- Weathering the Storm Together: Community Resiliency Hubs Hold the Promise of Local Self-Sufficiency and Supportive Mutual Aid
- Virginia Tech Researchers Bring Rural Families into the Nation's Largest Study of Early Brain and Child Development
- Expanding Access to Cancer Care for Rural Veterans
- VA: Veterans Rural Health Advisory Committee, Notice of Meeting
- Scaling Rural Wellness with Clever Collaboration
- Stroudwater Associates Enhances Rural Healthcare Dashboard with New Data to Support State Rural Transformation Grant Applications
- Harvest Season Is Here: Busy Times Call for Increased Focus on Safety and Health
- HHS Dispatches More Than 70 Public Health Service Officers to Strengthen Care in Tribal Communities
- Wisconsin Rural Hospitals Team up to Form Network
- CMS Launches Landmark $50 Billion Rural Health Transformation Program
- American Heart Association Provides Blood Pressure Kits at Southeast Arkansas Regional Libraries to Support Rural Health
- Broadening Access to Minimally Invasive Surgery Could Narrow Rural-Urban Health Gaps
- Instead of Selling, Some Rural Hospitals Band Together To Survive
- Help Line Gives Pediatricians Crucial Mental Health Information to Help Kids, Families
- Rural Health: A Strategic Opportunity for Governors
Oral Health’s Role in Identifying Undiagnosed Diabetes
Incorporating HbA1c screening into dental practices offers a valuable opportunity to identify patients with undiagnosed diabetes and prediabetes, especially among those who may not regularly seek medical care.
The CareQuest Institute for Oral Health created a resource that outlines the roles, benefits, and considerations for oral health providers in screening for diabetes.
Proposed Rule for HTI-5 Seeks to Reduce Criteria for Health IT
On December 29, the Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy released the updated proposed rule entitled “Health Data, Technology, and Interoperability: Patient Engagement, Information Sharing, and Public Health Interoperability” (HTI-5).
This rule is designed to update regulations regarding health information technology and the Trusted Exchange Framework and the Common Agreement. Due to Executive Order (E.O.) 14192, ASTP is withdrawing multiple proposals previously outlined in HTI-2 released in 2024 to account for new standards, updated interfaces, and artificial intelligence. In addition; healthcare payers, providers, and patients will also notice changes and updates to the certification criteria pertaining to data exchange.
Comments are due by February 27, 2026.
Updated RHIhub Topic Guide: Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) Released
The FORHP-supported Rural Health Information Hub (RHIhub) shares updated information and resources on the development and certification of RHCs, including federal regulations, location and staffing requirements, reimbursement, and more. The guide also details demographic and medical characteristics of RHC Medicare patients, shares information on RHCs and Accountable Care Organizations, and more!
See the guide here: Updated RHIhub Topic Guide: Rural Health Clinics (RHCs).
Proposed Rule for HTI-5 Seeks to Reduce Criteria for Health IT
On December 29, the Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy released the updated the proposed rule entitled “Health Data, Technology, and Interoperability: Patient Engagement, Information Sharing, and Public Health Interoperability” (HTI-5).
This rule is designed to update regulations regarding health information technology and the Trusted Exchange Framework and the Common Agreement. Due to Executive Order (E.O.) 14192, ASTP is withdrawing multiple proposals previously outlined in HTI-2 released in 2024 to account for new standards, updated interfaces, and artificial intelligence. In addition; healthcare payers, providers, and patients will also notice changes and updates to the certification criteria pertaining to data exchange.
Comments are due by February 27, 2026.
CMS Proposes Changes to Health Plan Price Transparency
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), working with the Department of Labor and the Department of the Treasury (collectively, the Departments), requests public input on proposed changes to the payer price transparency regulations intended to make pricing information easier to access for participants, beneficiaries, and enrollees, and to improve the consistency and reliability of public pricing disclosures. Currently, most group health plans and issuers of group or individual health insurance post pricing information for covered items and services, which third parties, such as researchers and app developers, can use to help consumers better understand the costs associated with their health care.
Proposals include reducing the number and size of the machine-readable files that health plans post online, adding data elements to provide context around the data being reported, and improving the ease of locating and downloading the machine-readable files.
Comments are due by February 23.
New USDA Report Published: Household Food Security in the United States in 2024
The Economic Research Service at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released its annual review of data estimating the number of household experiencing ranges of food security and food insecurity.
Access the report here: USDA: Household Food Security in the United States in 2024
State-by-State Report Released on Availability of Hospital-Based Obstetric Services by County, 2010–2023
Between 2010 and 2023, there have been continued declines in access to hospital-based obstetric services in both rural and urban US communities. New research from the University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center finds that, by 2023, these losses resulted in 60 percent of rural counties and 38 percent of urban counties not having any hospital-based obstetric services.
Access the report here: Availability of Hospital-Based Obstetric Services in the United States by County, 2010–2023: A State-by-State Report.
Learn more at the Rural Health Research Gateway.
The University of Minnesota holds one of eight HRSA/FORHP-funded Rural Health Research Center awards, the only Federal resource for policy-relevant research on health care in rural areas.
National Rural Health Association Releases Annual Advocacy Report
The National Rural Health Association is excited to share our 2025 Advocacy Report, summarizing NRHA’s key wins including legislative, administrative, regulatory, and state-level victories, as well as grassroots engagement.
The report also includes NRHA’s advocacy goals looking forward to 2026.
New Course, Introduction to Rural Public Health, Launched
The Federal Office of Rural Health Policy in the Health Resources and Services Administration is pleased to share a new training opportunity to support informed decision-making in rural health: Introduction to Rural Public Health, a free, web-based course developed by the NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis, in collaboration with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Office of Rural Health and East Tennessee State University.
This training provides a foundational overview of public health practice in rural communities, highlighting rural demographics, delivery systems, and community strengths. It is a valuable resource for agency staff, policymakers, and program leaders seeking to gain a deeper understanding of rural public health and work more effectively with rural communities.
Attached is a flyer with more details, including key topics, continuing education information, and access instructions. The course can be accessed here.
From Becker’s Hospital Review
Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Mehmet Oz, MD, has moved quickly to advance President Donald Trump’s “Make America Healthy Again” agenda in 2025. The push comes after President Trump this summer signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, a sweeping package of reforms targeting Medicaid, Medicare and the ACA marketplace.
From plans to close a Medicaid funding “loophole” to probing hospitals over gender care for minors and clamping down on states using federal Medicaid funds to treat undocumented migrants, click here for 20 key actions CMS has taken since Dr. Oz was confirmed as administrator: