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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Federally Qualified Health Centers

'Good Stewards': Rural Healthcare Experts Discuss Governance Board Best Practices
Provides an overview of hospital and health center boards, with insights from rural CEOs and board members in Colorado, Missouri, North Dakota, and Oklahoma and experts from national organizations. Discusses board orientation and ongoing education, as well as ways to improve board governance.
Author(s): Allee Mead
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Strengthening Rural Health Centers: Challenges, Innovations, and Opportunities
Provides an overview of how health centers serve rural residents. Describes workforce and geographic challenges rural health centers face. Includes data on states where rural health centers serve over half of all health center patients in the state. Discusses areas for key investments to strengthen the ability of health centers to serve their patients and communities.
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Community Health Centers
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How Primary Care Associations Can Serve as Champions of Multisector Collaboration
Describes the Wisconsin Primary Health Care Association's Medical-Legal Partnership (MLP) pilot including the partners, focus on housing instability and public benefits denials, findings after Years 1 and 2, lessons learned, and future plans. 2 of 3 community health centers in the pilot serve rural and migrant and seasonal agricultural worker populations. Requires an email to download for free.
Date: 05/2026
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Medical-Legal Partnership
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Where Primary Care and Clinical Pharmacy Services 'Intersect': Louisiana Program Helps Patients Understand and Manage Medications
Features a program at Arbor Family Health in Louisiana that connects chronic disease patients with nurse health coaches and clinical pharmacists. Shares how pharmacy faculty and students from the Xavier University of Louisiana's College of Pharmacy conduct annual comprehensive medication reviews by phone.
Author(s): Gretel Kauffman
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 05/2026
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Digital Innovations at Community Health Centers: AI Ambient Scribing in Rural Health Care
Describes how artificial intelligence (AI) ambient scribing technology is used in community health centers and its potential implications for rural and frontier health centers. Covers the documentation experience, impact on comprehensive care, and patient experience.
Author(s): Katie Coleman, Nicole Van Borkulo
Date: 05/2026
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
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State-Level Medicaid Expansion and Hospital, Federally Qualified Health Center, and Rural Health Clinic Availability
Explores the association between state Medicaid expansion and the availability of hospitals, Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), and Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) in states that expanded Medicaid between 2014-2016. Examines the presence of hospitals, FQHCs, and RHCs in urban and rural counties between 2010-2019.
Author(s): Elliott Paintsil, Sebastian Linde
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 42(2), e70159
Date: 05/2026
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Expanding Oral Health Access and Equity: The Impact of Federally Qualified Health Centers
Presents a literature review aiming to understand the role of Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) in providing access to oral healthcare. Highlights different delivery methods, such as telehealth, oral health integration, and school-based and mobile health center programs. Discusses access barriers, such as rurality, among other factors.
Author(s): Irene Hilton, Candace L. H. Owen, Rachel Johnston, et al.
Citation: Journal of Public Health Dentistry, 86(S1), 48-53
Date: 03/2026
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Effect of Medicaid Audio-Only Telehealth Coverage Policy on Mental Health Visits in Federally Qualified Health Centers
Examines the impact of Medicaid audio-only coverage (MAOC) and telehealth policy on mental health usage at Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). Utilizes 2016-2022 FQHC-level Uniform Data Systems (UDS) data to analyze mental health visit rates and MAOC policy implementation according to rural versus urban location as well as presence or absence of a primary telemental health service.
Author(s): Khyathi Gadag, Kanika Arora, Brian Kaskie, Whitney E. Zahnd
Citation: Health Services Research, 61(2), e70107
Date: 03/2026
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The Changing Landscape of School-Based Health Centers and Other School-Based Clinics in California, 2011–2023
Examines access to school-based health centers (SBHCs) and other school-based clinics (OSBCs) in California and their role in providing medical care to under-resourced communities. Analyzes availability of SBHCs and OSBCs between 2011 and 2023, services provided, and the school's characteristics, including location in large city, small/medium city, suburb, or town/rural.
Author(s): Katherine M. Rancaño, Ashley M. Kranz, Jessica Richard, et al.
Citation: Journal of School Health, 96(4), e70126
Date: 02/2026
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Update to the Payment for Historically Excepted Tribal Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) for Calendar Year (CY) 2026
Provides an overview of updates to the historically excepted Tribal Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) Prospective Payment System (PPS) rate for calendar year 2026.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
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