RHIhub This Week - January 7, 2026
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.
Upcoming Webinar
Federal Rural DefinitionsJoin us Thursday, January 22nd at 12:00 p.m. Central to hear speakers from the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) discuss a brief history of rural populations, rural definitions, and how rural areas eligible for rural health grant programs are identified using data from various federal agencies. Includes highlights from the most recent September 2025 data release. Register to attend now! |
Recently Added to the Online Library |
Jan 7, 2026 -- The Quality Payment Program is seeking feedback from the general public on the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) Value Pathway (MVP) candidates for 2027. Feedback will be reviewed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for consideration in future rulemaking. Comments are due February 6, 2026. Source: Quality Payment Program, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Most Kentucky Counties Have No Nurse Trained to Examine, Treat Sexual Assault Victims Jan 6, 2026 -- Describes findings from a recent study evaluating access to sexual assault nurse examiners (SANEs) in Kentucky. Notes planned policy efforts as a result of study findings. Discusses rural-specific challenges with maintaining access to SANEs including training and retaining workforce. Source: Kentucky Lantern Meeting the Rural Care Crisis Jan 5, 2026 -- Discusses the role of community colleges in addressing nursing workforce shortages. Highlights programs in Oregon and Mississippi offering new facilities and accelerated training timelines to attract new students. Source: Community College Daily 'Ask for Help' Mental Health Resources and Stress Management Tips for Farmers Jan 3, 2026 -- Describes the disparate risk for suicide among rural farmers and offers recommendations for addressing that risk including telemedicine, farming support, developing hobbies, and more. Includes Iowa-focused resources for farmers. Source: Iowa Capital Dispatch Federal RegisterHRSA: Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission to OMB for Review and Approval; Public Comment Request; COVID-19 Provider Relief Fund and American Rescue Plan Rural Payment Reporting Activities, OMB No. 0906-0068-RevisionJan 7, 2026 -- Notice from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) seeking comments on an information collection regarding a form related to the COVID-19 Provider Relief Fund (PRF) and American Rescue Plan (ARP) rural payment reporting activities. The information collection is used to assess if statutory and programmatic requirements are met; conduct audits; report on findings with respect to the disbursements of PRF and ARP Rural payments; and for the program evaluation. Comments are due by February 6, 2026. Source: Federal Register |
Funding to develop and scale innovative volunteer programs that provide nonmedical assistance to older adults, adults age 18 and older with disabilities, and family caregivers. The program intends to fund local models that represent a diverse cross section of the United States in terms of geography; urban, rural, frontier, and tribal communities. Geographic coverage: Nationwide Application Deadline: Feb 26, 2026 Sponsors: Administration for Community Living, Altarum Institute, Caregiver Action Network, The Oasis Institute, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, USAging YouthBuild Grants Grants to organizations providing pre-apprenticeship services that support education, occupational skills training, and employment services for youth, ages 16 to 24, while performing meaningful work and service to their communities. The YouthBuild program model contains wrap-around services such as transportation, childcare, and housing. Applications from rural, urban, and Native American communities have been funded in the past. Geographic coverage: Nationwide Application Deadline: Mar 2, 2026 Sponsors: Employment and Training Administration, U.S. Department of Labor Indian Highway Safety Occupant Protection Grant Grants to federally recognized tribes for implementing traffic safety projects designed to reduce the number of traffic crashes, deaths, injuries, and property damage. The opportunity also includes funding for the Child Passenger Safety Seat Program. Geographic coverage: Nationwide Application Deadline: May 1, 2026 Sponsors: Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior The Role of Work in Health Disparities in the U.S. (R01 Clinical Trials Optional) Grants for innovative population-based research in how work or occupation influences health outcomes and health status among health disparity populations and how work functions as a social determinant of health. Geographic coverage: Nationwide and U.S. Territories Application Deadline: Jan 8, 2028 Sponsors: National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services |
Provides national, state, and county-specific information on changes in obstetric care access from 2010-2023. Displays county-level maps of changes in hospital-based services availability between 2010-2023, highlighting changes from 2022 to 2023. Features statistics with breakdowns by urban and rural counties. Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center Date: 01/2026 First-Year Rural Health Fund Awards Range From Less Than $100 Per Rural Resident in Ten States to More Than $500 in Eight Describes the amounts awarded to each state for the first year of the Rural Health Transformation Program. Presents state-by-state data on award amount per rural resident. Sponsoring organization: KFF Date: 01/2026 Impact of Food Accessibility on Eating and Anthropometric Outcomes among Rural Parent-Child Dyads: A Secondary Data Analysis of a Mindful Eating Intervention Examines the relationship among food insecurity, food behaviors, and health outcomes in rural children and parents enrolled in a mindful eating intervention trial. Utilizes data from 154 parent-child dyads recruited from Head Start childcare centers in the U.S. and includes breakdowns according to sociodemographics, food accessibility, eating habits, health status, and more. Author(s): Jiying Ling, Tsui-Sui Annie Kao, Xining Yang Location: BMJ Open, 15(12), e108076 Date: 12/2025 January 2026 Annual Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) Monthly Facility Payment Amount Presents the monthly Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) monthly facility payment amount for Calendar Year 2026. Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Date: 12/2025 Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS): 2026 Improvement Activities Performance Category Quick Start Guide Provides an overview of Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) requirements, data collection, and data submission for the improvement activities performance category for the 2026 performance year. Includes information about special status scoring for small practices and clinicians located in a rural or Health Professional Shortage Area. Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Date: 01/2026 Rural-Urban Differences in the Prevalence and Correlates of Elder Mistreatment Examines rural and urban differences among 11 indicators of mistreatment for older adults. Discusses the role of rural residency as a protective factor, underreporting elder mistreatment, and potential policy and community solutions that support prevention and response. Author(s): Carrie Henning-Smith, Ingrid Jacobson, Dionne Bailey, et al. Location: Journal of Applied Gerontology, 2025 Date: 12/2025 What to Ask (About) a Hospital Describes payment and financial considerations for hospitals as it relates to the hospital's organizational structure, type of care provided, location, patient population, training programs, and alternative payment models. Discusses rural considerations throughout with a close analysis in Section 6: How a Hospital's Location Matters. Sponsoring organizations: Blood Cancer United, Georgetown University's Center on Health Insurance Reforms (CHIR) Date: 11/2025 WIC Participant and Local Agency Staff Perspectives on Increased Cash-Value Benefits for Fruits and Vegetables Within an American Indian Tribal Organization Explores the perceived impacts of increased cash-value benefits for fruits and vegetables through the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program of Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) in tribal communities associated with the Inter Tribal Council of Arizona. Bases findings on a survey of participants and staff on their perceptions about the increase and its effect on their ability to access a more nutritious diet. Author(s): Emily M Melnick, Francesco Acciai, Nicole Vaudrin O'Reilly, et al. Location: Maternal & Child Nutrition, 22(1), e70148 Date: 03/2026 |
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Tell Us How RHIhub Has Impacted YouEmail kristine@ruralhealthinfo.org about how RHIhub has impacted you. Your stories may be used in testimony, budget documents, and presentations concerning the Rural Health Information Hub. |