Rural Health
Resources by Type: Document
Reimagining Rural Health and Well-Being
Details effective practices for promoting rural health, addresses community needs, and improves access to care among organizations focused on rural funding, service delivery, and research. Discusses funding strategies, collaborations, and other rural-specific concerns relevant to philanthropic organizations, government funders, health providers, and more. Project findings are discussed in depth via a landscape analysis and summary of listening sessions conducted throughout 2025.
Additional links: Landscape Analysis, Listening Sessions Summary
Author(s): Tanisa Adimu, John Butts, Amy Elizondo, et al.
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organizations: Georgia Health Policy Center, Grantmakers in Health, National Rural Health Association
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Details effective practices for promoting rural health, addresses community needs, and improves access to care among organizations focused on rural funding, service delivery, and research. Discusses funding strategies, collaborations, and other rural-specific concerns relevant to philanthropic organizations, government funders, health providers, and more. Project findings are discussed in depth via a landscape analysis and summary of listening sessions conducted throughout 2025.
Additional links: Landscape Analysis, Listening Sessions Summary
Author(s): Tanisa Adimu, John Butts, Amy Elizondo, et al.
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organizations: Georgia Health Policy Center, Grantmakers in Health, National Rural Health Association
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Health Panel Comment Letter - Contract Year 2027 Policy and Technical Changes to the Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Programs
Offers comments in response to a November 28, 2025, proposed rule regarding policy and technical changes to the Medicare Advantage, Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit, and Medicare Cost Plan programs for contract year 2027. Includes data on trends in chronic condition special need plans (C-SNPs) and institutional special needs plans (I-SNPs) between 2016 and 2025 and MA plan offerings by county metropolitan status.
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
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Offers comments in response to a November 28, 2025, proposed rule regarding policy and technical changes to the Medicare Advantage, Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit, and Medicare Cost Plan programs for contract year 2027. Includes data on trends in chronic condition special need plans (C-SNPs) and institutional special needs plans (I-SNPs) between 2016 and 2025 and MA plan offerings by county metropolitan status.
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
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National Consortium of Telehealth Resource Centers: Annual Report 2025
Provides an annual update on the activities of the National Consortium of Telehealth Resource Centers (NCTRC). Covers specific initiatives and developments for the two national and 12 regional Telehealth Resource Centers.
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: National Consortium of Telehealth Resource Centers
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Provides an annual update on the activities of the National Consortium of Telehealth Resource Centers (NCTRC). Covers specific initiatives and developments for the two national and 12 regional Telehealth Resource Centers.
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: National Consortium of Telehealth Resource Centers
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Building Regional Strength: A Call to Action: Four Principles for Supporting Rural Development Hubs
Discusses the importance of the Rural Development Hub model and details effective strategies for governments, philanthropies, and rural development practitioners to engage effectively with Rural Development Hub funding, collaboration, and technical support. Includes information relevant to rural and tribal health foundations and healthcare providers.
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: Aspen Institute
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Discusses the importance of the Rural Development Hub model and details effective strategies for governments, philanthropies, and rural development practitioners to engage effectively with Rural Development Hub funding, collaboration, and technical support. Includes information relevant to rural and tribal health foundations and healthcare providers.
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: Aspen Institute
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Policy Brief: Teen Mental Health and School-Based Services in California
Presents data on rural and urban teen mental health and the availability of mental health services in schools in California, and provides recommendations for facilitating mental health service availability and use in schools. See Figure 12 within Full Report for additional data on health expenditures per student by level of rurality.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: Public Policy Institute of California
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Presents data on rural and urban teen mental health and the availability of mental health services in schools in California, and provides recommendations for facilitating mental health service availability and use in schools. See Figure 12 within Full Report for additional data on health expenditures per student by level of rurality.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: Public Policy Institute of California
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Antecedents of Loneliness among Cancer Survivors: An Exploratory Analysis of the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) Data
Examines psychosocial and personal factors contributing to social isolation among cancer survivors and isolation as a mediator between those factors and mental health, using 2022 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS 6) data of 926 cancer survivors. Provides data on rural and urban populations throughout.
Author(s): Avishek Choudhury, Christopher W. Wheldon, Safa Elkefi, Priyanka Dixit
Citation: PLOS ONE, 21(1), e0323159
Date: 01/2026
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Examines psychosocial and personal factors contributing to social isolation among cancer survivors and isolation as a mediator between those factors and mental health, using 2022 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS 6) data of 926 cancer survivors. Provides data on rural and urban populations throughout.
Author(s): Avishek Choudhury, Christopher W. Wheldon, Safa Elkefi, Priyanka Dixit
Citation: PLOS ONE, 21(1), e0323159
Date: 01/2026
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Iowa Rural Behavioral Health Workforce
Offers maps and tables of the supply and distribution of behavioral health clinicians in Iowa in 2025. Includes county-level data and rural and urban comparisons.
Author(s): S.C. Woolcock, C.H.A. Andrilla, L.A. Garberson, J.M. Graves
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Offers maps and tables of the supply and distribution of behavioral health clinicians in Iowa in 2025. Includes county-level data and rural and urban comparisons.
Author(s): S.C. Woolcock, C.H.A. Andrilla, L.A. Garberson, J.M. Graves
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Iowa Rural Obstetrical Workforce
Offers maps and tables of the obstetricians and advanced practice midwives workforce distribution in Iowa in 2025. Includes county-level data and rural and urban comparisons.
Author(s): S.C. Woolcock, C.H.A. Andrilla, L.A. Garberson, J.M. Graves
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Offers maps and tables of the obstetricians and advanced practice midwives workforce distribution in Iowa in 2025. Includes county-level data and rural and urban comparisons.
Author(s): S.C. Woolcock, C.H.A. Andrilla, L.A. Garberson, J.M. Graves
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Iowa Rural Primary Care Workforce
Offers maps and tables of the primary care workforce distribution in Iowa in 2025. Includes county-level data and rural and urban comparisons.
Author(s): S.C. Woolcock, C.H.A. Andrilla, L.A. Garberson, J.M. Graves
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Offers maps and tables of the primary care workforce distribution in Iowa in 2025. Includes county-level data and rural and urban comparisons.
Author(s): S.C. Woolcock, C.H.A. Andrilla, L.A. Garberson, J.M. Graves
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Prepublication Requirements: Requirement Revisions Related to NFPA Codes and CMS CoPs
Outlines new and revised Joint Commission requirements for Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) effective March 1, 2026. Changes clarify elements of performance (EPs) based on National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) requirements and further align Joint Commission standards with Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Conditions of Participation (CoPs).
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: Joint Commission
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Outlines new and revised Joint Commission requirements for Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) effective March 1, 2026. Changes clarify elements of performance (EPs) based on National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) requirements and further align Joint Commission standards with Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Conditions of Participation (CoPs).
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: Joint Commission
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