Rural Health Information Hub Latest News

Reducing Sugar-Sweetened and Acidic Beverage Consumption: Pilot Project

Posted on by lad3

The PA Coalition for Oral Health and the Pennsylvania Department of Health Oral Health Program are working together on a multimedia communications campaign for 11–17-year-olds on reducing sugar-sweetened and acidic beverage consumption in certain PA counties.

The project is multifaceted, consisting of a social media campaign, as well as print materials to be displayed in-office/in the waiting room, and an interactive demonstration. They are looking for clinics in Allegheny, Berks, Centre, Clarion, Crawford, Jefferson, Lancaster, or Lehigh counties that would be able to display the print materials and conduct the interactive demonstration at one community event this spring. If spacing is an issue, the sugar-sweetened beverage materials and acid materials can be displayed separately.

The PA Coalition for Oral Health are asking that materials be displayed from March 3, 2025- May 30, 2025, and that during at least one community event during that time, you complete the acid interactive demonstration. All materials will be mailed to you free of charge and are yours to keep at the end of the campaign. The materials that would be displayed in your office/waiting room are:

Please email Lia BenYishay by Wednesday, Feb.26, 2025 if you’re interested or if you have any follow-up questions.

100 Top Critical Access Hospitals Listed, By State

Posted on by lad3

The Chartis Center for Rural Health released its annual list of the top 100 critical access hospitals in the U.S. on February 12.

To determine the 2025 list, the firm used the Chartis Rural Hospital Performance INDEX, which assesses performance in inpatient market share, outpatient market share, quality, outcomes, patient perspective, cost, charge and finance.

Here are the top 100 critical access hospitals in the U.S., listed by state:

Arkansas

  • Mercy Hospital Paris

Colorado

  • East Morgan County Hospital (Brush)
  • Kit Carson County Memorial Hospital (Burlington)
  • Mt. San Rafael Hospital (Trinidad)
  • Rio Grande Hospital (Del Norte)
  • Wray Community District Hospital

Florida

  • Calhoun Liberty Hospital (Blountstown)

Iowa

  • Cass Health (Atlantic)
  • CHI Health Missouri Valley
  • Clarke County Hospital (Osceola)
  • Floyd Valley Healthcare (Le Mars)
  • Greater Regional Medical Center (Creston)
  • Grundy County Memorial Hospital (Grundy Center)
  • Hancock County Memorial Hospital (Britt)
  • Loring Hospital (Sac City)
  • UnityPoint Health Jones Regional Medical Center (Anamosa)
  • Van Diest Medical Center (Webster City)
  • Washington County Hospital (Washington)

Idaho

  • Shoshone Medical Center (Kellogg)
  • St. Luke’s Wood River Medical Center (Ketchum)

Kansas

  • Artesian Valley Health System (Meade)
  • Clay County Medical Center (Clay Center)
  • Community Memorial Healthcare (Marysville)
  • Fredonia Regional Hospital
  • Hodgeman County Health Center (Jetmore)
  • Morris County Hospital (Council Grove)
  • Nemaha Valley Community Hospital (Seneca)
  • Patterson Health Center (Anthony)
  • Rooks County Health Center (Plainville)
  • Sabetha Community Hospital

Louisiana

  • Ochsner St. Anne Hospital (Raceland)

Massachusetts

  • Fairview Hospital (Great Barrington)

Maine

  • Stephens Memorial Hospital (Norway)

Minnesota

  • Avera Granite Falls Health Center
  • CentraCare – Redwood Hospital (Redwood Falls)
  • Kittson Healthcare (Hallock)
  • Lake View Hospital (Two Harbors)
  • Mayo Clinic Health System – St. James
  • Mayo Clinic Health System – Waseca
  • Meeker County Memorial Hospital (Litchfield)
  • New Ulm Medical Center (New Ulm)
  • Olivia Hospital & Clinic
  • Pipestone County Medical Center & Family Clinic Avera (Pipestone)
  • Riverwood Healthcare Center (Aitkin)

Missouri

  • Carroll County Memorial Hospital (Carrollton)
  • Community Hospital Fairfax
  • Cox Barton County Hospital (Lamar)
  • Pike County Memorial Hospital (Louisiana)

Montana

  • Barrett Hospital & HealthCare (Dillon)
  • Bitterroot Health – Daly Hospital (Hamilton)
  • Central Montana Medical Center (Lewistown)
  • Community Hospital of Anaconda

