RHIhub This Week - October 14, 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.
Philanthropic Funding Helps Rural Providers Access Ultrasound Equipment and Trainingby Allee Mead The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust funded rural healthcare facilities in Minnesota, Nevada, North Dakota, and Wyoming to purchase ultrasound equipment and access related training and tuition assistance. Healthcare providers in Minnesota and North Dakota share their experiences with this funding and point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) to assess patients at the bedside. |
Healthcare Access in Rural CommunitiesRural residents face many barriers to care, including long travel distances, workforce shortages, and facility closures. Our newly reviewed and updated Healthcare Access in Rural Communities topic guide includes FAQs describing these barriers and hard-to-access services, while also sharing strategies and successful models to improve healthcare access. |
Your input helps us better meet your rural health information needs. Take a few minutes to complete our annual survey and tell us what's working, what's missing, and how we can improve. The survey is open through November 3, 2026.
|
Recently Added to the Online Library |
Oct 13, 2026 -- The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announced $12.7 million in awards through the Maternal Produce Prescription Program to help pregnant and postpartum women and their families in low-income and medically underserved communities access healthy foods. The program bolsters partnerships among healthcare providers, community-based organizations, and local food systems. Source: Health Resources and Services Administration HHS Launches Newborn Essentials Support Toolkit Program to Support Mothers and Babies Oct 9, 2026 -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has launched the Newborn Essentials Support Toolkit in West Virginia. The program aims to offer families supplies and information in the days following delivery of a baby. One goal of the program is to reach rural and other medically underserved families. Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services A Rural CIO's Guide to Getting More from Technology Oct 8, 2026 -- Offers guidance for optimizing existing technology as learned by a rural chief information officer in a New Hampshire nonprofit health system. Discusses planning for the future, evaluating organizational workflows, process improvement, understanding full costs, and piloting programs, particularly artificial intelligence technology. Source: Healthcare IT News UM Program Puts High School Students on Rural Healthcare Career Pathway Oct 8, 2026 -- Highlights a health career pathways program in Montana that accelerates the path to completion for healthcare degrees. The program aims to train rural students in an effort to fill rural healthcare workforce gaps. Source: University of Montana News Federal RegisterSAMHSA: Agency Information Collection Activities Comment RequestOct 8, 2026 -- Notice from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) seeking comments on proposed revisions to the National Substance Use and Mental Health Services Survey (N-SUMHSS), which collects information on the substance use and mental health treatment facility locations, characteristics, and use of substance use and mental health treatment services. Proposed changes include revising the questionnaire's content on crisis services and faith-based organizations, and targeted clarifications to existing N-SUMHSS questionnaire items. Comments are due by December 7, 2026. Source: Federal Register |
Financial support for individuals serving tribal communities who are interested in attending the Johns Hopkins Center for Indigenous Health Summer or Winter Institute courses at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. Geographic coverage: Nationwide Application Deadline: Nov 15, 2026 Sponsor: Center for Indigenous Health Mentoring for Youth Affected by Opioid and Other Substance Use Grants to support mentoring services to youth ages 17 and under and their family members impacted by opioids and other substance use. Rural communities and federally recognized tribes are target populations. Geographic coverage: Nationwide Application Deadline: Nov 16, 2026 Sponsors: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, U.S. Department of Justice Native American Congressional Internship A summer internship for Native American and Alaska Native students who wish to learn more about the federal government and issues affecting tribal and federal relationships. Geographic coverage: Nationwide Application Deadline: Jan 15, 2027 Sponsor: Morris K Udall and Stewart L Udall Foundation Udall Undergraduate Scholarship Scholarships for Native American and Alaska Native undergraduate students pursuing careers related to tribal public policy, native healthcare, and the environment. Geographic coverage: Nationwide Application Deadline: Mar 4, 2027 Sponsor: Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation Indian Health Service Loan Repayment Program Loan repayment for undergraduate and graduate health professional educational loans in return for full-time clinical service in Indian Health Service programs. Geographic coverage: Nationwide Application Deadline: Aug 15, 2027 Sponsors: Indian Health Service, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act Program Secured, direct loans and loan guarantees for eligible water infrastructure projects. In addition, technical assistance may be provided to prospective borrowers, especially small and rural communities. Geographic coverage: Nationwide Applications accepted on an ongoing basis Sponsor: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency |
