- 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
ICYMI: Preview FORHP Programs for FY2026
In case you missed it, the Rural Health Information Hub archived the February 17 webinar they hosted. The hour-long session outlined FORHP’s priorities for Fiscal Year 2026, includingplanned funding opportunities and key resources. As we continue our shared efforts to strengthen rural health care delivery and advance evidence-informed approaches, we hope these materials will support your planning efforts for the year ahead.
Tech Companies Pledge to Support Medicaid Community Engagement Requirements
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a list of companies that have pledged their intent to help states prepare for and implement Medicaid community engagement requirements.
These requirements were enacted under Section 71119 of Public Law 119-21 and require states to establish community engagement rules for certain adults in the Medicaid expansion group, that is adults with incomes up to 138% of the Federal Poverty Level who are not pregnant, not enrolled in Medicare, and not otherwise eligible for Medicaid.
To qualify for and maintain Medicaid coverage, these individuals must engage in activities such as working, attending school, doing community service, or participating in a work program. The companies identified in this announcement have made voluntary commitments, and their inclusion should not be interpreted as an endorsement by CMS.
Cybersecurity Topic Added for Rural Healthcare Facilities
The Rural Health Information Hub updated their topic guide, outlining cybersecurity risks and sharing tools to strengthen resilience against cyberattacks. This resource includes case studyexamples and funding opportunities to support cybersecurity efforts.
Report Examines Growth in Medicare Shared Savings Program Rural Provider Participation
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released its annual Shared Savings Fast Facts showing that over 500 Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) are participating in the Shared Savings Program as of January 1, 2026. ACOs are groups of doctors, hospitals, and other health care providers who collaborate to give coordinated high-quality care to people with Medicare, focusing on delivering the right care at the right time, while avoiding unnecessary services and medical errors. The number of rural providers participating in ACOs has grown to more than 3,000 Rural Health Clinics and nearly 600 Critical Access Hospitals.
CMS Releases Additional Guidance Regarding Medicaid State Directed Payments
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released new guidance related to Medicaid State Directed Payments (SDPs).
SDPs are a mechanism for states to direct Medicaid managed care plan expenditures in connection with implementing delivery systems and provider payment initiatives. Section 71116 of Public Law 119-21 directs CMS to reduce payment limits for SDPs covering inpatient and outpatient hospital services, nursing facility services, and certain practitioner services at academic medical centers, and it permits a temporary grandfathering period for certain SDPs.
The letter discusses the grandfathering provisions, including those involving rural hospitals. This new letter rescinds and replaces the September 9, 2025 guidance, and CMS notes that this guidance is preliminary. Final policies will be established through future notice and comment rulemaking.
HRSA Releases Resources Supporting 2026 Health Workforce Planning
The Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) National Center for Health Workforce Analysis (NCHWA) has released three new data resources to support health workforce planning in 2026:
- Health Workforce Explorer: An interactive dashboard with national snapshots of 40 health occupations
- Updated Health Workforce Projections: National and state-level supply and demand estimates for 2023–2038
- Area Health Resources Files (AHRF): Updated data from 1999–2024, with a dashboard visualizing workforce trends across key health professions
Federal Office Provides Rural Hospital Technical Assistance Finder
HRSA’s Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) provides hands-on support for rural hospitals and clinics, bringing national experts – in rural health care finance, clinical service, and operations – directly to rural communities to help them thrive.
In 2026, 28 rural facilities across 16 states and one U.S. territory will receive this specialized technical assistance, through one of six FORHP-funded technical assistance programs. This includes two recently selected cohorts:
- Facilities Selected for FORHP’s Rural Healthcare Provider Transition Project. Five facilities have been selected to participate in the sixth cohort of FORHP’s program that helps small rural hospitals prepare for value-based care: Newman Family Clinic in Oakdale, Louisiana; Susquehanna Family Clinic in Susquehanna, Pennsylvania; Pioneers Medical Center in Meeker, Colorado; Family Care Wellness Clinic in McMinnville, Tennessee; and Peaks Medical and Urgent Care in Dillon, Colorado. Participants will receive technical assistance provided by the FORHP-supported National Rural Health Resource Center to strengthen their foundation in key elements of quality, efficiency, patient experience and patient safety. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis; the National Rural Health Resource center is currently accepting applications for the next cohort, with selection expected in November.
- FORHP’s Targeted Technical Assistance for Rural Hospitals Selects New Facilities. Also known as TTAP, the Targeted Technical Assistance Program is supported by FORHP funding and carried out by the Center for Public Health Practice and Research at Georgia Southern University. Selected participants are rural hospitals that will receive comprehensive technical assistance to address financial and operational challenges and maintain essential services for their communities. Facilities selected for the third cohort are: Cottage Hospital in Woodsville, New Hampshire; Pender Community Hospital in Pender, Nebraska; Scotland County Hospital in Memphis, Missouri; and Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation in Saipan, MP, a U.S. Territory of the Northern Mariana Islands. Applications are being accepted for the next TTAP cohort. For more information, write to ttap@georgiasouthern.edu.
Pilot Study Engaged Rural CHWs to Advance Age-Friendly Care
With support from the National Institutes of Health, researchers conducted a pilot study embedding community health workers into rural primary care teams in rural Oregon to assist with implementation of the 4Ms of the Age-Friendly Health System: What Matters, Mentation, Medication, and Mobility.
Rural Health Value Updates Catalog of Value-Based Initiatives.
Rural Health Value, a Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) funded partner, recently updated the Catalog of Value-Based Initiatives for Rural Providers.
The catalog summarizes rural-
relevant, value-based programs currently or recently implemented by the Department of Health and Human Services, primarily by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and its CMS Innovation Center. Its purpose is to help rural leaders and communities identify HHS value-based programs appropriate for rural participation. The catalog aims to assist rural leaders and communities in identifying HHS value-based programs appropriate for rural participation.
New Rural-Focused Issue Brief Examines Rural Provider Challenges
The Physician-Focused Payment Model Technical Advisory Committee (PTAC)—an independent advisory committee supported by the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) that reviews and makes recommendations on physician-focused payment models to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS)—has released a new set of issue briefs focused on advancing value-based care. These briefs explain how alternative payment models can improve quality, strengthen accountability, and lower costs across the health care system.
A rural-focused PTAC brief examines the challenges rural providers face participating in population-based payment models and outlines practical strategies to support value-based care in rural communities.