North Dakota

  • CHI Mercy Health of Valley City
  • CHI St. Alexius Health Carrington Medical Center
  • Jamestown Regional Medical Center
  • Langdon Prairie Health
  • Sanford Mayville Medical Center
  • South Central Health (Wishek)
  • Towner County Medical Center (Cando)

Nebraska

  • Antelope Memorial Hospital (Neligh)
  • Avera St. Anthony’s Hospital (O’Neill)
  • Beatrice Community Hospital & Health Center
  • Boone County Health Center (Albion)
  • Brodstone Healthcare (Superior)
  • CHI Health St. Mary’s (Nebraska City)
  • Community Medical Center (Falls City)
  • Crete Area Medical Center
  • Howard County Medical Center (Saint Paul)
  • Jefferson Community Health & Life (Fairbury)
  • Johnson County Hospital (Tecumseh)
  • Melham Medical Center (Broken Bow)
  • Memorial Health Care Systems (Seward)
  • Phelps Memorial Health Center (Holdrege)
  • Thayer County Health Services (Hebron)

Oklahoma

  • Mercy Hospital Watonga

Oregon

  • Grande Ronde Hospital
  • St. Charles Prineville

South Dakota

  • Avera Hand County Memorial Hospital (Miller)
  • Hans P. Peterson Memorial Hospital (Philip)
  • Madison Regional Health

Texas

  • Lavaca Medical Center (Hallettsville)
  • Moore County Hospital District (Dumas)
  • Olney Hamilton Hospital
  • Reeves Regional Health (Pecos)

Utah

  • Central Valley Medical Center (Nephi)
  • Garfield Memorial Hospital (Panguitch)

Virginia

  • Page Memorial Hospital (Luray)

Wisconsin

  • Black River Memorial Hospital (Black River Falls)
  • Mayo Clinic Health System – Red Cedar (Menomonie)
  • Memorial Hospital of Lafayette County (Darlington)
  • River Falls Area Hospital
  • ThedaCare Medical Center – Shawano
  • Upland Hills Health (Dodgeville)
  • Western Wisconsin Health (Baldwin)
  • Westfields Hospital & Clinic (New Richmond)

West Virginia

  • Grant Memorial Hospital (Petersburg)
  • Hampshire Memorial Hospital (Romney)

Wyoming

  • North Big Horn Hospital (Lovell)
  • Star Valley Health (Afton)
  • Washakie Medical Center (Worland)

Research Brief Highlights Language Spoken in Pennsylvania

Posted on by lad3

The U.S. Census Bureau released the 2019-2023 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates last December, providing updated insights into demographic trends across Pennsylvania. Our latest brief highlights trends in languages spoken at home and English proficiency levels across the Commonwealth, counties, and school districts.

Key Findings from the Report:

  • Over 12 percent of Pennsylvanians aged five and older speak a language other than English at home, with Spanish being the most common (5.4%).
  • More than one-third of non-English speakers (39.1%) are considered limited English proficient (LEP), meaning they speak English “less than very well.”

For more information on LEP in Pennsylvania, read this month’s brief

CMS Releases Announcement on Federal Navigator Program Funding

Posted on by lad3

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today announced a reduction in funding for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Navigator program to $10 million. The savings from this reduction will allow the Federally-facilitated Exchanges (FFEs) to focus on more effective strategies that improve Exchange outcomes and to reduce the user fee in future years, which would translate into a reduction in premium. This change will directly benefit people enrolled without subsidies who pay the full premium for their health insurance. In addition, lower premiums will reduce the burden on hardworking American taxpayers who fund the premium subsidies through the FFEs.

Despite receiving $98 million in the 2024 plan year, Navigators only enrolled 92,000 consumers—just 0.6 percent of plan selections through the FFEs during the open enrollment period—at a cost of $1,061 per enrollment. Additionally, the average cost per enrollment exceeded $3,000 for 12 of the 56 Navigator grantee organizations. Looking back at the grant period covering the 2019 plan year—the year before the COVID-19 pandemic under a similar regulatory approach—Navigators likewise enrolled 0.6 percent of total enrollments through the FFEs at a substantially lower cost of $10 million. This previous grant funding level reflects a far more efficient $211 per enrollment.

