Rural Health
Resources by Type: Document
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
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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
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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
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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
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Community Relationships and Physician Retention in Clinician Shortage Areas
Results of a study examining the connections of community needs fulfillment and community integration with anticipated retention of physicians in rural Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) and urban HPSAs. Features demographics and statistics with breakdowns by type of practice, including Federally Qualified Health Centers and Look-Alike Health Centers, Rural Health Clinics, and hospital-based sites.
Author(s): Donald E. Pathman, David F. Schmitz, Thomas R. Konrad, Thomas E. Rauner, Mike Shimmens
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 9(9), e2635692
Date: 09/2026
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Results of a study examining the connections of community needs fulfillment and community integration with anticipated retention of physicians in rural Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) and urban HPSAs. Features demographics and statistics with breakdowns by type of practice, including Federally Qualified Health Centers and Look-Alike Health Centers, Rural Health Clinics, and hospital-based sites.
Author(s): Donald E. Pathman, David F. Schmitz, Thomas R. Konrad, Thomas E. Rauner, Mike Shimmens
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 9(9), e2635692
Date: 09/2026
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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
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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
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The Integrated Vulnerability Measure a Novel Financial Distress Index for US Hospitals
Tests the effectiveness of the integrated vulnerability measure (IVM) in identifying hospitals at risk of experiencing financial distress within 2 years. Discusses using IVM in decision-making and compares IVM to other distress indicators.
Author(s): Julianna Bernadi, Paul Ursino, Kevin Gormley, et al.
Citation: Health Affairs Scholar, 4(9)
Date: 09/2026
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Tests the effectiveness of the integrated vulnerability measure (IVM) in identifying hospitals at risk of experiencing financial distress within 2 years. Discusses using IVM in decision-making and compares IVM to other distress indicators.
Author(s): Julianna Bernadi, Paul Ursino, Kevin Gormley, et al.
Citation: Health Affairs Scholar, 4(9)
Date: 09/2026
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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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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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Building a Robust Primary Care Workforce: Diffusing Lessons Across States
Blog post examining primary care workforce shortages in rural and underserved areas. Describes efforts by Missouri, North Carolina, and Wisconsin to develop and implement state-level graduate medical education strategies to increase their primary care workforce.
Author(s): Erin Fraher, Andreas Stomby
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: Milbank Memorial Fund
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Blog post examining primary care workforce shortages in rural and underserved areas. Describes efforts by Missouri, North Carolina, and Wisconsin to develop and implement state-level graduate medical education strategies to increase their primary care workforce.
Author(s): Erin Fraher, Andreas Stomby
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: Milbank Memorial Fund
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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
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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
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The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act (P.L. 119-101)
Provides an overview of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act (P.L. 119-101), which became law on July 11, 2026, and aims to address housing supply and affordability. Summarizes each provision of the law, as well as deadlines applicable to federal agencies. Includes references to rural programs throughout.
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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Provides an overview of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act (P.L. 119-101), which became law on July 11, 2026, and aims to address housing supply and affordability. Summarizes each provision of the law, as well as deadlines applicable to federal agencies. Includes references to rural programs throughout.
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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A Community-Focused Rural Academic Health Department Model in North Carolina: Elevating Community Engagement, Rural Public Health Practice and Research
Examines the collaboration among a rural district health department, the local community in north-central North Carolina, and academic partnerships. Discusses the development of a rural academic health department (RAHD) and its work related to public health research and interventions in rural areas.
Author(s): Carmen D. Samuel-Hodge, Lisa Macon Harrison, Wendy Smith, et al.
Citation: Frontiers in Public Health, 14
Date: 09/2026
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Examines the collaboration among a rural district health department, the local community in north-central North Carolina, and academic partnerships. Discusses the development of a rural academic health department (RAHD) and its work related to public health research and interventions in rural areas.
Author(s): Carmen D. Samuel-Hodge, Lisa Macon Harrison, Wendy Smith, et al.
Citation: Frontiers in Public Health, 14
Date: 09/2026
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