RHIhub This Week - May 13, 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.
Where Primary Care and Clinical Pharmacy Services 'Intersect': Louisiana Program Helps Patients Understand and Manage Medicationsby Gretel Kauffman The Intersect program at Arbor Family Health connects chronic disease patients with nurse health coaches and clinical pharmacists. |
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May 12, 2026 -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Heartland Forward, a nonprofit organization focused on driving economic growth and stronger communities, particularly in rural and underserved areas. HHS and Heartland Forward will collaborate on initiatives to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality and strengthen care before, during, and after pregnancy. Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Rural Hospitals Train for Emergency Deliveries as Maternity Deserts Expand May 11, 2026 -- The Care Collaborative, a University of Kansas Health System patient safety organization, has launched a program to support maternity care in rural areas, by offering in-person instruction at emergency rooms across the state. In Kansas only about a third of rural hospitals still deliver babies. Source: WAFB9 Mental Health Awareness Month: National Maternal Mental Health Hotline May 7, 2026 -- In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is highlighting the importance of mental health among pregnant and postpartum women. The National Maternal Mental Health Hotline can be reached at 1-833-TLC-MAMA and offers free, confidential support 24/7 by call, text, and chat. Source: Health Resources and Services Administration Advancing Surgical Care in Underserved and Rural Communities May 6, 2026 -- The American College of Surgeons has created or participated in programs and courses to help surgical teams eliminate disparities in care for underserved and rural communities. These include the Rural Trauma Team Development Course, the Prehospital Blood Transfusion Coalition, and the Emergency Medical Services for Children program. Source: American College of Surgeons Missouri Tests Medical Drones to Speed Up Rural Care May 6, 2026 -- A Missouri University of Science and Technology medical drone delivery program is trialing the delivery of time-sensitive medical materials, including blood and lab samples, between hospital hubs and smaller communities in Missouri. Source: Fox News Federal RegisterPublic Inspection: CMS: Medicare, Medicaid, and Children's Health Insurance Programs: Announcement of Nationwide Temporary Moratoria on Enrollment of Home Health AgenciesMay 13, 2026 -- Pre-publication notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announcing a 6-month nationwide moratorium on the Medicare enrollment of home health agencies. The moratorium takes effect on May 13, 2026. Source: Federal Register Public Inspection: CMS: Medicare, Medicaid, and Children's Health Insurance Programs: Announcement of Nationwide Temporary Moratorium on Enrollment of Hospices May 13, 2026 -- Pre-publication notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announcing a 6-month nationwide moratorium on the Medicare enrollment of hospices. The moratorium takes effect on May 13, 2026. Source: Federal Register HHS: Extension of Compliance Dates for Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability; Accessibility of Web Content and Mobile Applications of Recipients of Departmental Financial Assistance May 11, 2026 -- Notice of an interim final rule with request for comments from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) extending the web content and mobile application (app) accessibility compliance dates established in the May 9, 2024, final rule. The compliance date for recipients with 15 or more employees is extended to May 11, 2027. The compliance date for recipients with fewer than 15 employees is extended to May 10, 2028. This rule is effective May 7, 2026. Comments are due by July 6, 2026. Source: Federal Register HRSA: Notice of Criteria for Determining Maternity Care Health Professional Target Areas May 7, 2026 -- Notice of final rule from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) finalizing updates to the criteria for determining Maternity Care Target Areas (MCTAs), geographic areas within Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) that have a shortage of maternity care health professionals. This rule also summarizes and responds to comments received on the February 3, 2026, proposed rule. Updates to Maternity Care Health Professional Target Areas will be implemented beginning August 15, 2026. Source: Federal Register |
Grants to support the efforts of current and former Drug Free Communities grant recipients to prevent substance use among youth by addressing local drug crises and emerging drug use issues. The focus is on prevention of opioid, methamphetamine, and prescription drug use among youth, including activities targeting rural and tribal communities. Geographic coverage: Nationwide Application Deadline: Jun 8, 2026 Sponsors: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Association for Rural and Small Libraries Conference Professional Development Award Funding to support rural and small library staff in enhancing their ability to serve their communities with trustworthy health information. This opportunity is designed to build capacity in delivering health information, increase community access to reliable resources, and foster library staff as local health information leaders by covering pre-conference training and conference travel for rural and small library staff. Geographic coverage: Nationwide and U.S. territories Application Deadline: Jun 15, 2026 Sponsors: National Institutes of Health, Network of the National Library of Medicine, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, U.S. National Library of Medicine Community Connect Broadband Grant Program Grants for communities without broadband access to provide residential and business broadband service and connect facilities such as police and fire stations, healthcare, libraries, and schools. Geographic coverage: Nationwide and U.S. Territories Application Deadline: Jun 29, 2026 Sponsors: U.S. Department of Agriculture, USDA Rural Development, USDA Rural Utilities Service Rural Capacity Building for Community Development and Affordable Housing Grants Grants to fund national organizations that can provide technical assistance to rural communities that will be targeted to help communities create thriving community development and affordable housing strategies that will result in healthier homes and communities. Geographic coverage: Nationwide Application Deadline: Jul 6, 2026 Sponsor: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development |
