RHIhub This Week - January 14, 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.

Exploring Rural Health Podcast See All Episodes AHECs and Their Role in Sustaining the Rural Healthcare Workforce, with Dwain Harris, Brianna Sheppard, and Meredith Lair Check out our latest episode featuring Dwain Harris, Chief Executive Officer of the National AHEC Organization, along with Brianna Sheppard, PhD, Director of West Virginia Area Health Education Centers, and Meredith Lair, Executive Director of the Northeast Oregon Area Health Education Center.

Upcoming Webinar Federal Rural Definitions Join us Thursday, January 22nd at 12:00 p.m. Central for the next RHIhub webinar with speakers from the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) discussing how information is compiled from various federal agencies to identify rural areas in the U.S. to determine eligibility for rural health grant programs.

Updated RHIhub Topic Guide See All Topic Guides Capital Funding for Rural Healthcare Our updated topic guide shares information, resources, and strategies to help rural healthcare organizations run successful capital funding campaigns. The guide also shares details on the different types of funders and programs that can support capital projects, outlines capital stacking and how to use it, and more!

Recent News See All Recent News Costs, Closures and Community: Perspectives on Operating a Rural Pharmacy Jan 13, 2026 -- Discusses the work of independent pharmacies in rural communities and the challenges that come when one closes. Highlights reasons for closures including workforce recruitment challenges and low reimbursement rates. Discusses recent Colorado legislation that aimed to ease burdens on rural pharmacies in the state. Source: University of Colorado Anschutz Health Science News and Features New Mental Health Program Meets Kids Where They Are: At School Jan 12, 2026 -- Discusses a program offering mental healthcare to students in a rural Virginia school. Highlights the program's funding, the increased mental healthcare access for rural children through school-based programs, and mental health awareness. Source: Cardinal News Addressing the Shortage of Registered Nurses in Rural America Jan 9, 2026 -- Baylor University has conducted a scoping review of rural nursing workforce recruitment and retention programs across the U.S., to address shortages of registered nurses. The study highlights what is being done to support the nurses' rural communities, and which strategies work best. Source: Baylor College of Medicine Federal Register GAO: Request for Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) Nominations Jan 9, 2026 -- The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is accepting nominations for appointment to the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) by February 6, 2026. Appointments are effective May 2026. Source: Federal Register

Funding & Opportunities See All Funding Rural Health Care Program – Healthcare Connect Fund Provides assistance to healthcare providers for eligible expenses related to broadband connectivity at a flat discounted rate of 65%. Participants can apply as a member of a consortium or a stand-alone entity. Geographic coverage: Nationwide Application Deadline: Apr 1, 2026 Sponsors: Federal Communications Commission, Universal Service Administrative Company The Interdisciplinary Network on Rural Population Health and Aging (INRPHA) Pilot Grant Grant funding for pilot research that enhances the understanding of the multilevel and multidimensional drivers of rural health and aging trends and disparities including focus on within-rural heterogeneity. Geographic coverage: Nationwide Application Deadline: Apr 10, 2026 Sponsor: The Interdisciplinary Network on Rural Population Health and Aging

