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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Tribal communities

Behavioral Health's Place in the Alaskan Health Aide Workforce, with Xiomara Owens and Tonya Horn
An episode of the Exploring Rural Health podcast featuring Xiomara Owens, PhD, of the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium and Tonya Horn, PhD, of the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education. Focuses on how Alaska's Behavioral Health Aide program meets behavioral health needs in rural communities.
Date: 10/2026
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Tribal Water Infrastructure: Opportunities Exist to Improve Federal Assistance
Provides an overview of federal roles in tribal water infrastructure projects. Examines the extent to which the Indian Health Service (IHS) can fund water infrastructure for homes and buildings in a tribal community. Explores opportunities to streamline application processes and administrative requirements when IHS collaborates with other federal agencies. Describes the limited financial capacity some tribes have to operate and maintain their water infrastructure, and the potential effects of IHS providing financial assistance for these purposes. Presents recommendations for Congress and federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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The IHS Navajo Area Office's Internal Controls for Awarding, Monitoring, and Reporting Sanitation Facilities Construction Projects Could Be Improved
Examines how the Navajo Area Indian Health Service (NAIHS) administered funds it received under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act for 187 IHS Sanitation Facilities Construction (SFC) Program projects between fiscal years 2022 and 2024. Describes the NAIHS internal controls for awarding, monitoring, and reporting SFC Program projects, and whether NAIHS followed these controls.
Additional links: Report Highlights
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Snapshot of Indian Health Service Sanitation Facilities Construction Projects Funded Under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act
Describes how the Indian Health Service (IHS) used funds it received under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act for the IHS Sanitation Facilities Construction (SFC) Program between fiscal years 2022 and 2025. Identifies challenges that IHS faced to administer SFC Program projects and actions taken by IHS Area Offices and tribes to address those challenges.
Additional links: Report Highlights
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Correlates of Glycemic Status among American Indian Adults With Type 2 Diabetes in Rural Southeastern Oklahoma
Explores correlating factors associated with elevated glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), which is associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes complications, in a tribal community in rural southeastern Oklahoma. Discusses the relationship between elevated HbA1c levels and type 2 diabetes. Bases findings on data pulled from electronic health records and breaks down patient data by age, sex, distance to nearest clinic, and number of primary care visits per year, among other factors.
Author(s): Tarah Nelson, Diana J. Wilkie, Yingwei Yao, et al.
Citation: Nursing Research, 75(5), 338-345
Date: 09/2026
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Oregon by the Numbers - Key Measures for Oregon and Its Counties
Breaks down demographic and socioeconomic data in Oregon by county. Highlights data on various measures for each county such as food insecurity, unemployment rate, adult smoking, broadband access, and percent rural versus urban, among others.
Date: 08/2026
Sponsoring organizations: Oregon State University Rural Studies Program, The Ford Family Foundation
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Lung Cancer Screening Access and Cancer Stage at Diagnosis Among American Indian and White Patients
Examines the association between geographic access to low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) lung cancer screening facilities and stage at diagnosis among American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) and non-Hispanic White (NHW) adults in North Carolina. Utilizes 2016-2020 cancer registry and health insurance claims data to analyze 18,154 lung cancer patients according to distance to nearest LDCT, sociodemographic variables, and geography.
Author(s): Bradford E. Jackson, Madison Uhrin, Stephanie B. Wheeler, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 42(3), e70207
Date: 08/2026
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2026 Section 706 Report
Reports on broadband deployment in the U.S., with information specific to broadband access in rural and tribal communities and the U.S. territories. Includes rural broadband deployment data by state and county.
Date: 08/2026
Sponsoring organization: Federal Communications Commission
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Rural & Safety Net Health Facilities in Arizona: FORHP Rural Areas Highlighted / Frontier and Remote (FAR)
Map of Arizona's Critical Access Hospitals, Indian Health Service and Tribal Facilities, Rural Health Clinics, and Federally Qualified Health Centers. Highlights FORHP rural area and USDA frontier and remote area definitions.
Date: 08/2026
Sponsoring organization: Arizona Center for Rural Health
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Rural & Safety Net Health Facilities in Arizona
Map of Critical Access Hospitals, Indian Health Service and Tribal Facilities, Rural Health Clinics, and Federally Qualified Health Centers in Arizona.
Date: 08/2026
Sponsoring organization: Arizona Center for Rural Health
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