Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Healthcare needs and services
Study of the Feasibility and Desirability of Establishing a Delinquent Billing Reimbursement Grant System for Ambulance Service Providers - Survey Results & Overview
Presents a the results of a study on the feasibility of implementing a grant-funded reimbursement system for ambulance service providers in North Dakota. Explores the financial stability of North Dakota's EMS providers under the fee-for-service model and highlights gaps and shortfalls in reimbursement. Discusses the effect of these reimbursement issues in both rural and urban areas.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organizations: North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services, North Dakota EMS Association, North Dakota Legislative Council
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Presents a the results of a study on the feasibility of implementing a grant-funded reimbursement system for ambulance service providers in North Dakota. Explores the financial stability of North Dakota's EMS providers under the fee-for-service model and highlights gaps and shortfalls in reimbursement. Discusses the effect of these reimbursement issues in both rural and urban areas.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organizations: North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services, North Dakota EMS Association, North Dakota Legislative Council
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Empowering Rural Communities: Overcoming Barriers to Substance Use Treatment
Webinar recording discusses the ways rural communities can overcome barriers to substance use disorder (SUD) treatment and uptake. Explores substance use data for rural communities and outlines common barriers, such as travel times and distance to care, provider shortages, and concerns about stigma and patient confidentiality. Highlights strategies for rural communities to leverage their community bonds and faith communities to address SUD, and details models for expanding treatment and patient support in rural areas.
Additional links: Webinar Slides
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Addiction Technology Transfer Center Network
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Webinar recording discusses the ways rural communities can overcome barriers to substance use disorder (SUD) treatment and uptake. Explores substance use data for rural communities and outlines common barriers, such as travel times and distance to care, provider shortages, and concerns about stigma and patient confidentiality. Highlights strategies for rural communities to leverage their community bonds and faith communities to address SUD, and details models for expanding treatment and patient support in rural areas.
Additional links: Webinar Slides
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Addiction Technology Transfer Center Network
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From Expansion to Expiration: Federal Policy Waivers and Telehealth Utilization in US Primary Care (2016–2024)
Examines the impact of COVID-19 federal policy waivers on the long-term sustainability of telehealth access. Provides a scoping review of 2016-2024 articles focused on telehealth utilization for primary care, the removal of geographic restrictions in telehealth policy, and the subsequent impact on healthcare access for rural areas.
Author(s): Abhilasha Bellapu, John Geracitano, Jamie Conklin, Saif Khairat
Citation: Advances in Health Information Science and Practice, 2(1), eRCTG8117
Date: 02/2026
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Examines the impact of COVID-19 federal policy waivers on the long-term sustainability of telehealth access. Provides a scoping review of 2016-2024 articles focused on telehealth utilization for primary care, the removal of geographic restrictions in telehealth policy, and the subsequent impact on healthcare access for rural areas.
Author(s): Abhilasha Bellapu, John Geracitano, Jamie Conklin, Saif Khairat
Citation: Advances in Health Information Science and Practice, 2(1), eRCTG8117
Date: 02/2026
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COVID-19: Federal Efforts to Support Behavioral Health Programs During the Pandemic
Describes how selected Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) awardees provided behavioral health services during the COVID-19 pandemic and how SAMHSA supported awardees' response to the pandemic. Discusses how SAMHSA's advisory councils and Policy Lab supported the agency's COVID-19 response. Includes rural references throughout.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Describes how selected Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) awardees provided behavioral health services during the COVID-19 pandemic and how SAMHSA supported awardees' response to the pandemic. Discusses how SAMHSA's advisory councils and Policy Lab supported the agency's COVID-19 response. Includes rural references throughout.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Willingness of Older Adults to Travel for Medical Care
Presents results from a survey of 2650 adults aged 65 years and older on their willingness to travel for primary care, specialty care, and one-time diagnostic appointments. See Table 3 for metro-nonmetro data comparisons, among other demographic data breakdowns.
Author(s): Jeremy Burke, Tabasa Ozawa, Ying Liu, Wei Ye, Soeren Mattke
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 9(2), e2560280
Date: 02/2026
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Presents results from a survey of 2650 adults aged 65 years and older on their willingness to travel for primary care, specialty care, and one-time diagnostic appointments. See Table 3 for metro-nonmetro data comparisons, among other demographic data breakdowns.
