RHIhub This Week - June 3, 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.
Preventing Death and Supporting Recovery, with Ray Antonacci and Sarah CzarneckiCheck out our latest episode featuring Lincoln County Ambulance District Chief Ray Antonacci and Battalion Chief Sarah Czarnecki sharing their award-winning RCORP-funded initiative to provide buprenorphine to incarcerated individuals in county jail. Part 1 in a 3-part series featuring the 2026 Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP) Innovation Tank finalists. |
|
|||
Intersect: Individualized Collaborative Drug Therapy ProgramA primary care-based program in rural Louisiana uses a multidimensional team approach to connect rural patients with clinical pharmacists via telehealth. |
Recently Added to the Online Library |
Jun 3, 2026 -- Describes a pilot program that aims to increase lung cancer screenings in rural Minnesota. Discusses higher rates of tobacco use for rural adults compared to urban adults and how the program addresses cancer screening barriers through a "whole-of-office" approach. Source: The Daily Yonder How Rural Hospitals Are Strengthening Heart and Stroke Care Jun 2, 2026 -- Describes the American Heart Association's Rural Health Care Outcomes Accelerator, a program designed to assist rural hospitals with implementing evidence-based heart disease and stroke care. The 3-year free program includes access to resources, peer-learning and collaboration, and the AHA's Get With The Guidelines program. Highlights improved outcomes at hospitals across the country as part of participation in the program. Enrollment is open through June 2028. Source: National Rural Health Association Programs Aim to Get Rural North Dakotans Moving, Eating Healthier Jun 2, 2026 -- Highlights North Dakota Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) funding that will address nutrition and physical activity. Discusses chronic illness in the state and describes some of the programs hoping to be awarded funding including community walking programs, gardening programs, and school-based physical activity programs. Source: ND News Cooperative Will Doctors Trade 5 Years In Rural Hawaiʻi For Free Med School? Jun 2, 2026 -- A new program in Hawaii offers free medical school in exchange for practicing in a rural Hawaiian community for 5 years. Describes the physician shortages in Hawaii and profiles some of the students already participating in the program, which is funded through the state's Rural Health Transformation Program. Source: Honolulu Civil Beat Working Draft Guidebook of Policies and Procedures for PRMR and MSR 2026 Jun 1, 2026 -- Comments are being accepted on the Partnership for Quality Measurement's 2026 draft of the Guidebook of Policies and Procedures for Pre-Rulemaking Measure Review (PRMR) and Measure Set Review (MSR). 2026 updates include PRMR recommendations meeting structure, PRMR measure previews, MSR performance and impact analyses, public comment posting, and website enhancements. Comments are due June 21, 2026. Source: Partnership for Quality Measurement Louisiana Launches Rural Tech Catalyst Fund to Advance Rural Health Care Innovation May 27, 2026 -- Announces new funding for rural health work that expands workforce capacity; supports startup growth and private investment; strengthens technology infrastructure; builds pathways for piloting and scaling solutions; and creates partnerships between government, providers, and industry. Supported by the state's Rural Health Transformation Program plan. Source: Louisiana Economic Development Federal RegisterCMS: Medicaid Program; Community Engagement Requirement for Certain IndividualsJun 3, 2026 -- Notice of an interim final rule with comment period from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) related to the Medicaid community engagement requirement established by Public Law 119-21. This rule specifies the requirements and expectations for States implementing the community engagement requirement, including the Medicaid applicants and beneficiaries who must demonstrate community engagement as a condition of their eligibility, the types of qualifying activities that satisfy the community engagement requirement, the criteria to meet an exception from the requirement, and the criteria to meet a specified exclusion from the requirement. Among other things, this rule also establishes new state reporting requirements. These regulations are effective July 31, 2026. Comments are due by July 31, 2026. Source: Federal Register Public Inspection: OPM, TREAS, DOL, HHS: Federal Independent Dispute Resolution Operations Jun 2, 2026 -- Pre-publication notice of final rule from the Office of Personnel Management; Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Department of the Treasury; Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA), Department of Labor (DOL); and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) related to certain provisions of the No Surprises Act regarding the Federal independent dispute resolution (IDR) process. Among other things, this rule finalizes new requirements relating to the disclosure of information that group health plans and health insurance issuers offering group or individual health insurance coverage must include along with the initial payment or notice of denial of payment for certain items and services subject to the surprise billing protections in the No Surprises Act, amendments to certain requirements related to the open negotiation period preceding the Federal IDR process, and the definition of bundled payment arrangements. These rules are effective 60 days after the publication of this notice, which is scheduled for June 4, 2026. Source: Federal Register OMB: Regulation for Federal Financial Assistance May 29, 2026 -- Notice of proposed rule from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) proposing revisions to the Guidance for Federal Financial Assistance to improve government-wide policies and requirements related to the management of grants, cooperative agreements, and other forms of assistance. These revisions are intended to improve transparency, accountability, and oversight for federal awards. Among other things, this rule proposes elimination of fixed amount awards and fixed amount subawards, proposed payment accountability reforms, reforms related to subrecipient oversight, and changes to national policy provisions. Comments are due by July 13, 2026. Source: Federal Register |
