RHIhub This Week - March 18, 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.
Do you have a passion for connecting audiences to the information they need? Do you have experience working with rural health issues? Join the Rural Health Information Hub team as our Outreach Specialist, a role focused on promoting our products and services across the country. This position is open to remote work. Applications are due March 25th.
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Allied Health Workforce: Supporting Rural Providers, with Chris LamanCheck out our latest episode featuring Chris Laman, Vice President of Strategy at Columbia Memorial Hospital. Part 2 in a 3-part series from the December 2025 Health Innovation Potluck held in Hutchinson, Kansas. |
Community Health Workers ToolkitOur toolkit was just updated! It highlights models, shares best practices, and provides resources and information to support the development, implementation, and evaluation of rural community health worker programs. |
Rural Mental HealthOur topic guide sharing information and resources on mental health in rural areas was just updated! The guide offers details on challenges impacting the delivery of mental healthcare services in rural areas such as workforce shortages, reimbursement concerns, and stigma. It also shares tools to find treatment, data on the impact of suicide in rural communities, and information on strategies and programs to address mental health issues for rural populations. |
Recently Added to the Online Library |
Mar 17, 2026 -- Describes Auburn Rural Studio, an architecture program based in rural Alabama. Describes the student-driven community development work over 30 years and the local benefits such as affordable housing. Notes that the program considers not just housing but also community resources such as reliable wastewater systems and public spaces. HRSA to Celebrate Upcoming Match Day with New Investments in Community-Based Medical and Dental Training Mar 17, 2026 -- Announces more than $5 million in funding for 26 teaching health centers offering primary care medical and dental residency programs in rural and other communities through the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education program. The program supports training in community-based outpatient facilities and is a strategy for increasing workforce in rural and underserved communities. Source: Health Resources & Services Administration UNE Medical Students Learn Firsthand the Challenges, Rewards of Rural Health Care Mar 16, 2026 -- Describes student experiences in Rural Health Immersion, a program introducing medical students to rural healthcare practice and rural culture through the Maine Area Health Education Center (AHEC) Network. Discusses the program's impact on recruiting health workforce across Maine. Source: University New England News Meet the Farmer Who Helped Mayo Strengthen Its Understanding of Rural Health Care Mar 13, 2026 -- Profiles a rural Minnesota farmer, discussing his career in healthcare research at the Mayo Clinic. Describes the work he did integrating rural and farming culture into the work and knowledge base of Mayo Clinic researchers and medical students. Highlights Farm Days, a event on his farm to educate Mayo Clinic researchers about health and safety hazards in farm work. Source: MPR News Lawmakers Send Bill to the Governor to Help Rural Hospitals Open New Services Mar 12, 2026 -- Describes state-level legislation in Mississippi creating a pilot program that changes certificate of needs (CON) laws. The program would loosen CON regulations for small communities with extra exemptions for the Mississippi Delta. Discusses the potential impact on rural hospitals. Source: Mississippi Today LSU Health New Orleans' Rural Track Scholars Program for Dentists Impacts Communities Across the State Mar 12, 2026 -- Highlights a dentist practicing in rural Louisiana following graduation from a rural-focused track in his dental program. Describes the distribution of dentists in Louisiana, noting that 86% of Louisiana residents live in a Dental Health Professional Shortage Area. Source: LSU Stories Federal RegisterCMS: Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB Review; Comment RequestMar 17, 2026 -- The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is seeking comments on the extension of an information collection titled "Medicaid Program Face-to-Face Requirements for Home Health Services and Supporting Regulations." Physicians must document that there was a face-to-face encounter with the Medicaid beneficiary prior to the physician certifying that home health services are required. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act permits nurse practitioners (NPs), clinical nurse specialists (CNSs), and physician assistants (PAs) to certify the need for home health services and to order services in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Comments are due by April 16, 2026. Source: Federal Register VA: Veterans Rural Health Advisory Committee Mar 16, 2026 -- Notice from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs announcing that the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) intends to renew its Veterans Rural Health Advisory Committee for a 2-year period. The committee advises the Secretary of VA on rural health care issues affecting Veterans, examines programs and policies that impact the delivery of VA rural health care to Veterans, discusses ways to improve and enhance VA access to rural health care services for Veterans. Source: Federal Register |
