Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Access

Kansas RHT Program Annual Report - Year 1
Reports on the first year of Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) in Kansas. Details the state policy actions, uses of funds, recipients of funds, and progress reports for each program funded by RHTP.
Date: 08/2026
Sponsoring organization: Arkansas Department of Health
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Rural/Urban Disparities in Utilization of Diabetes Self-Management Training (DSMT) to the Fee-for-Service Medicare Population, 2017-2024
Analyzes disparities in Diabetes Self-Management Training use among Medicare beneficiaries, using data from 2017-2024. Expands on a 2020 study to assess whether disparities have persisted, widened, or narrowed over time, and to examine broader trends in service availability, provider participation, and beneficiary use. Features statistics with breakdowns by urban and rural areas.
Author(s): Wanying Zhu, Aleksandr Taraskin, Jeffery Talbert
Date: 08/2026
Sponsoring organization: Rural and Underserved Health Research Center
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Urban Versus Rural Differences in Services Requested, Received, and Interest Expressed among Informal Caregivers of Older U.S. Veterans
Results of a study on differences in access to, utilization of, and interest in home and community-based services (HCBS) for caregivers of older veterans in rural and urban communities. Bases findings on an online survey of caregivers of older veterans. Breaks down data by demographic factors of both veterans and their caregivers, veterans' care complexity, and by caregivers' access to services and interest in services to support the veterans under their care.
Author(s): Elizabeth S. Chamberlin, Steven D. Shirk, Victoria Ngo, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 42(3), e70218
Date: 08/2026
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Broadband Deployment: Agencies Should Take Steps to Better Target Underserved Areas and Consider Sustainability
Examines selected federal agencies' progress in broadband deployment. Describes the agencies' approaches to targeting broadband deployment funding to underserved areas while avoiding duplication, and how they address challenges that program participants face in sustaining broadband service and obtaining permits and reviews.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 08/2026
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Rural and Urban Availability of Substance Use Treatment Facilities
Discusses the national availability of and regional variance in substance use disorder treatment facilities for rural and urban residents. Highlights the number of facilities per 100,000 population by rural status and county, as well as the number of facilities offering medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) services.
Author(s): Aaron P. Smith, Tyrone F. Borders
Date: 08/2026
Sponsoring organization: Rural and Underserved Health Research Center
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2026 Annual Insurance Update: Health Insurance in Kansas
Reports on health insurance coverage across Kansas and nationwide, presenting 2009-2024 trends in coverage. Includes 2023 county-level data on uninsured rates by age group as well as Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) enrollment. Compares uninsurance rates across frontier, rural, densely-settled rural, semi-urban, and urban county location.
Author(s): Kaci Cink, Viktoria Sterkhova, Cynthia Snyder, Wen-Chieh Lin
Date: 08/2026
Sponsoring organization: Kansas Health Institute
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Availability of Rural Hospitals Providing Inpatient Maternity Care in Medicaid
Examines the availability of hospitals offering inpatient maternity care in rural areas to Medicaid enrollees. Describes the median drive time between rural hospitals and the next closest in-state hospital that provides inpatient maternity care to Medicaid enrollees by state. Includes data on the number of urban and rural hospitals providing these services in each state in 2023.
Author(s): Rhiannon Euhus, Brittni Frederiksen, Alice Burns
Date: 08/2026
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Buprenorphine Dispensed by Pharmacies and Administered in Emergency Departments in Urban and Rural Areas — United States, 2019–2025
Reports on how the provision of buprenorphine in pharmacies and emergency departments varied by rural or urban area between 2019 and 2025. Includes rural and urban data comparisons on the frequency of dispensing or administering buprenorphine, dosing, prescribing, availability, and more, including year-by-year comparisons.
Author(s): Gery P. Guy Jr., Yijie Chen, Kun Zhang, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 75(33), 522-528
Date: 08/2026
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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ADDIE-Guided Development and Pilot Feasibility Evaluation of a Prototype VR Training Simulation for Suicide Prevention among Rural U.S. Veterans
Explores the feasibility of using virtual reality (VR) workforce training modules to address the lack of specialty-trained mental health professionals serving rural veterans and to improve suicide prevention efforts. Evaluates participants' engagement in the VR environment, realism of VR scenarios, and perception of usability across different workforce groups, among other measures.
Author(s): Donna L. Schuman , Micki Washburn, Regina T. Praetorius, et al.
Citation: PLoS One, 21(8), e0345819
Date: 08/2026
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Planning with Purpose: Leveraging FORHP's Rural Health Network Development Planning Program for Lasting Community Impact
Webinar recording highlighting the one-year Rural Health Network Development Planning Program (Network Planning Program) grant from the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP). Speakers include former Network Planning Program grantees discussing their experiences and work as part of this grant program, including a focus on partnerships, strengthening infrastructure, and improving access to care.
Additional links: Audio Recording, Webinar Slides
Date: 08/2026
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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