Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Access
Geographic Accessibility of Burn Centers in the United States
Examines access to burn centers in the contiguous U.S. according to geography and community income. Analyzes location of burn centers by region and rurality and includes county-level maps showing median household income as well as distance and drive time to nearest burn center.
Author(s): Philong Nguyen, Joshua Wang, Yousef Tanas, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 9(9), e2636854
Date: 09/2026
view details
Examines access to burn centers in the contiguous U.S. according to geography and community income. Analyzes location of burn centers by region and rurality and includes county-level maps showing median household income as well as distance and drive time to nearest burn center.
Author(s): Philong Nguyen, Joshua Wang, Yousef Tanas, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 9(9), e2636854
Date: 09/2026
view details
Rural Initiatives Aim to Reach 'Overlooked' Patients in Multiple Sclerosis Deserts
Highlights programs to improve care for people with multiple sclerosis living in rural areas. Describes the importance of early diagnosis and treatment and challenges accessing specialty care. Features an online training program for primary care providers, a pilot program focused on community health workers, and a Veterans Administration telehealth program providing neurologist consultations.
Author(s): Gretel Kauffman
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
view details
Highlights programs to improve care for people with multiple sclerosis living in rural areas. Describes the importance of early diagnosis and treatment and challenges accessing specialty care. Features an online training program for primary care providers, a pilot program focused on community health workers, and a Veterans Administration telehealth program providing neurologist consultations.
Author(s): Gretel Kauffman
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
view details
Frontiers: A Rural Maternal Health Podcast Series
A podcast series that examines strategies hospitals use to improve access to maternal healthcare and connect rural areas with clinical expertise.
Additional links: Episode 1 - Frontiers: Committing to Rural Maternal Care, Episode 2 - Frontiers: The People Powering Rural Maternal Care, Episode 3 - Connected Rural Maternal Care, Closer to Home
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
view details
A podcast series that examines strategies hospitals use to improve access to maternal healthcare and connect rural areas with clinical expertise.
Additional links: Episode 1 - Frontiers: Committing to Rural Maternal Care, Episode 2 - Frontiers: The People Powering Rural Maternal Care, Episode 3 - Connected Rural Maternal Care, Closer to Home
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
view details
Military Installations: Remote and Isolated Locations Face Challenges Delivering Critical Support Services
Reports on challenges in delivering support services, including healthcare, housing, education, and morale, welfare, and recreation (MWR) programs at remote and isolated military installations and provides associated recommendations. Covers topics including civilian workforce limitations and definitions of remote and isolated facilities.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
view details
Reports on challenges in delivering support services, including healthcare, housing, education, and morale, welfare, and recreation (MWR) programs at remote and isolated military installations and provides associated recommendations. Covers topics including civilian workforce limitations and definitions of remote and isolated facilities.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
view details
Compacts of Free Association: VA Is Pursuing Partial Implementation of Health Care Authorities in the Freely Associated States
Explores challenges veterans in the Freely Associated States (FAS) - Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), and the Republic of Palau - face in obtaining healthcare benefits and services. Discusses analyses completed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to assess the implementation of the Compact of Free Association Amendments Act of 2024, which gave VA discretionary authority to expand healthcare services to eligible veterans in the FAS by providing hospital care, medical services, and beneficiary travel payments.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
view details
Explores challenges veterans in the Freely Associated States (FAS) - Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), and the Republic of Palau - face in obtaining healthcare benefits and services. Discusses analyses completed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to assess the implementation of the Compact of Free Association Amendments Act of 2024, which gave VA discretionary authority to expand healthcare services to eligible veterans in the FAS by providing hospital care, medical services, and beneficiary travel payments.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
view details
Connecting Rural Communities to Hepatitis C Treatment Through Telehealth: Lessons Learned from the Maryland ACCESS Telehealth Program
Discusses how Maryland's Washington and Allegany County Health Departments implemented a telehealth program providing hepatitis C treatment in rural areas in collaboration with Johns Hopkins University. Details rural barriers to accessing care and describes implementation successes and challenges.
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: National Association of County and City Health Officials
view details
Discusses how Maryland's Washington and Allegany County Health Departments implemented a telehealth program providing hepatitis C treatment in rural areas in collaboration with Johns Hopkins University. Details rural barriers to accessing care and describes implementation successes and challenges.