The Navigator program is funded by user fees, and the decrease in funding to $10 million per year will save a total of $360 million over the next four years of the five-year period of performance, which began August 27, 2024, and runs through August 26, 2029. Because the user fee is directly passed through to the premium that health insurers charge, the savings from the Navigator program supports lower premiums for consumers in the individual health insurance market. People who do not qualify for federal premium subsidies will directly benefit from lower premiums. Lower premiums will also translate to less federal spending on premium subsidies. This change is for Navigators in the states with FFEs in the next grant period for plan year 2026. States operating state-based exchanges and state-based exchanges operating on the federal platform are responsible for determining the funding available for Navigator programs in their states.

Additional performance data for Navigators further supports this reduction. Data show that for the 2019 plan year, Navigators provided post-enrollment assistance to approximately 205,000 consumers. Despite markedly more funding and substantially higher enrollment levels, the level of post-enrollment assistance dropped to approximately 86,000 consumers for the 2024 plan year.

Overall, Navigator performance data shows that the current level of funding does not represent a reasonable return on investment. These numbers indicate that Navigators are not enrolling nearly enough people to justify the substantial amount of federal dollars previously spent on the program. This reduction will ensure funding is focused on meeting the statutory goals of the program more efficiently and effectively.

In coordination with this announcement, CMS is posting updated Navigator funding, enrollment, and service-level data for the grant periods covering the 2017 plan year to the 2024 plan year.

To view the data, visit 2024 Navigator Funding and Enrollment Data. 

432 Rural Hospitals at Risk of Closure; Breakdown By State

Posted on by lad3

From Becker’s Financial Management

There are 432 rural hospitals vulnerable to closure, according to a Feb. 11 report from Chartis, a healthcare advisory services firm.

Chartis analyzed 15 vulnerability indicators and found that 10 were statistically significant in predicting hospital closures, including: Medicaid expansion status, average length of stay, occupancy, percentage change in net patient revenue and years of negative operating margin.

Of the 48 states with rural hospitals, 38 have at least one at risk of closure, according to the report. The states with the highest number of vulnerable hospitals are:

  1. Texas: 47
  2. Kansas: 46
  3. Mississippi: 28
  4. Oklahoma: 23
  5. Georgia: 22

Arkansas (50%) has the highest percentage of rural hospitals at risk of closure, followed by Mississippi (47%) and Kansas (47%).

The percentage of rural hospitals at risk of closure by state is as follows:

More than 41% of hospitals

  • Arkansas
  • Florida
  • Kansas
  • Mississippi
  • Tennessee

31% to 40%

  • Georgia
  • Missouri
  • Oklahoma
  • South Carolina
  • Texas

26%-30%

  • Alabama
  • North Carolina
  • South Dakota

21%-25%

  • Illinois
  • Louisiana
  • Maryland
  • Nebraska
  • New Mexico
  • Wyoming

16%-20%

  • Kentucky
  • Ohio

10%-15%

  • California
  • Indiana
  • Michigan
  • Minnesota
  • Montana
  • New York
  • Pennsylvania
  • Virginia
  • West Virginia

1%-9%

  • Arizona
  • Colorado
  • Hawaii
  • Idaho
  • Iowa
  • North Dakota
  • Utah
  • Wisconsin

0%

  • Alaska
  • Connecticut
  • Delaware
  • Maine
  • Massachusetts
  • Nevada
  • New Hampshire
  • New Jersey
  • Oregon
  • Rhode Island
  • Vermont
  • Washington

White House Forms ‘Make America Healthy Again’ Commission

Posted on by lad3

From Becker’s Leadership and Management

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order creating the Make America Healthy Again Commission after Robert Kennedy Jr. was confirmed Feb. 13 as HHS secretary in a 52-48 Senate vote.

Mr. Kennedy will chair the commission, which is tasked with investigating “the root causes of America’s escalating health crisis,” with an initial focus on pediatric chronic disease, according to a Feb. 13 White House fact sheet on the executive order.

The commission will release its childhood chronic disease assessment in the next 100 days and will follow up with a strategy to improve children’s health within the next 180 days. The key priorities of the investigation include funding studies on what causes disease, promoting healthier food, expanding preventative treatment options and increasing health research transparency.

“The commission aims to restore trust in medical and scientific institutions and hold public hearings, meetings, roundtables and similar events to receive expert input from leaders in public health,” the release said.