Resources See All Resources Access to Capital for Rural Hospitals Policy brief discussing the importance of rural hospitals having access to capital funding. Discusses previous federal efforts to improve access to capital and common types of capital used for healthcare projects. Offers policy recommendations for improving rural hospitals' access to capital for facility improvements. Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association Date: 12/2025 Access to Health Care by Rurality and Disability Status Report explores barriers to access to care by rurality and disability status. Highlights the compounding barriers to access for rural people with disabilities. Discusses barriers due to financial reasons, lack of transportation, and workforce shortages, among other factors. Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center Date: 01/2026 America's Health Rankings Annual Report 2025 Provides a national and state-by-state overview of population health by analyzing 99 measures drawn from 31 data sources to describe and rank health outcomes in the U.S. Analyzes and presents data on disparities by geography and demographic characteristics throughout. See the section titled, "Spotlight: Rural Communities," for information on trends in colorectal and breast cancer screening rates and physical inactivity of adults in rural areas between 2022 and 2024. Additional links: Executive Brief Sponsoring organization: United Health Foundation Date: 01/2026 Changes in the Availability of Inpatient Psychiatric Beds Across Rural and Urban Areas, 2012-2021 Policy brief describing numbers of Critical Access Hospitals and rural Prospective Payment System (PPS) hospitals providing inpatient psychiatric care, and comparing these to urban PPS hospitals. Also examines psychiatric unit closure rates and the effect on access to behavioral health services in rural areas. Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center Date: 04/2025 Diagnosed Allergic Conditions in Adults: United States, 2024 Offers bar charts indicating the prevalence of allergic conditions in adults in 2024 including seasonal allergies, eczema, and food allergies. Includes a break down by metropolitan and nonmetropolitan status in addition to other demographic factors. Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics Date: 01/2026 Diagnosed Allergic Conditions in Children Ages 0−17: United States, 2024 Offers bar charts indicating the prevalence of allergic conditions in children in 2024 including seasonal allergies, eczema, and food allergies. Includes a break down by metropolitan and nonmetropolitan status, sex, and age. Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics Date: 01/2026 High Prescription Drug Out-of-Pocket Spending Burden among Privately Insured Rural and Urban Adults Age 18-64 Analyzes prescription drug out-of-pocket spending among privately-insured rural and urban adults, utilizing 2017-2020 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) data. Compares average spending and high prescription out-of-pocket burden in rural and urban populations, and details implications for rural medication adherence and associated health outcomes. Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center Date: 01/2025 Patient, Facility, and Community Determinants of Timely Follow up after Abnormal Screening Mammograms in Appalachia: A Multilevel Analysis Examines the impact of community, patient, and facility characteristics on mammogram screening access, mammogram recall, and biopsy rates in 5 Appalachian states. Utilizes 2016-2018 Medicare claims data from breast imaging organizations to analyze characteristics of mammogram care, providing sociodemographic breakdowns and metro versus rural comparisons. Author(s): Roger T. Anderson, Marianne M. Hillemeier, Jennifer A. Harvey, et al. Location: Journal of Rural Health, 42(1), e70104 Date: 01/2026 Policy Trends Shaping Access to Care in 2026 Discusses policy efforts designed to support access to care, focusing on issues such as a community-based health workforce, mid-life women's healthcare, telehealth, and more. Examines policy enacted to stabilize and improve rural healthcare access. Sponsoring organization: Association of State and Territorial Health Officials Date: 12/2025 Prevalence and Correlates of Forgone Care among Older Rural and Urban Medicare Beneficiaries during the COVID-19 Pandemic Results of a study assessing rural-urban differences in forgone care among Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 and older, using data from June and July 2020. Also examines what types of care were most often forgone and what access barriers were most common. Features demographics and statistics with breakdowns by urban and rural areas. Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center Date: 01/2025 Public Health Ethics and Stakeholder Engagement: Considerations and Practices for Local Health Departments Toolkit providing strategies and resources on the use of stakeholder engagement to support public health ethics in local health departments. Includes action steps and case studies, and highlights ethical considerations related to community engagement and collaboration. See PDF pages 12-14 for a case study on access to care in rural areas. Sponsoring organization: National Association of County and City Health Officials Date: 12/2025 Report to the Secretary of Health and Human Services: Reducing Barriers to Participation in Population-Based Total Cost of Care (PB-TCOC) Models and Supporting Primary and Specialty Care Transformation Summarizes findings from the Physician-Focused Payment Model Technical Advisory Committee's (PTAC) review of information on reducing barriers to participation in alternative payment models (APMs). Discusses key issues relating to reducing barriers to participation in APMs and value-based care transformation, areas where additional research is needed, and potential next steps. Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation Date: 10/2025 Rural Residency Programs and Rural Rotation Sites Map showing locations of programs that have at least one Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) rural rotation site and programs with the majority of resident training time at FORHP sites. Includes a list with links to program websites. Sponsoring organization: RuralGME.org Rural-Urban Differences and Trends in Children's Health Insurance Coverage Examines differences in urban and rural children's insurance coverage from 2012-2019, and socioeconomic characteristics of uninsured children in 2016 and 2019. Features demographics and statistics by year, with breakdowns by urban and rural residence. Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center Date: 01/2025 Rural-Urban Differences in Homebound Status by Health and Functional Limitations Results of a study describing how rates of being homebound differ between rural and urban older adults by specific health indicators. Features statistics with breakdowns by chronic condition and rural or urban residence. Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center Date: 01/2026 Simulation on Wheels: How Mobile Training Is Saving Lives in Rural Iowa Podcast episode that discusses Simulation in Motion-Iowa (SIM-IA), a mobile clinical education program that provides rural hospitals and emergency medical service (EMS) professionals training experience in healthcare emergencies. Discusses the importance of SIM-IA in rural healthcare education to promote quality and patient safety in EMS and trauma situations. Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association Date: 01/2026 Telemedicine Utilization and Preventive Services Among a Rural Population Compares 2,012,290 rural adults who used telemedicine between January 2019 and December 2023 to identify associations with subsequent preventive service use. Notes the potential impact of study findings on increasing preventive care utilization for rural residents. Discusses the impacts of COVID-19 and other demographic and health status factors on the data. Author(s): Daniel Cullen, April M. Falconi, Carrie Levin, Geoffrey Crawford, Sarah Adkins Svoboda Location: The American Journal of Managed Care, 32(1) Date: 01/2026 Transportation for Rural People with Disabilities: Example Programs from Minnesota and Idaho Results of a study examining two rural organizations in Marshall, Minnesota and Ketchum, Idaho and the ways in which they provide transportation services to individuals with disabilities. Uses data collected through interviews conducted via Zoom in May and June 2025. Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center Date: 01/2026

