In-depth stories examining key rural health issues.
July 1, 2026
Pediatric readiness — the ability to provide quality emergency care for pediatric patients — can mean the difference between life and death for a child. Rural providers in Texas and Wyoming are improving their pediatric readiness through nationally available resources, while Georgia is bringing the training to its providers.
June 10, 2026
Hospital and health center boards play an important role in the success of healthcare facilities. Rural CEOs and board members from Colorado, Missouri, North Dakota, and Oklahoma and experts from national organizations share the expectations of a hospital or health center board, orientation and ongoing education, as well as ways to improve board governance.
March 11, 2026
The second annual Rural Workforce Innovation Potluck brought together healthcare professionals from around the country to share their own experiences in rural recruitment, retention, and bridging workforce gaps.
February 18, 2026
Efforts to grow public awareness, encourage testing, and expand resources in Idaho and Kansas may offer a blueprint for lead poisoning prevention.
January 28, 2026
The health benefits associated with cycling are vast. But in some rural areas, potential cyclists can be discouraged by a lack of bike-friendly infrastructure or the absence of a local cycling community.
December 10, 2025
To meet the demand for affordable child care, rural healthcare organizations in Indiana, North Dakota, and Wisconsin have partnered with childcare providers, schools, businesses, nonprofits, and other organizations. These healthcare facilities sell or lease space at a steep discount, and one formed a cooperative with other businesses to offer child care.
September 17, 2025
A national recruitment organization, state behavioral health organizations in Nebraska and South Carolina, and a mental health center CEO in Michigan discuss the challenges in recruiting and retaining mental health professionals in rural areas and share solutions.
November 13, 2024
The RUPRI Health Panel, consisting of six of the foremost rural health experts from across the country, is celebrating 30 years of nonpartisan policy analysis. Members reflect on the Panel's history – and their ongoing commitment to representing rural communities and perspectives in national health policy discussions.
November 6, 2024
From the 2036 physician supply predictions: 6% shortage in urban, but 56% in rural. With supply influenced by 100 years of attitudes, health policies, and federal funding, this historical review leads up to the recent decades of new federal funding and policies that experts said will be changing this geographic maldistribution of physicians.
October 23, 2024
Maternal deaths have increased in the U.S., with half of those deaths occurring in the year after childbirth. In many rural communities, accessing necessary postpartum care has become increasingly difficult.