Grants to improve rates of postsecondary enrollment, persistence, and completion among rural students through development of career pathways aligned to high-skill, high-wage, and in-demand industry sectors and occupations in the region. Health and human services are among the in-demand industry clusters. Geographic coverage: Nationwide Application Deadline: Jun 23, 2026 Sponsor: U.S. Department of Labor Support Families in the Justice System (Justice for Families) Program Grants designed to improve the response of the civil and criminal justice system for families with a history of domestic/dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, and in cases involving child sexual abuse. Priority will be given to projects dedicated to direct victim services and/or criminal justice responses in small towns and rural, remote, and tribal communities. Geographic coverage: Nationwide and U.S. territories Application Deadline: Jul 16, 2026 Sponsors: Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice AstraZeneca Quality Improvement Grant for Lung Cancer Funding to develop and deliver strategies to improve guideline concordant care (evidence-based clinical care) and/or clinical trial access for lung cancer patients in the community and rural care settings. Geographic coverage: Nationwide Application Deadline: Jul 24, 2026 Sponsors: ASCO Foundation/Conquer Cancer, AstraZeneca Rural Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Program Grants for projects designed to address and prevent sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking in rural communities. Applicants may also apply for the Rural Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (Rural SANE) Initiative. Geographic coverage: Nationwide and U.S. Territories Application Deadline: Jul 24, 2026 Sponsors: Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice Tribal Victim Services Set-Aside Formula Program Grants for tribal communities to expand and enhance services for victims of crime. Geographic coverage: Nationwide Application Deadline: Aug 6, 2026 Sponsors: Office for Victims of Crime, U.S. Department of Justice Tribal Institutional Review Board Establishment and Enhancement (TIRBEE) (R24 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Funding to support federally recognized American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) Tribes, tribal colleges and universities, tribal health programs, or tribal organizations (collectively, eligible tribal entities) to establish Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) or enhance the capacity of existing tribal IRBs. Geographic coverage: Nationwide Application Deadline: Jan 27, 2027 Sponsors: National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services |
Presents a point-in-time estimate of the number of people experiencing sheltered and unsheltered homelessness in January 2025. Explores national estimates on homeless individuals, families, unaccompanied youth, veterans, and chronically homeless individuals. Provides data on homelessness trends over time, demographics of homeless individuals, sheltered individuals, and differences by geography. Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Date: 05/2026 Analysis of 340B Program Impact on Rural Hospitals Examines the impact of the 340B program on rural hospitals and their patients. Provides data on rural versus urban payers and patient demographics, utilization of 340B drugs under Medicare Part B, financial metrics, and more. Sponsoring organizations: Avalere Health, The National Grange Date: 02/2026 Billing of Distant Site Telehealth Services in Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) Presents instructions on how Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) should bill distant site telehealth services for services provided on or after October 1, 2026. Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Date: 05/2026 Dementia Diagnostic Deserts: Workforce and Geographic Inequities in the Diagnostic Pathway for Cognitive Impairment Describes the "Triple Disadvantage Zones" or the places where rurality, Primary Care Health Professional Shortage Areas, and social deprivation converge to create a dementia diagnostic desert resulting in both delayed diagnosis and over-testing. Discusses training gaps for nurse practitioners and physician assistants as well as policy measures to mitigate diagnosis errors. Author(s): Zhijing Xu, Ying Xue, Yaguang Zheng, Bei Wu Location: Health Affairs Scholar, 4(5) Date: 05/2026 MBQIP Quality Measures National Annual Report - 2024 Summarizes quality measure reporting rates and performance among Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) in 2024. Presents data on the five Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Project (MBQIP) domains: global measures, patient safety, patient engagement, care coordination, and emergency department. Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team Date: 06/2026 Medicare Advantage Enrollment Update 2025 Reports on the percentage of rural Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare Advantage (MA) plans by metropolitan and nonmetropolitan location and plan type, from 2015-2025. Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis Date: 05/2026 Rural Housing: Weaknesses in Data Quality and Use Limit HUD's Ability to Assess Effectiveness of Service Coordinators Provides an overview of service coordinators in rural federally assisted housing that link residents to healthcare, transportation, and other supportive services. Describes the availability and quality of data on these service coordinators and evidence of their effects on residents' well-being. Offers recommendations for collecting data on service coordinators and analyzing performance. Additional links: Full Report Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office Date: 06/2026 Strengthening Rural Health Centers: Challenges, Innovations, and Opportunities Provides an overview of how health centers serve rural residents. Describes workforce and geographic challenges rural health centers face. Includes data on states where rural health centers serve over half of all health center patients in the state. Discusses areas for key investments to strengthen the ability of health centers to serve their patients and communities. Sponsoring organization: National Association of Community Health Centers Date: 06/2026 Sustaining Rural Labor & Delivery Programs: Strategies & Considerations Webinar A recorded webinar that discusses strategies to improve financial sustainability of rural hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs). Focuses on financial performance, reimbursement opportunities, and operational models identified in the Sustaining Rural Labor & Delivery Programs report. Transcript available below transcription. Sponsoring organization: Stroudwater Associates Date: 05/2026 Trauma and Emergency Surgical Care at Rural Emergency Hospital-Eligible Facilities: Interstate Variation and Policy Implications for Rural Health Systems Explores trauma and emergency general surgery volumes at hospitals eligible to become Rural Emergency Hospitals (REHs). Analyzes 2021 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project data from California, Florida, Iowa, Maryland, and Wisconsin, to describe the volume of emergency general surgery and trauma care performed at REH-eligible hospitals. Examines the characteristics of the populations and communities served by hospitals eligible for REH designation compared with those served by REH-ineligible hospitals. Discusses the potential impact of converting to the REH designation on access to trauma and emergency general surgery. Author(s): Nina M. Clark, Alexandra H. Hernandez, Cody L. Mullens, et al. Location: Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, 100(5), 768-776 Date: 01/2026 |
|
Tell Us How RHIhub Has Impacted YouEmail kristine@ruralhealthinfo.org about how RHIhub has impacted you. Your stories may be used in testimony, budget documents, and presentations concerning the Rural Health Information Hub. |