Author(s): Jeremy Burke, Tabasa Ozawa, Ying Liu, Wei Ye, Soeren Mattke
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 9(2), e2560280
Date: 02/2026
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Model Standards for Crisis Care Workers
Proposes national standards for crisis care workers responding to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline and other behavioral health hotlines. Outlines 10 different standards for crisis care workers, such as core values and competencies; education, training, and qualifications; and standards for supervision, among others. Discusses some considerations for rural communities, such as lack of transportation and workforce shortages.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Proposes national standards for crisis care workers responding to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline and other behavioral health hotlines. Outlines 10 different standards for crisis care workers, such as core values and competencies; education, training, and qualifications; and standards for supervision, among others. Discusses some considerations for rural communities, such as lack of transportation and workforce shortages.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Reporting and Performance of Maternity-Related Quality Measures in Critical Access Hospitals
Describes the characteristics of Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) with and without labor and delivery services. Examines CAH quality reporting and performance on five key measures related to maternity care and birth outcomes. Explores relationships between maternity care quality performance and CAH characteristics such as system affiliation, volume, and location. Identifies quality measures related to maternity and birth outcomes that are most feasible and relevant for CAHs and rural hospitals.
Author(s): Madeleine Pick, Megan Lahr, Mikayla Reinke, Hamdi Abas
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Describes the characteristics of Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) with and without labor and delivery services. Examines CAH quality reporting and performance on five key measures related to maternity care and birth outcomes. Explores relationships between maternity care quality performance and CAH characteristics such as system affiliation, volume, and location. Identifies quality measures related to maternity and birth outcomes that are most feasible and relevant for CAHs and rural hospitals.
Author(s): Madeleine Pick, Megan Lahr, Mikayla Reinke, Hamdi Abas
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Multicounty Outbreak of Salmonella Agbeni Linked to Ice in a Cooler at a County Fair — Illinois, August 2024
Reports on a salmonella outbreak in Illinois that originated at a rural county fair. Describes how the outbreak was identified by the county sheriff during jury screening due to many in the jury pool being ill. Mentions the use of AI for hypothesis generation as a useful approach in this rural setting for situational awareness and early case finding.
Author(s): Katherine E. Houser
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 75(7), 93-97
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Reports on a salmonella outbreak in Illinois that originated at a rural county fair. Describes how the outbreak was identified by the county sheriff during jury screening due to many in the jury pool being ill. Mentions the use of AI for hypothesis generation as a useful approach in this rural setting for situational awareness and early case finding.
Author(s): Katherine E. Houser
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 75(7), 93-97
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Association Between Social Determinants of Health and Cardiovascular Risk in Pregnant Women, United States
Examines the relationship between cardiovascular health (CVH) in pregnant women and the social determinants of health (SDOH). Utilizes 2016-2020 Pregnancy Risk Assessment and Monitoring System (PRAMS) survey data and analyzes CVH risk according to patient demographics, health behaviors, social determinants, rural residence, and more.
Author(s): Shazia Shaukat, Jennifer Horney, Xiaopeng Ji, Christine Hoch, Lauren Covington
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 23
Date: 02/2026
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Examines the relationship between cardiovascular health (CVH) in pregnant women and the social determinants of health (SDOH). Utilizes 2016-2020 Pregnancy Risk Assessment and Monitoring System (PRAMS) survey data and analyzes CVH risk according to patient demographics, health behaviors, social determinants, rural residence, and more.
Author(s): Shazia Shaukat, Jennifer Horney, Xiaopeng Ji, Christine Hoch, Lauren Covington
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 23
Date: 02/2026
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Geographic Distribution of Gastroenterologists and Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease in the United States
Analyzes the geographic distribution of gastroenterologists alongside patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Provides ratios on the availability of gastroenterologists per 100,000 people in the general population and per 100 patients with IBD. Includes data on rurality of gastroenterologists and patients as well as U.S. maps showing their distribution.
Author(s): Navneet Upadhyay, Aisha Vadhariya, Magdaliz Gorritz, et al.
Citation: Clinical and Translational Gastroenterology 17(2), e00953
Date: 02/2026
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Analyzes the geographic distribution of gastroenterologists alongside patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Provides ratios on the availability of gastroenterologists per 100,000 people in the general population and per 100 patients with IBD. Includes data on rurality of gastroenterologists and patients as well as U.S. maps showing their distribution.
Author(s): Navneet Upadhyay, Aisha Vadhariya, Magdaliz Gorritz, et al.
Citation: Clinical and Translational Gastroenterology 17(2), e00953
Date: 02/2026
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