RHIhub This Week - September 24, 2025
As an information clearinghouse on rural health issues, RHIhub provides access to a wide range of resources on relevant topics. Inclusion on RHIhub does not imply endorsement of, or agreement with, the contents by RHIhub or the Health Resources and Services Administration.
Check out our Am I Rural? tool with September 2025 updates to the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) defined rural areas data. Run a report to see if your location is considered rural using this definition. |
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McPherson Hospital High School Internship ProgramA program in McPherson, Kansas gives high school students hands-on experience while filling high-need roles in a rural hospital. |
Recently Added to the Online Library |
Sep 23, 2025 -- Announces revisions to the State & Congressional District Profiles Dashboard to include metrics relevant for The Rural Transformation Fund including workforce shortage area designations, opioid overprescribing counties, and Medicaid coverage data. The Dashboard was created in partnership with the National Rural Health Association (NRHA) and National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health (NOSORH). Source: Stroudwater Associates Harvest Season Is Here: Busy Times Call for Increased Focus on Safety and Health Sep 22, 2025 -- Highlights best practices in agricultural health and safety during the September harvest season. Discusses safety around equipment, mental health, and for children on farms. Source: NIOSH Science Blog HHS Dispatches More Than 70 Public Health Service Officers to Strengthen Care in Tribal Communities Sep 22, 2025 -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has mobilized over 70 Public Health Service Officers to Indian Health Service (IHS) facilities across the country in a move to address staffing shortages. Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Wisconsin Rural Hospitals Team up to Form Network Sep 19, 2025 -- Announces a new network of rural hospitals in Wisconsin, allowing the participating hospitals to control costs and collaborate to improve patient care. Notes recent closures of rural hospitals in the state, mirroring a national trend. Source: Chief Healthcare Executive Federal RegisterDHS: Weighted Selection Process for Registrants and Petitioners Seeking To File Cap-Subject H-1B PetitionsSep 24, 2025 -- Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) proposing to amend its regulations regarding the process by which the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) selects H-1B registrations for unique beneficiaries for filing of H-1B cap-subject petitions. DHS proposes implementing a weighted selection process that would generally favor the allocation of H-1B visas to higher skilled and higher paid aliens, while maintaining the opportunity for employers to secure H-1B workers at all wage levels. Comments on the NPRM are due by October 24, 2025. Comments on revisions of associated information collections are due by November 24, 2025. Source: Federal Register NHTSA, DOT: National Emergency Medical Services Advisory Council Sep 18, 2025 -- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is accepting applications from qualified candidates to be considered for appointment as members of the National Emergency Medical Services Advisory Council (NEMSAC). NEMSAC serves as a nationally recognized council of emergency medical services (EMS) representatives and consumers to provide advice and recommendations regarding EMS to the U.S. Department of Transportation. Applications are due by October 20, 2025. Source: Federal Register |
Resources to assist organizations in the application for Look-Alike Initial Designation under the Health Center Program. Geographic coverage: Nationwide Applications accepted on an ongoing basis Sponsors: Bureau of Primary Health Care, Health Resources and Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services USDA Circuit Rider Program - Technical Assistance for Rural Water Systems Technical assistance for rural water systems to address issues in the areas of operations, finances, and management in order to meet statutory and regulatory oversight requirements. Geographic coverage: Nationwide and U.S. Territories Applications accepted on an ongoing basis Sponsors: U.S. Department of Agriculture, USDA Rural Development, USDA Rural Utilities Service |
Compares ambulatory services utilization for more than 5.5 million dual and non-dual Medicaid and Medicare individuals. Describes the rural or urban status of the population studied as well as whether services were utilized in a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) or Rural Health Clinic (RHC), among other demographic and service related factors. Author(s): Joshua M. Liao, Paula Chatterjee, Yueming Zhao, et al. Location: Health Affairs Scholar, 3(8) Date: 08/2025 Appalachian Diseases of Despair: Final Report Analyzes the impact of diseases of despair on mortality within Appalachia, focusing on mortality from alcohol, prescription drug, and illegal drug overdose; suicide; and alcoholic liver disease/cirrhosis of the liver. Includes data through 2023, with demographics and breakdowns by subregion, county economic status, and levels of rurality. Sponsoring organizations: Appalachian Regional Commission, East Tennessee State University Center for Rural Health Research, NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis Date: 07/2025 Best Practices for Implementing the Continuum of Crisis Services Under Medicaid and CHIP Provides guidance for states to maintain a continuum of behavioral health crisis care for patients covered by Medicaid and CHIP. Details core elements of the continuum of crisis care and how Medicaid and CHIP function within that framework. Highlights considerations for rural communities. Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Date: 09/2025 Description of a Collaborative Rural Dental Scholar Program Discusses a series of initiatives to increase Alabama's rural dental workforce through a partnership between The University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry and The University of Alabama College of Community Health Sciences. Describes the interventions designed to get rural students interested and participating in oral health training. Details a summer program for high school students, a pathway program for post-grads, and scholarships for participating students. Author(s): Carly Timmons McKenzie, Paul Drake Lavender Location: Journal of Dental Education, 89(9), 1356-1361 Date: 09/2025 Evaluation of the Rural Community Hospital Demonstration: CCA Extension Final Report (Covering 2016-2021) Provides an overview of the Rural Community Hospital Demonstration (RCHD), focusing on the 26 hospitals that participated during the extension period authorized by the 21st Century Cures Act (2016-2021). Describes the characteristics of active RCHD participants before they joined the demonstration, the Medicare payments received under the program, and the impact of the RCHD on hospital financial measures. Additional links: Appendices, At-A-Glance Sponsoring organizations: American Institutes for Research, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Date: 09/2025 Expanding Access to Integrated Medicare-Medicaid Programs in Rural Communities Discusses the rural population who are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid and their unique physical health, mental health, and health-related social needs (HRSNs). Includes information on dual eligibility issues related to access, integrated care, and managed care infrastructure. Provides a literature review and stakeholder interview feedback focused on potential strategies to improve healthcare integration. Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Care Strategies Date: 08/2025 Fast Facts: Rates of Chronic Conditions Consistently Higher Among Adults in Rural Areas Compares the prevalence of chronic health conditions and associated risk factors in rural and urban areas, utilizing 2023 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data. Includes data on health conditions including obesity, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cardiovascular disease, arthritis, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and depression, among others. Includes state-by-state rural health data for select conditions. Sponsoring organization: America's Health Rankings Date: 09/2025 Health Panel Comment Letter – Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment and Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment Systems Proposed Rule Comments offered in response to a July 17, 2025, proposed rule revising the Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment Systems for calendar year 2026. Discusses proposals for the Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting (OQR), Rural Emergency Hospital Quality Program (REHQR), and Ambulatory Surgical Center Quality Reporting (ASCQR) Programs. Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel Date: 09/2025 Hospital Trends in the Use, Evaluation, and Governance of Predictive AI, 2023-2024 Describes trends in the foundational use, evaluation, and governance of predictive artificial intelligence (AI) in hospitals using data from the 2023 and 2024 American Hospital Association (AHA) Information Technology (IT) supplement. Presents data on the differences in acute care hospitals' use of predictive AI by hospital size, CAH status, rural/urban location, independent/system affiliation, and electronic health record (EHR) vendor. Sponsoring organization: Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy/Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology Date: 09/2025 Nursing Homes Failed to Report 43 Percent of Falls With Major Injury and Hospitalization among Their Medicare-Enrolled Residents Explores the extent to which falls with major injury that resulted in hospitalization among Medicare-enrolled nursing home residents were accurately reported by nursing homes in Minimum Data Set (MDS) assessments between July 2022 and June 2023. Compares the nursing home and patient characteristics associated with higher rates of unreported falls, including nursing home size, ownership structure, rurality, and overall star rating. Additional links: Report Highlights Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS) Date: 09/2025 Primary Care Practice-Based Research Networks and Publications, 2014– 2023: Synthesis Report: Identifying and Supporting the Needs of Primary Care Practice-Based Research Networks Describes the research and publication work of Practice-Based Research Networks between 2014 and 2023. Discusses topic areas addressed more and less frequently as well as challenges for PBRNs that are smaller, less established, and not associated with an academic facility. Discusses recommendations for future research to close knowledge gaps including for rural research. Sponsoring organizations: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, National Center for Excellence in Primary Care Research Date: 09/2025 Rural Health Transformation Program Resources: Rural Facility and Population Score Estimates by State Spreadsheet indicating estimated rural facility and population scores for each state according to the methodology in Appendix 4 of the Rural Health Transformation Program Notice of Funding Opportunity. Sponsoring organization: The Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research Date: 09/2025 Rural-Urban Comparisons of Nursing Staff Turnover among Skilled Nursing Facilities Results of a study assessing facility-level turnover rates for nursing personnel across levels of rurality and by region, using data from 14,986 facilities. Features statistics on turnover rates in 2022, with breakdowns by total nursing staff and registered nurses only, and by rural or urban areas. Also includes a county-level map showing average nursing staff turnover rates. Sponsoring organization: University of South Carolina Rural Health Research Center Date: 09/2025 State Strategies for Strengthening Rural Health: Insights from NASHP's 2025 Annual Conference Summarizes a session from the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) 2025 Annual Conference regarding state strategies to improve access to care in rural communities. Highlights policies from North Dakota, Washington, and West Virginia related to workforce and capacity challenges, broadband and telehealth, behavioral health access points, and linking health and social care. Sponsoring organization: National Academy for State Health Policy Date: 09/2025 Supporting Rural Health Facilities Discusses strategies pursued by states to strengthen the financial stability of rural hospitals and expand access to primary care, behavioral healthcare, and emergency care. Describes state policies related to technical assistance, financial stabilization grants, payment models, Rural Health Clinics (RHCs), health centers, Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs), and free-standing emergency departments. Sponsoring organization: National Conference of State Legislatures Date: 09/2025 A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Tobacco 21 Policies and Youth Tobacco Use: Implications for Future Policy Research Examines the impact of Tobacco 21 (T21) policies that raise the sales age of tobacco to 21 on youth smoking. Utilizes 24 completed studies to analyze T21 regulations on smoking behaviors of respondents aged 11 to 20. Discusses T21 impacts in rural and urban areas. Author(s): Danyi Li, Shiyou Wu, Steve Sussman, Mary Ann Pentz Location: The Lancet Regional Health - Americas, 50, 101208 Date: 10/2025 |
Deadline: Sep 30, 2025 Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America Event Dates: Feb 2 - 5, 2026 National Harbor, MD Conference Website |
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