Funds projects that build capacity for patients and others to engage with healthcare community in all phases of future patient-centered comparative clinical effectiveness research (CER). Geographic coverage: Nationwide Letter of Intent (Required): Mar 30, 2026 Application Deadline: Jul 13, 2026 Sponsor: Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute PCORI Engagement Award: Dissemination Initiative Funding to disseminate and communicate pertinent PCORI-funded research findings to relevant stakeholders in ways that will command their attention and interest and encourage use of information in their healthcare decision making. Geographic coverage: Nationwide Letter of Intent (Required): Mar 30, 2026 Application Deadline: Jul 13, 2026 Sponsor: Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute Court-Led Collaborations to Address Substance Use and Mental Health Needs in Adams County, Ohio A peer exchange opportunity for teams from 5 rural communities to participate in a structured, 2-day meeting to learn about court-led collaborations in response to behavioral health and substance use in Adams County, Ohio. Geographic coverage: Nationwide Application Deadline: Mar 31, 2026 Sponsors: Institute for Intergovernmental Research, State Justice Institute Indigenous Addiction Research Program Summer training that offers foundational knowledge and skills in Indigenous addiction research. Geographic coverage: Nationwide Application Deadline: Apr 2, 2026 Sponsors: National Indian Health Board, Northwest Native American Research Center for Health Nurse Corps Scholarship Program Scholarships for nursing students in exchange for a minimum 2-year, full-time service commitment (or part-time equivalent) at an eligible healthcare facility with a critical shortage of nurses. Geographic coverage: Nationwide Application Deadline: Apr 9, 2026 Sponsors: Bureau of Health Workforce, Health Resources and Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Make America Healthy Again - Enhancing Lifestyle and Evaluating Value-Based Approaches Through Evidence (MAHA ELEVATE) Funding to test innovative, evidence-based clinical approaches rooted in whole-person functional and lifestyle medicine that hold strong potential for improving health outcomes and reducing costs. Geographic coverage: Nationwide Letter of Intent (Required): Apr 10, 2026 Application Deadline: May 15, 2026 Sponsor: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Drug-Free Communities Support Program Awards funding to coalitions working to prevent and reduce substance use among youth and to establish and strengthen collaboration among communities and organizations to address substance use. Many rural communities have been awarded funding in the past. Geographic coverage: Nationwide and U.S. territories Application Deadline: Apr 14, 2026 Sponsors: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC), Office of National Drug Control Policy, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program Scholarships for students pursuing eligible primary care health professions training in exchange for a service commitment in an approved site in a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA). Geographic coverage: Nationwide and U.S. Territories Application Deadline: Apr 16, 2026 Sponsors: Bureau of Health Workforce, Health Resources and Services Administration, National Health Service Corps, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Water First II Community Action Grant Funding to support long term change in Native communities through the planning and implementation of policy changes that result in decreasing sugar-sweetened beverage consumption, increasing access to and consumption of safe drinking water, and/or increasing breastfeeding among families with young children. Geographic coverage: Nationwide Letter of Intent (Required): Apr 17, 2026 Application Deadline: May 20, 2026 Sponsor: Notah Begay III Foundation Foster G. McGaw Prize for Excellence in Community Health Monetary awards that honor health delivery organizations that have demonstrated exceptional commitment to community health. Geographic coverage: Nationwide Application Deadline: May 5, 2026 Sponsor: American Hospital Association Caring for Communities Grants Grants to support the work of nonprofit health centers in providing healthcare to disadvantaged communities and populations. Applications from rural communities are encouraged. Geographic coverage: Nationwide Application Deadline: Aug 31, 2026 Sponsor: American Osteopathic Foundation (AOF) |
