RHIhub This Week - July 1, 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.
Rural Pediatric Readiness: Improving Emergency Care for Kidsby Allee Mead Pediatric readiness — the ability to provide quality emergency care for pediatric patients — can mean the difference between life and death for a child. Rural providers in Texas and Wyoming are improving their pediatric readiness through nationally available resources, while Georgia is bringing the training to its providers. |
Rural Healthy Aging Toolkit Our recently updated toolkit features evidence-based models, implementation strategies, and practical resources to help rural communities promote healthy aging, build age-friendly communities, and improve the well-being of older adults. |
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Rhode Island Mental Health First Aid TrainingA statewide program created by the Rhode Island State Office of Rural Health and the state EMS office trained every rural fire department in the state in Mental Health First Aid. |
Recently Added to the Online Library |
Jul 1, 2026 -- Highlights a rapid response paramedic pilot program focused on decreasing response times for medical emergencies in rural Minnesota. Describes the use of pickup trucks rather than ambulances to quickly provide on-site medical care and assess whether an ambulance is needed for transport. Source: MPR News Chairman Cassidy Unveils Landmark Discussion Draft to Fix 340B, Lower Health Costs for American Patients & Families Jun 29, 2026 -- Describes proposed legislation that makes changes to the 340B Drug Pricing Program and requests feedback on the proposal. Comments are due by August 28, 2026. Source: U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Kids' Food Basket, Schools Join to Address Rural Hunger Jun 26, 2026 -- Discusses food insecurity for children in a rural Michigan community and a partnership between a school and nonprofit to educate on and connect children with nutritious food. Describes rural specific challenges in accessing food including community resources, transportation, and pride. Source: Rapid Growth Rural California Libraries Become Hubs for Blood Pressure Screenings Jun 25, 2026 -- 52 rural libraries across California are now offering blood pressure screening tools and at-home monitoring kits. Describes high rates of high blood pressure and limited access to monitoring resources. The program is part of the American Heart Association's Libraries with Heart program. Source: American Heart Association Newsroom Hawley Introduces Groundbreaking Legislation to Fund Rural Hospitals, Ensure Access to Emergency Care Jun 24, 2026 -- Announces proposed bipartisan legislation to provide funding covering emergency room operating expenses for rural hospitals. Highlights how hospital closures have affected rural Missouri communities. Source: Office of Senator Josh Hawley Federal RegisterHRSA: Lists of Designated Primary Medical Care, Mental Health, and Dental Health Professional Shortage AreasJul 1, 2026 -- The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announces the availability of the complete lists of all geographic areas, population groups, and facilities designated as primary care, mental health, and/or dental Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs). HPSA designations that are currently proposed for withdrawal will remain in this status until they are re-evaluated in preparation for the publication of the HPSA Federal Register notice on or before July 1, 2027. Lists are available on the shortage areas topic page on data.hrsa.gov and are current as of April 30, 2026. Source: Federal Register CMS: Medicare Program; CY 2027 Changes to the End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Prospective Payment System, Acute Kidney Injury Dialysis (AKI) Payment, and ESRD Quality Incentive Program Jun 26, 2026 -- Notice of proposed rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) making changes related to End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Prospective Payment System (PPS) for calendar year 2027 and proposing updates to the payment rate for renal dialysis services furnished by an ESRD facility to individuals with acute kidney injury (AKI). Among other things, this rule also proposes updated requirements for the ESRD Quality Incentive Program and includes requests for information (RFI) to inform future policies related to increasing home dialysis uptake, improving palliative dialysis, and supporting alternative dialysis schedules. Comments are due by August 24, 2026. Source: Federal Register |
Grants to support integrated healthcare networks and improve the quality of basic healthcare services to strengthen rural healthcare systems. Geographic coverage: Nationwide and U.S. territories Application Deadline: Jul 24, 2026 Sponsors: Federal Office of Rural Health Policy, Health Resources and Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Tribal Homeland Security Grant Grants to provide funding to federally recognized tribal nations to enhance their ability to prevent, protect against, respond to, and recover from potential terrorist attacks and other hazards. Geographic coverage: Nationwide Application Deadline: Jul 24, 2026 Sponsors: Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Medical Forensic Access Initiative Funding for projects that support states, tribal communities, healthcare systems, or community-based organizations in collecting, analyzing, and reporting information related to access to medical forensic examinations for women and girl survivors of sexual assault. Rural and other communities impacted by forensic healthcare access gaps are a program priority. Geographic coverage: Nationwide and U.S. territories Application Deadline: Jul 27, 2026 Sponsors: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students (SDS) Funding designed to increase the health professions and nursing workforce by providing awards to eligible health professions schools for use in awarding scholarships to students from disadvantaged backgrounds who have a financial need. The program goal is to strengthen the health professions