Presents 56 measures of health and well-being from 25 data sources, to provide a picture of older adult health across the country, with comparisons by metro and nonmetro areas. Features insights on factors that shape the health of older adults in rural areas, and includes a state-level map with shadings showing ranges of rural population age 65 and older as of 2024. Additional links: Executive Brief, Risk of Isolation County-Level Maps, State Summaries Sponsoring organization: United Health Foundation Date: 2026 CAH Financial Indicators Report: Summary of Indicator Medians by State Presents state and national median values of 30 financial indicators included in the Critical Access Hospital Measurement and Performance Assessment System (CAHMPAS). Provides an overview of each measurement and reports median values by state. Indicators represent seven areas of financial performance: profitability, liquidity, capital structure, revenue, cost, utilization, and other. Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team Date: 04/2026 Economic Stability of Children, a Key Social Determinant of Health, in the United States: Differences by Rurality Presents a study exploring economic security as a social determinant of health for rural children. Compares rates of economic security for rural and urban children by three different measures: housing instability, food insecurity, and income inadequacy. Author(s): Elizabeth Crouch, Emma Boswell, Cassie Odahowski, et al. Location: Journal of Rural Health, 42(2), e70164 Date: 05/2026 Exploring Definitions of "Rural" Provides an overview of common definitions of rurality used by federal agencies, including the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), USDA, and National Center for Health Statistics, as well as the Center for Rural Innovation's own definition. Includes color-coded maps demonstrating how each definition is applied. Sponsoring organization: Center on Rural Innovation Date: 05/2026 Fatal Human Case of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N5) in a Backyard Flock Owner — Washington, November 2025 Reports on a Washington resident who lived on a rural property, kept ducks that had been ill, and died from acute respiratory failure after receiving a positive influenza A(H5) test result. Describes a multijurisdictional public health response focused on determining exposure sources, identifying people who were exposed, and monitoring for additional cases. Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Location: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 75(17), 221-225 Date: 05/2026 HEARTLAND Protocol: A Tiered Clinical Implementation Toolkit for Primary Care-Led Heart Failure Management in Rural and Resource-Limited Settings Presents a study on the efficacy of the HEARTLAND (Heart failure Evidence-based Access in Rural Treatment, Linking Advanced Network Delivery) protocol at managing heart failure (HF) in rural and low-resourced healthcare settings. Highlights the protocol's structure and the process by which it evaluates patient HF risk, establishes monitoring, and ensures continuity of care. Author(s): Vicky Muller Ferreira Location: Cureus, 18(3), e104817 Date: 03/2026 Occupant Restraint Use in 2025: Results From the NOPUS Controlled Intersection Study Presents results from the 2025 National Occupant Protection Use Survey (NOPUS) Controlled Intersection Study. Features statistics from 2024 and 2025 including child restraint use by age, with breakdowns by urban and rural areas. Sponsoring organization: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Date: 05/2026 Patient-Centered Burdens and Economic Outcomes among Patients Who Are Veterans, People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, and People Living in Rural Areas and Their Caregivers: A Scoping Review Provides a literature review on patient-centered burdens and economic outcomes (PCBEOs) for military veterans, people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), and people living in rural areas. Includes 126 studies from 2015-2025 and examines for PCBEOs such as direct medical and non-medical monetary costs, indirect impacts such as unpaid caregiving and time off work, and intangible burdens such as delayed career advancement. Discusses emotional and psychological strain of PCBEOs among these groups. Author(s): Naomi Buell, Ella Shenkar, Sydney Kirsch, et al. Location: Frontiers in Public Health, 14 Date: 04/2026 State-Level Medicaid Expansion and Hospital, Federally Qualified Health Center, and Rural Health Clinic Availability Explores the association between state Medicaid expansion and the availability of hospitals, Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), and Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) in states that expanded Medicaid between 2014-2016. Examines the presence of hospitals, FQHCs, and RHCs in urban and rural counties between 2010-2019. Author(s): Elliott Paintsil, Sebastian Linde Location: Journal of Rural Health, 42(2), e70159 Date: 05/2026 Transforming Rural Health: Strategies from the Field - Workforce Development A brief providing strategies for addressing rural healthcare workforce shortages. Discusses how healthcare facilities can use workforce pathways and other training and education programs to improve workforce availability. Sponsoring organization: Georgia Health Policy Center Date: 04/2026 Trends in Medicare Advantage Quality for Nonmetropolitan Enrollees, 2019-2023 Examines quality of care in Medicare Advantage (MA) plans by geography, region, and plan type. Analyzes average ratings of 2019-2023 MA plans on a 1-5 star rating scale according to metro, micro, or noncore rural location. Provides additional data on MA enrollments by rural concentration of contracts as well as star ratings by benchmark quartile and quality bonus capping. Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis Date: 05/2026 What to Know About Medicare Coverage of Telehealth Discusses telehealth use by Medicare patients before, during, and after declaration of the COVID-19 public health emergency. Notes temporary telehealth provisions set to expire December 31, 2027, telehealth provisions made permanent, and trends in use since 2020. Includes rural and urban comparisons of telehealth use since 2020. Discusses payment models for Medicare and Medicare Advantage, current policies related to telehealth, program integrity, and the cost of coverage through Medicare. Sponsoring organization: KFF Date: 03/2026 Whole Health, Whole Communities — Dialogues to Reduce Rural Health Disparities Summarizes discussions from the 2025 Whole Health, Whole Communities: Dialogues to Reduce Rural Health Disparities symposium on the short, intermediate, and long-term policy, financing, workforce, and data infrastructure reforms needed to implement Whole Health principles across rural health systems. Author(s): Jyoti Savla, Taryn Pelletier, Karen A. Roberto, et al. Location: NEJM Catalyst Innovations in Care Delivery, 7(s2) Date: 04/2026 |
Deadline: Jun 15, 2026 Event Dates: Oct 19 - 20, 2026 Baltimore, MD Conference Website Call for Presenters: 2026 North Country Leadership Summit Deadline: Jun 30, 2026 Adirondack Health Institute Event Dates: Sep 30 - Oct 1, 2026 Lake Placid, NY Conference Website Call for Abstracts: 2026 Annual Appalachian Translational Research Network (ATRN) Health Summit Deadline: Jul 10, 2026 Event Dates: Oct 12 - 13, 2026 Columbus, OH Conference Website |
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