Results of a survey of 5,045 expected 2025 graduates from colleges of osteopathic medicine and branch campuses. Provides statistics and data on medical education debt and scholarships, graduate medical education plans, and percentages of students who plan to practice in rural underserved or shortage areas. Sponsoring organization: American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Date: 08/2026 Addressing Behavioral Health Needs in Rural North Carolina: A Community Paramedicine Approach Profiles a mobile integrated healthcare-community paramedicine (MIH-CP) model in rural western North Carolina that supports rural residents with complex medical, behavioral health, and social needs. Discusses the MIH-CP's behavioral healthcare staffing, funding, and services, providing implementation strategies for rural areas interested in expanding sustainable community paramedicine services. Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Care Strategies Date: 10/2026 Collaborations Between Local Public Health and Healthcare: A Case Study Series Highlighting Rural Success Stories Presents case studies highlighting successful collaborations between rural-serving local health departments and local healthcare organizations, focusing on purposes, structures, challenges, and lessons learned. Features programs in Oregon, Wisconsin, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. Sponsoring organizations: East Tennessee State University Center for Rural Health and Research, The Consortium for Workforce Research in Public Health Date: 07/2026 Food Access and Mobility Toolkit A toolkit that discusses the relationship between food security and mobility on health outcomes, focusing on older adults, people with disabilities, and low-income or rural populations who may have limited access to transportation. Provides strategies to improve mobility and food security, such as transportation and program integration, healthy food initiatives, federal funding braiding, connecting people with benefits to services, and more. Includes links to resources and program examples focused on rural areas. Sponsoring organization: Coordinating Council on Access and Mobility Technical Assistance Center Date: 10/2026 Funded! Now What? A Guide for Newly Funded Health Centers Provides a step-by-step guide for health centers (Section 330 grantees) who have recently been awarded New Access Point (NAP) funding. Covers compliance, operations, workforce, quality, governance, finance, and reporting. Includes information on tools and technical assistance resources. Sponsoring organization: National Association of Community Health Centers Date: 10/2026 Household Experiences with Federal Summer Nutrition Programs in 2025: Findings from National Caregiver Surveys of Summer EBT and Rural Non-Congregate Summer Meals Participants and Nonparticipants Provides information on household experiences with rural non-congregate summer nutrition programs and Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer for Children (SEBT). Utilizes 2025 national caregiver survey data and analyzes program participation, barriers to participation, household perceptions and experiences, perceived benefits, intentions for future participation among households with school-age children, and feedback from households in states that did not offer SEBT. Additional links: Resource for Sponsors and Outreach Partners, Resource for State Agencies Sponsoring organizations: Mathematica, No Kid Hungry Date: 06/2026 Integration of Behavioral Health by Community Health Workers Into a Lifestyle Intervention That Addresses Reduction of Risk for Cardiovascular Disease in Rural Communities Discusses the impact of having community health workers (CHWs) integrate behavioral healthcare into a rural lifestyle change intervention focused on reducing cardiovascular disease risk. Analyzes CHW visits with participants in the Colorado Heart Healthy Solutions (CHHS) program from 2019-2023 and provides data on completed behavioral health screening assessments, connections to care, and CHW-delivered health coaching interventions. Discusses sustainability and feasibility of integrating behavioral health into CHW-led programs in rural communities. Author(s): Stephanie Coronel-Mockler, Nick Flattery, Ashley Ambrose, et al. Location: Preventing Chronic Disease, 23 Date: 10/2026 Leveraging the Community-Based Workforce to Strengthen Behavioral Health Care in Rural Tennessee Profiles River Valley Health (RVH), a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) and Community Mental Health Center (CMHC) that serves rural communities in eastern Tennessee. Discusses how a community-based workforce can provide more accessible and responsive behavioral healthcare in rural areas. Includes staffing models and funding strategies for sustainability. Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Care Strategies Date: 10/2026 Medicare Advantage Plan Availability Varies Widely by County for 2027 Describes the availability of Medicare Advantage prescription drug (MA-PD) plans in 2027. Presents data on MA-PD plan availability by county in 2026 and 2027, as well as the number of counties 10 MA insurers have entered and exited between 2026 and 2027. Sponsoring organization: KFF Date: 10/2026 National Academies Initiative on Rural Well-Being Provides research and other resources in support of rural health and well-being, economic and community development, transportation, and more. Discusses the National Academies' role as a convener for rural policy analysis and scientific inquiry. Sponsoring organization: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine North Carolina Rural Health and Opportunities for Transformation Issue of the North Carolina Medical Journal, containing articles describing successes in North Carolina rural health and ways in which obstacles are being addressed. Topics include data collection, graduate medical education, emergency care, affordability, the Rural Health Transformation Program, AI, and more. Location: North Carolina Medical Journal, 87(3) Date: 09/2026 Providing Care to the Surprisingly Large Rural Population in the US: A Healthy Dialogue With Julie Donohue and Mark Holmes Summarizes a podcast episode featuring a discussion with Mark Holmes, director of The Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Julie Donohue, professor and chair of health policy and management at the University of Pittsburgh and deputy editor at JAMA Health Forum. Describes challenges facing rural health and the potential impacts of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). Additional links: Providing Rural Health Care Is Really Hard; 60 Million Americans Rely on It, Transcript Author(s): Derek C. Angus, Matthew B. O'Connor Location: JAMA Date: 10/2026 Quick Map of Rural Health Areas Interactive map showing Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP)-defined rural health areas and identifying active grants operated by HRSA bureaus and offices. Sponsoring organization: Health Resources and Services Administration RHTP Obligated Funds Report Presents information on Rural Health Transformation Program funding states have obligated to state agencies, contractors and vendors, community partners, hospitals, and others as of July 31, 2026. Updated quarterly. Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Date: 10/2026 Rural Patients' Transitional Care Experiences: A Qualitative Analysis of Provider Notes Examines experiences of older, veteran patients discharged from a hospital to their home. Utilizes electronic health record clinical notes and Veterans Affairs (VA) Corporate Data Warehouse data from 200 veterans who died within 30 days of discharge. Analyzes rural versus urban differences in patient demographics, patient health conditions, geographic distance to care settings, willingness to utilize home health services, caregiver burden, and more. Discusses unique challenges experienced by rural veterans and their caregivers in transitional care. Author(s): Samantha B. Randolph, Nicholas A. Rattray, Claire E. Donnelly, et al. Location: Journal of Rural Health, 42(4), e70225 Date: 10/2026 Sociodemographic Characteristics of Nurses Entering and Leaving the US Nursing Workforce in 2018 and 2022 Describes the characteristics and job dynamics of the nursing workforce before and after the pandemic, including nurses entering and leaving the workforce. Features demographics and statistics with breakdowns by rural and nonrural area for the 2022 data set. Author(s): Kyla F. Woodward, Sue Skillman, Bianca K. Frogner Location: Health Affairs Scholar, 4(9), qxag248 Date: 09/2026 Survival Versus Scale: The Effects of Critical Access Hospital Designation Explores whether designation-based hospital subsidies, specifically the Critical Access Hospital (CAH) program, preserve meaningful access to care. Describes the effects of CAH designation on hospital finances, capacity, and organizational outcomes between 1995-2010. Discusses the implications of hospital preservation and reduced operational scale on access to care and patient health. Sponsoring organization: National Bureau of Economic Research Date: 10/2026 Urban-Rural and Demographic Differences in Substance Use Among High School Students — Youth Risk Behavior Survey, United States, 2025 Reports on substance use behaviors among students at urban and rural schools based on data from the 2025 Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Includes data for city, suburban/town, and rural schools for current and lifetime use of specific substances, including tobacco products, alcohol, prescription opioids, and a range of illicit drugs. Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Location: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report) Supplements, 75(1), 54-66 Date: 10/2026 |
Deadline: Oct 30, 2026 National Center for Farmworker Health Event Dates: Mar 9 - 11, 2027 San Antonio, TX Conference Website Call for Speakers: 2027 Rural Practitioners of Texas Conference Deadline: Nov 1, 2026 Texas A&M University Naresh K. Vashisht College of Medicine Event Dates: Apr 30 - May 1, 2027 Horseshoe Bay, TX Conference Website Call for Presentations: 2027 NCHN Annual Educational Conference Deadline: Nov 13, 2026 National Cooperative of Health Networks Association Event Dates: Apr 13 - 15, 2027 Seattle, WA Conference Website |
|
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. |