Open Calls for Contributions See All Open Calls Call for Speakers: 2026 Rural Nevada EMS Conference Deadline: Mar 31, 2026 Nevada State Office of Rural Health Event Dates: Sep 16 - 19, 2026 Elko, NV Conference Website

Upcoming Events See All Events Jan 14-16 2026 Alaska Rural Health Transformation Program Convening In-Person, Virtual Jan 14 - 16 Alaska Department of Health Anchorage, AK Jan 15 CMS American Indian Alaska Native (AIAN) Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) Program Introduction Virtual Jan 15, 4:00 p.m. Eastern Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Jan 15 Creating a Foundation for Patient-Centered CER to Promote Healthy Weight in Rural Communities Virtual Jan 15, 1:30 p.m. Eastern Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute Jan 21 Rural America at a Glance, 2025 Edition Virtual Jan 21, 1:00 p.m. Eastern USDA Economic Research Service Jan 22 Federal Rural Definitions Virtual Jan 22, 12:00 p.m. Central Rural Health Information Hub Jan 26 Self-Sufficiency Initiatives with the Housing Authority of Cherokee Nation and Housing Authority of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma Virtual Jan 26, 2:00 p.m. Eastern HUD Office of Native American Programs Jan 27 CMS American Indian Alaska Native (AIAN) Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) Program Introduction Virtual Jan 27, 5:00 p.m. Eastern Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Feb 10-12 2026 37th Annual Rural Health Policy Institute In-Person Feb 10 - 12 National Rural Health Association Washington, DC Feb 11 CMS American Indian Alaska Native (AIAN) Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) Program Introduction Virtual Feb 11, 6:00 p.m. Eastern Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Feb 13 Despair and Aging in Southern Appalachia: The Great Smoky Mountains Study Virtual Feb 13, 12:00 p.m. Central The Interdisciplinary Network on Rural Population Health and Aging Feb 17 CMS American Indian Alaska Native (AIAN) Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) Program Introduction Virtual Feb 17, 12:00 p.m. Eastern Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Feb 17-19 2026 Alaska Tribal Public Health Summit In-Person Feb 17 - 19 Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium Anchorage, AK Mar 3 A Provider's Perspective on Building High Quality Cancer Care Programs in Rural Areas Virtual Mar 3, 2:00 p.m. Eastern Network of the National Library of Medicine Mar 4 2026 Annual Maryland Rural Health Association Legislative Luncheon In-Person Mar 4 Maryland Rural Health Association Annapolis, MD Mar 4 2026 Wisconsin Owns Wellbeing (WOW) Collaborative Regional Meeting - Northeastern In-Person Mar 4 Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative, Wisconsin Association Of Free & Charitable Clinics (WAFCC), Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Wisconsin Primary Health Care Association De Pere, WI Mar 4 AgriStress Response Network - Mental Health Innovations Exchange Virtual Mar 4, 10:00 a.m. Central AgriSafe Network Mar 4 Leveraging Opioid Settlement Funds for Rural Impact Virtual Mar 4, 12:00 p.m. Central National Rural Alcohol & Drug Abuse Network, Inc. Mar 6 2026 4th Annual Rural Nevada Trauma Symposium In-Person Mar 6 Northern Nevada EMS Consortium (NNEMSC) Elko, NV