RHIhub This Week - January 21, 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.
Community ParamedicineOur updated topic guide answers frequently asked questions on rural community paramedicine programs and shares resources to support new and existing programs. The guide also shares information on barriers to starting a new community paramedicine program, details on funding a program, and covers education requirements for program staff. 
Rural Agricultural Health and SafetyOur topic guide sharing information on health and safety issues related to agricultural workers was just updated! The guide shares details on chronic and acute health risks and information on agricultural injuries involving children. It also covers resources and funding to help support and develop agricultural health and safety programs and information for agricultural employers developing safety measures to protect their employees. |
Recently Added to the Online Library |
Jan 20, 2026 -- Highlights a state-funded program offering charter flights for rural Hawaiians with off-island medical appointments. Describes current and projected funding needs for sustainability, physician shortages in rural areas, reimbursement rate challenges driving workforce shortages, and the state's Rural Health Transformation Program plans. Source: Honolulu Civil Beat A Rural Wisconsin Community Charts a Path for Intergenerational Care Jan 19, 2026 -- Highlights a rural community campaign to address the caregiving shortage through an intergenerational care center. Discusses the research around intergenerational care as well as how the facility could positively impact retention rates for healthcare workers in the community. Source: The Daily Yonder How Better Sleep Keeps Farmers Healthy and Safe Jan 16, 2026 -- Describes the impact of sleep on safety in farming work and overall health. Discusses the impact of poor sleep and notes that a traditional farming schedule can disrupt sleep patterns. Offers recommendations for good sleep practices and treating common sleep disorders. Source: Farm Progress: Nebraska Farmer |
Funding for training and professional development of library and archives professionals; developing faculty and information leaders; and recruiting, educating, and retaining the next generation of library and archives professionals in order to develop a broad workforce of library and archives professionals. Health, mental wellness, tribal communities, and rural communities are listed as project types. Geographic coverage: Nationwide and U.S. Territories Application Deadline: Mar 13, 2026 Sponsor: Institute of Museum and Library Services Mary Kay Domestic Violence Shelter Grant Program Grants to support domestic violence shelters. The Foundation will award a grant to at least one domestic violence shelter in every state that applies, and many grants have gone to rural areas. Geographic coverage: Nationwide Application Deadline: Apr 30, 2026 Sponsor: The Mary Kay Foundation |
Report describing the Expanded Function Dental Assistant-1 (EFDA-1) role within the Indian Health Service. Includes information about its implementation, its importance in rural and underserved areas, and its place in Washington's dental workforce and related career pathways. Sponsoring organization: UW Center for Health Workforce Studies Date: 12/2025 Evaluating Rural Healthcare Workforce Programs: Applying Modified Whole-of-Person Retention Improvement Framework in VHA Programs Examines gaps in recruitment and retention programs in addressing workforce shortages in rural areas. Uses the Veterans Health Administration's 2023 Rural Recruitment and Hiring Plan and aims to identify gaps by applying a modified whole-of-person retention improvement framework. Author(s): Meghan R. Longacre, Linda M. Kinney, Kathleen L. Carluzzo, et al. Location: Journal of Rural Health, 42(1), e70115 Date: 01/2026 General Neurology ECHO Provides virtual monthly collaborative sessions for healthcare providers on the recognition, referral, and management of neurological conditions, featuring a variety of neurology experts. Includes discussion of best practices, case-based learning, and real-time consultation. Registration is required. Sponsoring organizations: National MS Society, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Center for Telehealth and Emerging Technologies Identifying the Unique Determinants Influencing Rural Families' Engagement with an Existing Tele-assessment Approach for Autism Identification: A Qualitative Study Examines perceptions of tele-assessment for autism identification among caregivers of children with autism and community service providers in the rural Southeast. Identifies discussion themes and presents interview excerpts related to the validity, trustworthiness, feasibility, and privacy of tele-assessment for rural families. Author(s): Liliana Wagner, Tori Foster, Kemberlee Bonnet, et al. Location: Autism, 29(6), 1458-1468 Date: 12/2025 Indian Health Service and Health Care Affordability Issues Among American Indian/ Alaska Native People by Rurality Report explores healthcare affordability and Indian Health Services (IHS) utilization among American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) in rural and urban communities. Highlights rates of patients receiving care at IHS, privately insured, and uninsured in rural and urban communities, among other measures. Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center Date: 01/2026 January 2026 MedPAC Meeting Transcript Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) January 2026 meeting. Covers payment adequacy and updates for physician and other health professional services, hospital inpatient and outpatient services, skilled nursing facility services, home health agency services, inpatient rehabilitation facility services, outpatient dialysis services, and hospice services. Discusses status reports on Medicare Part D, ambulatory surgical centers, and the Medicare Advantage program, as well as mandated reports on changes to the home health prospective payment system and dual-eligible special needs plans. Includes rural references and considerations throughout. Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission Date: 01/2026 Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) 2026 Small Practice Eligibility and Participation Frequently Asked Questions Provides answers to frequently asked questions regarding small practice participation and eligibility for the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) for the 2026 performance year. Covers individual and group eligibility, the low-volume threshold, changes to group composition during the performance year, and more. Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Date: 01/2026 An Overview of Public Health Services Among Local Health Departments in Rural Versus Urban Jurisdictions Examines the services provided by rural and urban public health departments. Utilizes 2022 National Profile of Local Health Departments data to examine rural versus urban local health department (LHD) clinical programs and services, population health programs and services, and workforce infrastructure and capacity. Author(s): Gwen Davis, Margaret Cunningham, Kellie Perkins, Krishna Patel, Timothy McCall Location: Journal of Public Health Management & Practice Date: 01/2026 Providing Accountable Care Organizations the Ability to Expand the Use of Telehealth: Report to Congress Analyzes the telehealth use and spending among fee-for-service (FFS) Medicare beneficiaries assigned to accountable care organizations (ACOs). Compares the rate of telehealth use across ACO and non-ACO providers between 2020 and 2023, as well as across provider types, dual eligibility, HPSA-status of patient residence, and more. Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Date: 01/2026 Rural America at a Glance: 2025 Edition Provides an overview of social and economic factors affecting rural America, with a focus on population migration, poverty, and employment. Includes county-level maps as well as metro and nonmetro comparisons. Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service Date: 01/2026 Rural Emergency Hospitals: Emerging Patterns of Adaptation and Community Perception Examines characteristics of Rural Emergency Hospitals (REHs) and their impact on the community. Utilizes Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services cost report data to compare hospitals that converted to REHs to hospitals that did not convert. Analyzes issues such as hospital finances, local healthcare access, economic stabilization, REH reputation and use, community perceptions of quality, and more. Author(s): Anders Van Sandt, Kaitlyn Line, Anja Gruber, et al. Location: Journal of Rural Health, 42(1), e70112 Date: 01/2026 Rural Health Transformation Program: Funding Amounts and State Policy Actions Presents an analysis of Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) first-year funding across three components of the award: baseline, rural facility and population, and workload. Summarizes which states addressed certain current or proposed state policies intended to enhance the impact of the program in their RHTP applications. Sponsoring organization: The Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research Date: 01/2026 Supporting Rural Primary Care Practices in Delivering Care for Chronic Pain Provides guidance on chronic pain care in rural primary care practices. Discusses best practices for delivering high-quality care in rural areas, including discussion of substance use disorder treatment and prevention, barriers to care delivery in rural practices, and more. Sponsoring organization: University of Rochester Medicine Recovery Center of Excellence Date: 01/2026 Use of Preventive Services by Rurality, Disability Status, and Health Insurance Examines rates of use of routine physicals and flu vaccination by rural or urban location, disability status, and health insurance type. Uses data from the 2022 National Health Interview Survey. Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center Date: 01/2026 |
Deadline: Feb 16, 2026 Association of Clinicians for the Underserved Event Dates: Jul 26 - 29, 2026 Washington, DC Conference Website Call for Abstracts: 2026 Annual NACHC Community Health Conference & Expo Deadline: Feb 20, 2026 National Association of Community Health Centers Event Dates: Aug 16 - 18, 2026 Las Vegas, NV Conference Website Call for Abstracts: 2026 Rural Oncology Conference Deadline: Mar 17, 2026 Rural Oncology Institute Event Dates: Apr 18, 2026 Minneapolis, MN Conference Website Call for Abstracts: 2026 Annual NASEMSO Meeting Deadline: Mar 20, 2026 National Association of State EMS Officials Event Dates: Apr 26 - 30, 2026 Kansas City, MO Conference Website |
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