RHIhub This Week - May 6, 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.
New Insights on the Rural Public Health Workforce, with Casey Balio and Betty BekemeierCheck out our latest episode featuring Casey Balio, PhD, research assistant professor at the East Tennessee State University Center for Rural Health and Research, and Betty Bekemeier, PhD, MPH, RN, FAAN, director of the Northwest Center for Public Health Practice. |
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May 5, 2026 -- According to research done for the Appalachian Regional Commission, deaths associated with drug overdoses, alcohol, and suicide have been declining, but Appalachian deaths of despair remain 33% higher than those in the rest of the U.S. People born between 1981-1999 are among those most affected by deaths of despair. Source: The Daily Yonder Facing Financial Pressure, Rural Hospitals Adapt to Survive May 4, 2026 -- Several Oklahoma rural hospitals have created or expanded swing bed programs, which allow hospitals to use inpatient beds for post-acute care. The additional revenue stream helps facilities remain viable and avoid closure, and allows patients to receive follow-up care locally. Source: Oklahoma Watch At Tribal Health Clinics, Patients Are Finding Success Managing Diabetes May 1, 2026 -- The Nez Perce Tribe's Nimiipuu Health Clinic and the Yellowhawk Tribal Health Center at the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation offer diabetes management programs, providing patients access to registered dietitians, fitness classes and cooking classes. Source: Northwest Public Broadcasting Rural Rebels: UNLV Dentists Bringing Big Care to Small Towns May 1, 2026 -- Highlights 3 graduates of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas School of Dental Medicine practicing comprehensive dentistry in rural Nevada and Texas. Source: UNLV News Center Grassley, Bennet Lead Legislation to Extend Rural Hospital Program Apr 30, 2026 -- Announces proposed bipartisan legislation to extend the Rural Community Hospital Demonstration program 5 more years. RCHD allows for innovative hospital payment model testing under Medicare to maintain healthcare access for rural communities. Source: Office of Senator Chuck Grassley Federal RegisterED: Reimagining and Improving Student Education-Federal Student Loan Program Final RegulationsMay 1, 2026 -- Notice of final rule from the U.S. Department of Education amending the regulations for the federal student loan programs authorized under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to implement changes outlined the July 4, 2025, Working Families Tax Cuts Act (Public Law 119-21). Among other things, these changes include establishing new loan limits for graduate students, professional students, and parents; phasing out the Graduate PLUS (Grad PLUS) Program; and establishing a new income-driven repayment plan known as the Repayment Assistance Plan. This final rule is effective July 1, 2026. Source: Federal Register |
Monetary award for community-based organizations (CBOs) to recognize partnerships with healthcare entities that improve health outcomes and quality of life for older adults, people with disabilities, and/or caregivers. Geographic coverage: Nationwide Application Deadline: May 13, 2026 Sponsors: Aging and Disability Business Institute, The John A. Hartford Foundation, USAging National Environmental Public Health Internship Program Application for Students Internship opportunity for students studying accredited environmental health academic programs. Geographic coverage: Nationwide Application Deadline: Jun 1, 2026 Sponsor: National Environmental Health Association Distance Education Grants Program for Institutions of Higher Education in Insular Areas Grants to institutions of higher education in U.S. territories, commonwealth, and freely associated states designed to strengthen the capacity to carry out resident instruction, curriculum, and teaching programs in the food and agriculture sciences through distance education technology. Geographic coverage: U.S. Territories, Commonwealth, and Freely Associated States Application Deadline: Jun 15, 2026 Sponsors: National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture National Rural Health Leadership Virtual Residency Program A one-year, fee-based virtual leadership training program designed to enhance the skills and ensure the success of new rural health leaders. Geographic coverage: Nationwide Application Deadline: Jun 15, 2026 Sponsor: Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative Rural Program Directors University A training, networking, and peer learning community for program, associate program, and site directors of rural residency programs, training tracks, and pathways. Geographic coverage: Nationwide Application Deadline: Jun 26, 2026 Sponsor: Rural Medical Training Collaborative (formerly the RTT Collaborative) Distance Learning and Telemedicine Program Grants Grants to help rural communities use advanced telecommunications technology to connect to each other, and the world, overcoming the effects of remoteness and low population density. Geographic coverage: Nationwide Application Deadline: Jun 30, 2026 Sponsors: U.S. Department of Agriculture, USDA Rural Development, USDA Rural Utilities Service America's Healthy Food Financing Initiative Food Access and Retail Expansion (FARE) Fund Grants and Technical Assistance Grant funding for projects related to food retail supply chain resiliency, access to healthy foods, employment, and low-income community revitalization. Geographic coverage: Nationwide Letter of Intent (Required): Jul 31, 2026 Application Deadline: Oct 30, 2026 Sponsors: Healthy Food Financing Initiative, Reinvestment Fund, U.S. Department of Agriculture, USDA Rural Development Small Ambulatory Program for American Indians and Alaska Natives Funding to construct, expand, and/or modernize tribal owned ambulatory healthcare facilities. Facilities must serve American Indian and Alaska Native people and be operated pursuant to a healthcare services contract or compact entered into under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act. Geographic coverage: Nationwide Application Deadline: Aug 3, 2026 Sponsors: Indian Health Service, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Dental Trade Alliance (DTA) Foundation Grants Funding for projects and research to increase access to and utilization of oral healthcare. Geographic coverage: Nationwide and U.S. Territories Application Deadline: Nov 30, 2026 Sponsor: Dental Trade Alliance Foundation Quality Payment Program Exceptions The opportunity to apply for exceptions to meeting Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) program requirements. The 2 exceptions include extreme and uncontrollable circumstances and promoting interoperability hardship. Geographic coverage: Nationwide Application Deadline: Dec 31, 2026 Sponsor: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Tribal Undergraduate to Graduate Research Training and Leadership Experiences (TURTLE) Program (UE5 and T32/T34) Funding for tribal entities to support educational and mentoring activities that complement and/or enhance the training of a workforce to meet the nation's biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research needs. Geographic coverage: Nationwide and U.S. Territories Application Deadline: Jan 25, 2027 Sponsor: National Institutes of Health NRHA Rural Health Clinic Leader Certification Program A certification program designed to support and strengthen Rural Health Clinic leadership. Geographic coverage: Nationwide Applications accepted on an ongoing basis Sponsor: National Rural Health Association |
Presents a study using administrative data and electronic health records from VA health systems to compare firearm injuries among rural and urban veterans. Breaks down rural and urban veteran data by patient characteristics, such as age, marital status, and behavioral health diagnoses, among others. Author(s): AnnaMarie S. O'Neill, Lauren A. Maxim, Tess A. Gilbert, et al. Location: Journal of Rural Health, 42(2), e70153 Date: 04/2026 A Closer Look at Rural Nursing Homes Compares characteristics of nursing homes in rural and urban areas including patient population data, distribution, and ownership. Also discusses payer mix, healthcare quality, and staffing levels. Highlights changes between 2015 and 2025 for some data. Sponsoring organization: KFF Date: 04/2026 Geographic Variation in Average Salary Expense Among Rural Hospitals Nationwide, 2018–2022 Examines the change in hospital wages between 2018–2019 and 2021–2022, with a focus on the geographic variation in these changes among Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and rural Prospective Payment System (PPS) hospitals. Describes the variation in average salary expense per full-time equivalent (FTE) employee for rural hospitals from 2018 to 2022. Appendices include the median salary expense per FTE of rural hospitals each year by U.S. Census region, state Medicaid expansion status, Core-Based Statistical Area (CBSA), Frontier and Remote Area (FAR) code, and by state. Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program Date: 04/2026 Group Prenatal Care in Rural Settings: Experiences from Rural Maternal Health Networks Describes a rural maternal health network, Families First: Rural Maternity Health Collaborative, in northern Minnesota. Discusses federal maternal health funding focused on group prenatal care and service delivery models. Sponsoring organization: Rural Maternal Health Data Support and Analysis Program Date: 08/2025 Health Panel Comment Letter - Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, HHS Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters for 2027; and Basic Health Program Offers comments in response to a February 11, 2026, proposed rule regarding methods to improve the implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Discusses rural-specific issues related to cost sharing for bronze and catastrophic plans. Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel Date: 03/2026 Indigenous Healthcare Advancements - WayFinder Searchable mapping system that helps users to locate healthcare systems that serve American Indian and Alaska Native patients. Allows patients to locate Indian Health Service (IHS), tribe-operated, urban Indian, or community-based facilities by city, ZIP code, reservation, or current location. WayFinder shows locations on a map and provides the address, contact information, and healthcare services provided, as well as other types of facility offerings. Sponsoring organization: Indigenous Healthcare Advancements Integrated Care for Kids (InCK) Model: Evaluation Report 3 Presents findings from the first two years of the implementation of the Integrated Care for Kids (InCK) Model, which aims to improve health outcomes for Medicaid-enrolled children with complex physical and behavioral health needs. Provides an overview of the InCK Model and profiles each InCK award recipient's model; the impacts of the InCK Model on navigation and coordination, utilization and expenditures, quality of care, and beneficiary and caregiver experience of care; and the extent to which service changes or disruptions occurred and impacted care delivery. Identifies award recipients serving rural areas. Additional links: Findings at a Glance Sponsoring organizations: Abt Associates, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Date: 05/2026 Medicare Payment for Rural or Geographically Isolated Hospitals, 2026 Displays data on Medicare payment adjustments for Sole Community Hospitals, Medicare-Dependent Hospitals, Low-Volume Hospitals, and Critical Access Hospitals. Includes information on the number of qualifying hospitals by state and eligibility criteria. Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service Date: 04/2026 Medicare Wage Index Trends in Rural and Urban Hospitals Before and During the Low Wage Index Policy, 2018–2022 Provides an overview of the wage index and its role in hospital reimbursement and financial stability. Describes the pattern of wage index values for rural and urban prospective payment system (PPS) hospitals from 2018 to 2022. Explores the impact of the low-wage index policy (LWIP), which was implemented in fiscal year 2020, and the potential implications of its discontinuation in fiscal year 2025. Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program Date: 04/2026 MedPAC Comment on CMS's Proposed Rule on Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility for FY 2027 Comments on an April 6, 2026, Federal Register proposed rule addressing updates to the prospective payment system for inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs) for fiscal year 2026. Includes comments on the potential creation of an IRF-specific wage index and refinements to the IRF payment system, such as changes to IRF patient clinical classification. Includes rural considerations throughout. Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission Date: 04/2026 Multi-Listing among Rural Kidney Transplant Recipients: A National Cohort Study Explores the efficacy of multi-listing, or being added to waiting lists at more than two centers, for rural people who qualify for a kidney transplant as a method for improving rural transplantation rates. Breaks down data by patients characteristics of both recipients and donors and whether they were multi-listed prior to transplant. Author(s): Erin R. Weeda, Arwen B. L. Declan, Patricia J. Greene, Derek A. DuBay Location: Journal of Rural Health, 42(2), e70156 Date: 04/2026 National Association of Rural Health Clinics 2026 Policy Survey Report Summarizes results of a 2026 national survey of Rural Health Clinics (RHCs). Presents data on the average payer mix, telehealth use and management trends, Medicare Advantage (MA) contracts and reimbursement rates compared to traditional Medicare rates, value-based care participation, challenges, and more. Sponsoring organization: National Association of Rural Health Clinics Date: 04/2026 Primary Care Access and the Role of Telemedicine for Traditional Medicare Beneficiaries Examines how in-person and telehealth primary care use, access, and continuity of care varied among Medicare beneficiaries between 2017 and 2023, using traditional Medicare claims and administrative data. Includes data comparisons by level of rurality, among other factors. Author(s): Ishani Ganguli, Nicolas E. Daley, Andrew Hicks, et al. Location: JAMA Health Forum, 7(5), e260979 Date: 05/2026 Transportation Planning in Non-Metropolitan/Rural Areas 2026 Discusses transportation planning in rural and non-metro areas, exploring the ongoing roles of state departments of transportation (DOTs), regional planning entities (RPEs), and Regional Transportation Planning Organizations (RTPOs) to collaborate and focus on rural planning. Provides a literature review, survey data from transportation planning entities, and case studies. Additional links: Read Online Sponsoring organizations: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, Transportation Research Board Date: 2026 |
Deadline: May 27, 2026 AgriSafe Network Event Dates: Sep 21 - 25, 2026 Conference Website Call for Abstracts: 2026 Appalachian Syndemic Summit Deadline: May 28, 2026 Community Education Group Event Dates: Sep 9 - 11, 2026 Huntington, WV Conference Website Call for Poster Abstracts: 2026 MATRC Telehealth Summit Deadline: Jun 8, 2026 Mid-Atlantic Telehealth Resource Center Event Dates: Aug 10 - 12, 2026 Herndon, VA Conference Website |
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