohol withdrawal syndrome treatment they received at two rural-serving Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals. Highlights perceived barriers to care and makes suggestions for improving it.
Author(s): Tony Pomales, Daniel Ball, Jeydith Gutierrez, James C. Willey
Citation: Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 49, 902-917
Date: 10/2026
view details

October 2026 MedPAC Meeting Transcript
Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) October 2026 meeting. Covers an analysis of physician participation in Medicare Advantage provider networks, issues affecting the payment accuracy of the physician fee schedule and the clinical laboratory fee schedule, clinician quality initiatives in fee-for-service Medicare, Medicare's late-enrollment penalties, and MedPAC's work plan regarding the skilled nursing facility and home health prospective payment systems.
Date: 10/2026
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
view details