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: National Association of County and City Health Officials
view details
Mental Health Care Access in Rural Communities amid the Expansion of Telehealth
Analyzes National Health Interview Survey and Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data to explore how mental healthcare access has changed for rural and urban residents as telehealth services have expanded. Discusses findings regarding publicly insured, privately insured, and self-pay patients.
Author(s): Anja Gruber, Anders Van Sandt, Scott Loveridge, Craig Carpenter, Cris Meier
Citation: Health Affairs Scholar, 4(9)
Date: 09/2026
view details
Analyzes National Health Interview Survey and Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data to explore how mental healthcare access has changed for rural and urban residents as telehealth services have expanded. Discusses findings regarding publicly insured, privately insured, and self-pay patients.
Author(s): Anja Gruber, Anders Van Sandt, Scott Loveridge, Craig Carpenter, Cris Meier
Citation: Health Affairs Scholar, 4(9)
Date: 09/2026
view details
Increasing Access to Rural Behavioral Health Care Through a Community-Based Workforce
Provides examples for improving access to behavioral healthcare via a community-based workforce in rural areas. Discusses behavioral health workforce needs in rural communities, prioritizing relationship building alongside formal training, promoting conditions for peer support specialists to thrive, integrating community-based roles into clinical teams and community settings, and leveraging the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) and other time-limited funds to build long-term sustainability.
Author(s): Hadley Fitzgerald, Ashley Jasko
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Care Strategies
view details
Provides examples for improving access to behavioral healthcare via a community-based workforce in rural areas. Discusses behavioral health workforce needs in rural communities, prioritizing relationship building alongside formal training, promoting conditions for peer support specialists to thrive, integrating community-based roles into clinical teams and community settings, and leveraging the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) and other time-limited funds to build long-term sustainability.
Author(s): Hadley Fitzgerald, Ashley Jasko
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Care Strategies
view details
Veterans Health Care: Information on Eligibility for and Use of Dental Benefits
Provides an overview of Veterans Health Administration (VHA) dental benefits and eligibility. Describes the number and percentage of VHA-enrolled veterans who were eligible for VA dental benefits between 2020 and 2025. Presents data by demographic characteristics, including age and rural residence. Explores the potential effect of expanding eligibility for VA dental benefits to all veterans with a heart disease diagnosis. Appendix I discusses VHA's use of teledentistry between 2020 and 2025, including the number and percentage of VHA facilities, by facility type and rurality, that provided at least one dental visit by teledentistry.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
view details
Provides an overview of Veterans Health Administration (VHA) dental benefits and eligibility. Describes the number and percentage of VHA-enrolled veterans who were eligible for VA dental benefits between 2020 and 2025. Presents data by demographic characteristics, including age and rural residence. Explores the potential effect of expanding eligibility for VA dental benefits to all veterans with a heart disease diagnosis. Appendix I discusses VHA's use of teledentistry between 2020 and 2025, including the number and percentage of VHA facilities, by facility type and rurality, that provided at least one dental visit by teledentistry.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
view details
Geographic Disparities in Access to Broadband, Ambulance Services, and Health Care and Implications for Telehealth
Explores the degree to which populated areas, including rural areas, lack the sufficient broadband infrastructure needed to support telehealth services, referred to as broadband deserts. Presents data on the number and percentage of rural residents who live in broadband deserts. Describes the intersection of broadband deserts with areas with limited access to prehospital ambulance services (ambulance deserts) and hospitals and clinics (healthcare deserts) by state.
Author(s): Celia Jewell, Heidi O'Connor, Thomas E. Griffin, et al.
Citation: JAMA Health Forum, 7(9), e263290
Date: 09/2026
view details
Explores the degree to which populated areas, including rural areas, lack the sufficient broadband infrastructure needed to support telehealth services, referred to as broadband deserts. Presents data on the number and percentage of rural residents who live in broadband deserts. Describes the intersection of broadband deserts with areas with limited access to prehospital ambulance services (ambulance deserts) and hospitals and clinics (healthcare deserts) by state.
Author(s): Celia Jewell, Heidi O'Connor, Thomas E. Griffin, et al.
Citation: JAMA Health Forum, 7(9), e263290
Date: 09/2026
view details