Rural Health & Human Services News by Topic: Health occupations - Rural Health Information Hub

These Paramedics Do More than Emergency Calls. Idaho Wants More of Them. This Grant Could Help.

Mon, 10 Aug 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Describes a community paramedicine program in Idaho and hopes to expand it using Rural Health Transformation Program funding. Discusses the role paramedics play in addressing chronic and non-urgent health conditions in areas with workforce shortages.

UM-Providence Partnership Targets Improving Healthcare for Rural Kids

Thu, 06 Aug 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Describes a telehealth pilot program in Montana to address rural child abuse by connecting rural providers with training, resources, and referrals to medical providers who have specialized training in child abuse care. Discusses the lifelong health, wellness, and economic challenges that can be avoided through early intervention.

Rural Virginia EMS Crews Train for Roadside Deliveries as Labor, Delivery Units Close

Sat, 01 Aug 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Rural emergency management service crews in Virginia have received training for delivering babies on roadsides. There have been recent increases in roadside deliveries following closure of rural labor and delivery departments in some hospitals.

Community Pharmacy Partnership Expands Heart Failure Care Across Rural Regions

Fri, 31 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Describes a heart failure care program in rural West Virginia pharmacies. The program includes care coordination between local pharmacists and cardiovascular specialists to support consistent care and identify medication-related concerns early for rural patients.

Rural Radiology Technician Shortage Motivates New Technical College Program in Northeastern SD

Thu, 30 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Highlights the shortage of rural radiology technicians in South Dakota and plans to address the shortage through new technical college programs.

'It Isn't Sustainable.' Casper OB-GYN Weathers Maternity Care Shortage

Wed, 29 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Describes obstetrical and gynecological workforce shortages in Wyoming. Discusses the impact of the shortages on provider burnout, availability of routine maternal healthcare, recruiting and retention in rural and other communities, and clinic finances. Discusses the focus on maternity care in Wyoming's Rural Health Transformation Program plan.

Medical Schools Work to Address Shortage of Specialists in Rural Healthcare

Tue, 28 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Describes the shortage of physicians in rural communities and highlights medical schools across the country focused on training the rural workforce. Discusses the Health Professions Opportunity Grant (HPOG), a federal career pathway program aiming to bring more people into healthcare careers. Highlights challenges with bringing more physicians to rural communities including physician preferences and hospital closures.

WT Launches Nursing Programs Aimed at Strengthening Rural Health Care

Thu, 23 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Two new advanced nursing programs in West Texas are opening this fall. The programs aim to address healthcare workforce shortages and make emergency healthcare more accessible for the rural Texas Panhandle.

Texas Develops Academy for Rural Hospital Leaders

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Announces a new free program for rural hospital administrators and other leaders in Texas to provide professional development and continuing education. The program was created through state legislation and is expected to launch in 2027.

Building Pathways to Medicine in Utah's Rural and Tribal Communities

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Describes an outreach tour in rural and tribal Utah to engage with high school students to promote healthcare careers and expose current University of Utah Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine students to rural and tribal communities and their health needs.

Medical Students and First Responders Test Emergency Response Skills in Rural Disaster Drill

Sat, 18 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Describes an emergency response training drill on a working farm in rural Wisconsin. Notes that the drill gives practice for rural specific conditions to healthcare students and first responders.

HRSA: Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection: Public Comment Request; Information Collection Request Title: National Practitioner Data Bank for Adverse Information on Physicians and Other Health Care Practitioners-45 CFR Part 60 Regulations and Forms, OMB No. 0906-0081-Revision

Fri, 17 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Notice from the Health Services and Resources Administration (HRSA) seeking comments on an information collection request titled "National Practitioner Data Bank for Adverse Information on Physicians and Other Health Care Practitioners—45 CFR part 60 Regulations and Forms, OMB No. 0906-0081—Revision." The National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) aims to improve the quality of healthcare by encouraging hospitals, state licensing boards, professional societies, and other eligible entities providing healthcare services to identify and discipline those who engage in unprofessional behavior, and to restrict the ability of incompetent healthcare practitioners, providers, or suppliers to move from state to state without disclosure or discovery of previous damaging or incompetent performance. Comments are due by September 15, 2026.

CMS, CDC, HHS: Request for Information; Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA) Regulations

Thu, 16 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0500

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) are seeking comments on various topics related to Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 including breath testing; laboratory processes and procedures; emergency preparedness, biosafety and security, and cybersecurity; and specialty testing areas. The use of remote direct observation for assessing laboratory personnel competency for the benefit of rural and remote facilities is of particular interest. Comments are due by September 14, 2026.

County Offers Leave for EMS Volunteers

Wed, 15 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0500

A North Dakota county has changed an employee policy to allow county staff to use leave from work for volunteer ambulance service. The change is intended to increase the pool of emergency medical service (EMS) volunteers. Notes that volunteers are common for staffing rural EMS.

New LSU Health Shreveport Scholarship Program Tackling Critical Rural Workforce Shortage

Mon, 13 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Describes a physician assistant scholarship program in a Louisiana university aiming to address rural healthcare workforce shortages in the state. The program will also work with new rural clinical preceptor sites, thereby expanding access to healthcare for rural residents while also offering students rural-focused training.

Grain Bin Accidents Remain Deadly. One Farmer Hopes His Family's Story Can Help.

Sat, 11 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Discusses the risk of grain bin incidents on farms, noting that fatality rates remain high despite increased training for first responders. Highlights safety equipment and policy measures that can prevent deaths.

Summer Program Reaches 5-year Milestone in Preparing Future Physicians

Thu, 02 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0500

The University of Alabama program Tuscaloosa Rural Pre-Medical Internship is celebrating 5 years of preparing physicians for rural practice. The program recruits rural Alabama residents in high school and moves them through medical school and into rural practice while offering clinical experiences, skills training, and mentorship. The program recently welcomed the 2026 class.

USF Health Brings Emergency Pregnancy Training to Rural Florida Without Maternal Care

Thu, 02 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Describes a maternal care training program for emergency responders and hospital staff in rural Florida where maternal care is limited. The training includes simulations of emergency scenarios, preparing the trainees to handle critical issues to allow for safe patient transfers to specialty care.

What Are the Top Threats Rural Hospitals Face for Survival?

Tue, 30 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Highlights common rural hospital healthcare delivery challenges as identified by Wisconsin hospital CEOs. Discusses nursing workforce shortages, employee burnout, reimbursement rates, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, home health, Medicare Advantage, and maintaining inpatient care access.

Update to List of Professional Degree Programs Due to Court Order

Mon, 29 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Provides an interim list of programs that are and are not designated as professional degree programs following the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia's partial stay of the May 1, 2026 Reimagining and Improving Student Education (RISE) Final Rule published in the Federal Register. Offers guidance to educational institutions for disbursing funds for affected programs.

Bringing Health Care Training Closer to Home for Rural Students

Mon, 29 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Kansas City University's Rural Health Scholars program is building up the rural health care workforce in the region where Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Missouri meet. By building relationships with 8 different community colleges and 2 four-year universities, the program will accelerate career pathways for students who want to become doctors or dentists in rural communities.

Idaho Behavioral Health Council Asks Lawmakers to Prioritize Rural Communities with Opioid Funding

Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Highlights recommendations from an Idaho state advisory council regarding use of opioid settlement funds. Recommended priorities include funding projects that focus on rural and frontier communities, in addition to first responder mental health support.

Mary Baldwin University Launching Rural Mental Healthcare Program

Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0500

A Virginia university is offering a new psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner program to address a growing need for rural mental healthcare amid healthcare workforce shortages. The program will support placements in Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, and North Carolina.

New EMS Program Aims To Expand Rural Healthcare Access In W.Va.

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Interviews West Virginia Secretary of Health Dr. Arvin Singh about a community paramedicine initiative to increase assessment and treatment for primary care needs, support chronic disease management, provide follow-up services, and connect people to care in cooperation with rural emergency medical services providers in West Virginia.

$10 Million Gift Launches Statewide Effort to Expand Access to Care in Rural Alabama

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0500

A new philanthropic donation from Mike and Gillian Goodrich to the University of Alabama at Birmingham Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine will support the training of rural primary care physicians and meet rural training and residency needs. Discusses how well-supported pathways to rural practice support rural health access.

Kirksville's A.T. Still University Remains Top Producer of Rural Physicians in the Country

Tue, 23 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Highlights a medical school producing significant numbers of rural practicing physicians. Discusses perceived contributing factors including recruiting rural residents, a rural focus in the curriculum, and osteopathic medicine being suited to rural practice.

Addressing the Rural Nursing Crisis

Tue, 23 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Offers an interview with a South Dakota State University assistant professor in the College of Nursing about rural healthcare challenges and the work the university is doing to address nursing workforce shortages in both short-term acute care and long-term care settings in rural communities.

Primary Care Medics: Lessons from the Military Might Help Close Healthcare Gaps in Rural Pa.

Mon, 22 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Describes the Primary Care Medic (PC-Medic) initiative in Pennsylvania's Rural Health Transformation Program plan. PC-Medics would increase healthcare access in rural areas with workforce shortages. Discusses how medics would support existing primary care professionals as well as how to recruit veterans and rural residents to the position.

Hospital Partnership Gives UNK Students an Inside Look at Rural Healthcare

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Highlights the Rural Immersion Program, an initiative at a Nebraska university allowing students to shadow rural healthcare professionals. The program aims to build the rural health workforce in Nebraska.

This Pa. Dentist Treats 1000s of Patients from Multiple Rural Counties. What Will Happen When He Retires?

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Discusses dental workforce shortages across Pennsylvania and highlights the impact on access when a provider retires. Describes initiatives at 2 Pennsylvania universities to train dental students in regional centers and clinics as a strategy to increase the rural dental workforce. Notes these initiatives are incorporated into the state's Rural Health Transformation Program plan.