Presents statistics on Americans with disabilities across key social and economic indicators derived from American Community Survey (ACS) data, including employment, educational attainment, health and healthcare, and more. Section 10 presents data on people with disabilities in rural areas, and compares the prevalence of disability, demographic characteristics, employment status, income, and insurance coverage status across metropolitan, micropolitan, and noncore areas. Sponsoring organizations: Center for Research on Disability, Institute on Disability, University of New Hampshire, National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research Date: 2026 Barriers to Implementing a Pharmacist-Led COPD CARE Bundle in Rural Settings: A Qualitative Evaluation Examines barriers to implementing the COPD Coordinated Access to Reduce Exacerbations (COPD CARE) program, a care bundle focused on improving chronic obstructive pulmonary disease care coordination among pharmacists, nurse care managers, and other pharmacy clinicians in the Veterans Affairs system. Describes themes from clinician interviews, including discussion of staffing challenges, limited referral availability, fragmentation of care, technological limitations, and more. Author(s): Edward Christopher Portillo, Martha Maurer, Steven Do, et al. Location: BMJ Open Respiratory Research, 13, e003178 Date: 03/2026 Comparing the Care and Distance Traveled by Rural and Urban Medicaid Beneficiaries With Opioid Use Disorder Results of a study describing the treatment for rural and urban Medicaid beneficiaries with opioid use disorder in 2019. Features demographics and statistics on number of visits and travel time and distance, with breakdowns by 5 levels of population density. Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center Date: 03/2026 Demographic and Geographic Heterogeneity in Tongue Cancer Mortality in the United States, 1999–2020 Analyzes trends in tongue cancer mortality rates by sex, race or ethnicity, rurality, and more, using 1999-2020 CDC WONDER data. See Table 1 and Figure 1 for rural-urban comparison data. Author(s): Aifeng Gong, Hengfa Ge, Chenchen Yang Location: Risk Management and Healthcare Policy, 19 Date: 02/2026 Evidence Matters: Transforming Knowledge into Housing and Community Development Policy - Rural Housing Examines housing challenges in rural areas such as affordability, structural inadequacy, homelessness, aging in place, and disaster response and recovery. Discusses the importance of defining rural as well as local, state, and federal policy and initiatives that address rural housing issues. Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Date: 2026 Healthcare and Public Health Risk Identification and Site Criticality 2.0 Toolkit (RISC 2.0 Toolkit) Offers a data-driven all-hazards risk assessment toolkit with self-assessment modules for healthcare and public health organizations, including those in rural areas, to enhance their ability to identify threats and hazards, perform risk management activities, assess vulnerabilities, and improve their security and resilience. Includes a specific cybersecurity module that focuses on the cybersecurity strength of an organization, also known as cyber risk posture, and offers guidance on related policies, controls, and practices. Additional links: Cybersecurity Module, RISC Toolkit Fact Sheet Sponsoring organization: Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response Date: 2025 Measles Outbreak — New Mexico, 2025 Reports on a communication and vaccination outreach strategy used by the New Mexico Department of Health to reach a largely rural population, in response to a measles outbreak. Discusses communication activities and coordination strategies, as well as vaccination clinics and measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccination doses administered. Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Location: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 75(9), 111-115 Date: 03/2026 MedPAC Report to the Congress: Medicare Payment Policy, 2026 Annual review of Medicare payment policies, with recommendations to Congress. Includes discussion on Medicare payment policies directly affecting rural providers and beneficiaries. Addresses payment adequacy for Medicare fee-for-service payment systems, Medicare Advantage (MA), and Medicare Part D. Includes mandated reports on the impact of regulatory changes to the home health prospective payment system and dual-eligible special needs plans. Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission Date: 03/2026 Report to Congress on Medicaid and CHIP, March 2026 Reports on four aspects of Medicaid of interest to Congress: 1) the home- and community-based services (HCBS) workforce, 2) behavioral health in Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), 3) Medicaid for justice-involved youth, and 4) Medicaid for children in foster care. Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission Date: 03/2026 Rural America's Philanthropic Sector: Grantmaking and The Role of Philanthropy in Rural Communities Discusses philanthropy in rural and urban communities including the geographic distribution of philanthropic organizations, types of organizations, and topic areas of giving. Includes maps and charts highlighting key study findings. Additional links: The Geography of Rural America's Philanthropic Sector Sponsoring organization: USDA Rural Development Date: 03/2026 Rural Health Transformation Program: State Focus on Primary Care Describes primary care initiatives addressed in state Rural Health Transformation Program applications. Covers payment and delivery systems, the primary care workforce, community partners, technology upgrades to reduce barriers to care, and infrastructure and seed funding. Sponsoring organization: National Academy for State Health Policy Date: 03/2026 The Rural Healthcare Landscape Survey: A Behavioral Health Needs Assessment Analyzes survey data from 437 behavioral health professionals to identify areas of opportunity for support and increasing access to behavioral healthcare providers and patients in rural areas. Data analyzed include survey participant demographics, rurality of clients and providers, amount of provider consultations, and professional well-being. Discusses areas of future research related to provider training, distribution of providers, burnout, and provider demographics. Sponsoring organization: Health, Education, and Rural Empowerment Lab at Oklahoma State University Date: 2025 Rural Non-Congregate Summer Meals: How Sponsors Are Implementing This Option A fact sheet that provides information on the implementation of the Rural Non-Congregate option as an expansion of the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) and the National School Lunch Program's Seamless Summer Option (SSO). Includes spotlights of local programs and their various meal service and distribution methods, delivery options, and partnerships. Sponsoring organization: Food Research & Action Center Date: 03/2026 Rural Specialty Care for Veterans with the Chronic Overlapping Pain Conditions: Fibromyalgia, Migraine, or Irritable Bowel Syndrome Presents a study on rural veterans' access to specialty care for chronic overlapping pain conditions (COPCs), such as fibromyalgia, migraine, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Explores the role of rural residence and primary care site access plays in veterans' ability to receive specialty care for COPCs. Breaks down data by patient characteristics, chronic pain conditions, care site, and provider type, among other factors. Author(s): Katherine Hadlandsmyth, Mary A. Driscoll, Jenna L. Adamowicz, et al. Location: Journal of Rural Health, 42(1), e70132 Date: 03/2026 Telehealth Resource Center Skills Matrix Outlines the technical assistance and subject matter expertise of the 14 federally funded Telehealth Resource Centers in specific telehealth topics, clinical specialties, and areas of telehealth implementation. Sponsoring organization: National Consortium of Telehealth Resource Centers Date: 03/2026 Transforming Rural Health: Strategies from the Field - Collaborating for Financial Viability A brief that provides strategies for rural hospital and clinic financial viability. Discusses examples of health facility collaborations that improve access to healthcare services, address workforce shortages, and enhance quality of care. Sponsoring organization: Georgia Health Policy Center Date: 03/2026 Wise Practices for Outreach, Messaging, and Engagement With American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) Communities Toolkit providing guidance on community engagement, language use, and imagery for researchers working with American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities. Discusses strategies for partnering with tribal leadership, understanding community priorities, and communicating in culturally appropriate ways. Sponsoring organization: NIH Community Engagement Alliance (NIH CEAL) |
Deadline: Mar 22, 2026 Rural Health Association of Oklahoma Event Dates: Sep 30 - Oct 2, 2026 Broken Arrow, OK Conference Website Call for Abstracts: 2026 3rd National Conference on American Indian and Alaska Native Injury & Violence Prevention Deadline: Mar 27, 2026 Indian Health Service, National Network of Public Health Institutes, Safe States Alliance, Seven Directions - A Center for Indigenous Public Health Event Dates: Jul 15 - 17, 2026 Green Bay, WI Conference Website Call for Proposals: 2026 Annual National Indian Health Board Tribal Health Conference Deadline: Apr 10, 2026 National Indian Health Board Event Dates: Aug 16 - 21, 2026 Chandler, AZ Conference Website |
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