and nursing workforce by supporting students from disadvantaged backgrounds who are more likely to practice in primary care and in rural and medically vulnerable communities. Geographic coverage: Nationwide and U.S. territories Application Deadline: Jul 28, 2026 Sponsors: Bureau of Health Workforce, Health Resources and Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Scaling Evidence-Based Falls Prevention Programs Funding to help communities reduce falls and/or falls risk among older adults and adults with disabilities through the implementation of evidence-based falls prevention programs. Projects must engage populations age 60 and older, prioritizing those with the greatest social and economic need, including rural areas. Geographic coverage: Nationwide and U.S. Territories Letter of Intent (Optional): Jul 6, 2026 Application Deadline: Jul 29, 2026 Sponsors: Administration for Community Living, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Cultivating Connected Communities Prize Challenge A national prize competition designed to identify and support existing community garden projects interested in extending their outreach to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, people living with paralysis and other physical disabilities, and older adults. Rural and frontier areas are mentioned as having barriers to participating in community activities. Geographic coverage: Nationwide Letter of Intent (Optional): Jul 15, 2026 Application Deadline: Aug 26, 2026 Sponsors: Administration for Community Living, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Appalachian Region Healthcare Technical Assistance Center Assistance Technical assistance for Appalachian healthcare providers and communities. Eligible organizations may receive guidance and funding to launch or enhance critical needed service lines. Geographic coverage: Parts of Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia, and all of West Virginia Application Deadline: Sep 4, 2026 Sponsor: Rural Health Redesign Center America's Healthy Food Financing Initiative Local and Regional Healthy Food Financing Partnerships Program (HFFI Partnerships Program) Funding to build the capacity of locally and regionally focused Healthy Food Financing Partnerships to provide financial and technical assistance to eligible healthy food retailers and post-harvest food retail supply chain enterprises. Rural areas are a program priority. Geographic coverage: Nationwide Application Deadline: Sep 18, 2026 Sponsors: Healthy Food Financing Initiative, Reinvestment Fund, U.S. Department of Agriculture, USDA Rural Development America's Healthy Food Financing Initiative Food Access and Retail Expansion (FARE) Fund Loans and Technical Assistance Loans and technical assistance funding for projects related to increasing food access and strengthening, expanding, and innovating within the food retail supply chain. Loans are one-time investments of capital to address barriers to entry in the food retail or food enterprise fields for rural and other eligible areas. Technical assistance funding will support planning and other projects that build capacity to develop a food retail outlet or food enterprise. Geographic coverage: Nationwide Application Deadline: Sep 30, 2028 Sponsors: Healthy Food Financing Initiative, Reinvestment Fund, U.S. Department of Agriculture, USDA Rural Development Delta Region Community Health Systems Development Program Technical Assistance Technical assistance and consultation services for selected applicants through a 3-year participation cycle. The program will assist rural health leaders and providers with implementation of best practices and evidenced-based models that improve performance and enhance care coordination to develop a local system of care. Geographic coverage: Counties in Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee that are served by the Delta Regional Authority. Applications accepted on an ongoing basis Sponsors: Delta Regional Authority, National Rural Health Resource Center |
Provides an overview of local health department (LHD) readiness in addressing emergencies and threats. Includes data on percentage of LHDs that focus on issues related to workforce, partnerships, preparedness capacity, and preparedness response activity, with select data broken down by small, medium, and large LHDs. Sponsoring organization: National Association of County and City Health Officials Date: 06/2026 3RNET's Guide to Loan Repayment Programs Provides resources on loan repayment basics; definitions; federal, state, and other national programs; key questions to ask; and more. Sponsoring organization: 3RNET Barriers and Solutions to Effective Mental Health Services in Rural Schools: A Delphi Study Examines strategies to provide effective school-based mental health services in rural areas. Utilizes feedback from 30 rural educators and discusses issues such as behavioral health workforce shortages, stigma, limited access to services, infrastructure problems, community partnership needs, classroom social-emotional learning, and more. Author(s): Rawn Boulden, Anna Simmons Location: The Rural Educator, 47(3), 37-46 Date: 06/2026 Concordance Between Social Needs Screening and Availability of Associated Programs in US Hospitals Examines the extent to which hospitals screen patients for social needs by analyzing data from the 2022 American Hospital Association (AHA) survey. Explores the alignment between hospitals that screen for social needs and the availability of programs to address those needs. Compares data on social needs screening and corresponding programs at hospitals by rural and urban location, Critical Access Hospital (CAH) status, region, ownership, and participation in accountable care organizations (ACOs). Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis Date: 06/2026 Expanding and Sustaining Rural Clinical Education: Perspectives from Health Professions Education Leaders Summarizes themes from interviews with 21 rural clinical education leaders from 16 organizations regarding strategies to sustain and expand rural clinical education. Identifies challenges and facilitators in developing and sustaining rural clinical education sites for health professions students. Discusses strategies to strengthen cross-disciplinary partnerships that support the expansion of rural clinical education. Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center Date: 06/2026 Heart Failure Readmissions in Urban and Rural Hospital Settings: An Analysis of 30-Day Readmissions Using the 2021 Nationwide Readmissions Database Analyzes how 30-day hospital readmission for heart failure varies by rural or urban dwelling using 2021 National Readmissions Database data. Includes data breakdowns by payment type, patient demographics, related health conditions, and other clinical factors. Author(s): Kendra J. Duran, Janice L. Hinkle, Linda C. Copel Location: Journal of Rural Health, 42(2), e70138 Date: 03/2026 Inpatient Outcomes and Complications After Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion in Rural Versus Urban Hospitals in the United States Examines how outcomes and complications of left atrial appendage occlusion for treatment of atrial fibrillation differed by rural or urban hospital location, using 2016-2020 National Inpatient Sample data. Author(s): Amanda Nguyen, Muhammad Zia Khan, Joseph Neely, et al. Location: Clinical Cardiology, 49(7), e70397 Date: 06/2026 Mental Health Treatment among Adults: United States, 2024 Explores data pertaining to mental health treatment received by adults in 2024. Breaks down data by treatment type, such as receiving medication or therapy, as well as demographic measures, such as age, family income, and rurality, among others. Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics Date: 06/2026 Mortality Trends and Disparities Associated with Aortic Aneurysm and Aortic Dissection in the United States from 1999 to 2023: A CDC Wonder Database Analysis Examines aortic aneurysm (AA) and aortic dissection (AD) mortality trends in the United States. Utilizes 1999-2023 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wide-Ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research (CDC WONDER) data to analyze mortality according to demographics, census region, and metro versus nonmetro location. Author(s): Lin Lv, Xuedi Gao, Jia Li, et al. Location: BMC Cardiovascular Disorders, 26, 292 Date: 03/2026 Non-Federal Acute Care Hospital Electronic Health Record Adoption, 2008–2024 Explores trends in electronic health record (EHR) adoption among acute care hospitals between 2010 and 2024 using data from the American Hospital Association (AHA) Information Technology (IT) supplement. Presents data on EHR adoption by hospital characteristics, by hospital size, CAH status, rural/urban location, and independent/system affiliation. Sponsoring organization: Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology Date: 06/2026 Public Health: Rural Health Services Research—2nd Edition Special issue of the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health featuring articles on effective rural health interventions on topics including aging, chronic disease management, and peer supports for cancer patients, with most articles focused on the United States and Australia. Location: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health Date: 2026 Rural Implications of Increased Medicare Beneficiary Enrollment in ACOs and MA Plans Explores the relationship between Medicare Advantage (MA) enrollment and beneficiary attribution to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs). Describes the growth of ACO assignment and MA enrollment between 2013 and 2023 by county-level rurality. Compares the characteristics of micropolitan and noncore counties with high and low ACO and MA penetration in 2023. Discusses the implications of expanding MA and ACO enrollment in rural areas. Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis Date: 06/2026 Rural vs. Urban Patterns of Dental Care Services and Outcomes among Medicaid-Enrolled Children in Early Childhood Describes rural and urban patterns of preventive and restorative dental care and oral health outcomes among Medicaid-enrolled children aged 2 through 5 in 2021-2022. Includes data on the percent of children who received any preventive dental services, children with fewer than 2 cleanings per year, and number of dental caries diagnosed each year by rurality. Sponsoring organization: University of South Carolina Rural Health Research Center Date: 06/2026 School-Based Telehealth Interventions: Evidence Roundup Provides an overview on school-based telehealth services, focusing on service type, policy and funding, evidence on effectiveness, and replicable models. Includes discussion on the value of school-based telehealth for rural communities as well as examples of rural programs. Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Care Strategies Date: 06/2026 State Policies Can Help Address the Mental Health Care Workforce Shortages Discusses how state needs assessments can help policymakers address gaps in mental healthcare workforce coverage. Details rural mental health workforce shortages and highlights how state programs, informed by needs assessments, can address workforce shortages. Sponsoring organization: Pew Date: 04/2026 Testing Implementation Strategies for a Family Healthy Weight Program: Results From the Nebraska Childhood Obesity Research Demonstration 3.0 Pilot Trial Examines the Building Healthy Families (BHF) Online Training Resources and Program Package that is used to help rural areas in Nebraska adopt and implement a family healthy weight program (FHWP). Analyzes a pilot study that implements the BHF Program Package with and without a learning collaborative option and discusses quality of online training resources, child engagement, implementation fidelity, and more. Author(s): Jennie L. Hill, Kate A. Heelan, Bryce M. Abbey, et al. Location: Childhood Obesity Research, 4, 223-232 Date: 06/2026 |
Deadline: Jul 10, 2026 Arizona Alliance for Community Health Centers, Arizona Rural Women's Health Network Event Dates: Sep 15, 2026 Phoenix, AZ Conference Website |
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