The commission also has four policy directives to help reverse chronic disease:

  • Ensure open access and transparency to federally funded health research data while preventing conflicts of interest.
  • Focus federally funded health research on high-quality studies to help understand the cause of American illness.
  • Work with U.S. farmers to ensure food in America is affordable, abundant and healthy.
  • Provide flexible health coverage and expand treatment options to support lifestyle-based disease prevention.

The release pointed to information consistent with CDC data that found 6 in 10 adults in the U.S. live with at least one chronic illness, and 4 in 10 have two or more. It also touched on a spike in autism rates, childhood cancers and overmedication, with more than 3.4 million children in the U.S. on medication for attention-deficit disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, with diagnoses on the rise, according to Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder data.

It also pointed to information consistent with a 2023 Gallup poll that found only one-third of Americans have trust in the U.S. health system.

During his two confirmation hearings on Jan. 29-30, Mr. Kennedy frequently discussed his Make America Healthy Again agenda, which aims to cut chronic disease, tackle obesity and diabetes, and improve food policy, prevention-based care and environmental health.

In his new role, Mr. Kennedy’s portfolio will comprise HHS agency and program oversight, as well as a nearly $2 trillion budget. Among the agencies under his purview are CDC, CMS, FDA and the National Institutes of Health.

2025 ARC States’ Co-Chair Elected: Maryland Gov. Wes Moore

Posted on by lad3

Elected by his fellow Appalachian state governors, Maryland Governor Wes Moore is now ARC’s 2025 States’ Co-Chair. He is the 72nd States’ Co-Chair in ARC’s history.

In his year-long position, Gov. Moore will work alongside ARC’s Federal Co-Chair and his fellow governors to continue investing in economic growth and innovation across the region. In fiscal year 2024, ARC invested nearly $365 million in 583 projects, which attracted an additional $5 billion in private investments across Appalachia.

Learn more about Gov. Moore and ARC’s leadership structure. And join us in thanking 2024 States’ Co-Chair Tennessee Governor Bill Lee for his leadership and contributions.

PA Oral Health Coalition Provides Update on State Legislation

Posted on by lad3

The 2025-2026 legislative session in Pennsylvania commenced on January 6, 2025. Once again, the state operates under a split legislature, with Republicans maintaining control of the Senate and Democrats hoping to retain their slim majority after the special election to fill one seat.

Legislative Activity and Key Bills

Lawmakers in Harrisburg have actively introduced and advanced numerous bills. In alignment with the 2025 Policy Agenda, PCOH has been monitoring several key pieces of legislation, including:

  • SCO 108 – Restoring Dental Coverage for Medical Assistance Recipients.
  • HCO 284 – Advisory Opinions from Licensing Boards.
  • SB 81 & HCO 721 – Legislation authorizing Pennsylvania to join the Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact and outlining its structure.
  • HCO 1412 – American Association of Dental Boards Dental & Dental Hygiene Compact Legislation.
  • HB 157 – Establishing grant awards for entities in rural counties and designated medically underserved areas to address practitioner education debt. As of 2/5/2025, this bill was unanimously amended by the House Health committee to include dentists and dental hygienists as eligible awardees and passed out of committee with unanimous support.

Governor’s Budget Address

On February 4, 2025, Governor Josh Shapiro delivered his third budget address. The Governor shared that “Pennsylvania is on the rise” as he proposed a budget with dedicated funding to address healthcare workforce issues and healthcare cost transparency. While it does not appear that funding to restore the comprehensive dental benefit is openly included in the DHS program budget, PCOH will continue to advocate for this need as the General Assembly prepares to commence budget hearings and negotiate budget priorities.

Federal Developments and Impact on Pennsylvania

With the beginning of President Trump’s second term, significant federal activity has raised concerns regarding dental care access in Pennsylvania. A recent executive order freezing federal funding caused temporary disruptions in state Medicaid portal access. Although a U.S. District judge has blocked this freeze, uncertainty remains about the future of federal funding for state-funded programs. Any reductions at the federal level could impact critical services for under-resourced communities
across Pennsylvania.

Additionally, hearings are underway to determine the composition of President Trump’s cabinet, including the Secretary of Health and Human Services. President Trump has nominated Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. for the role, a decision met with opposition from various public health and medical organizations due to his controversial stance on vaccines and community water fluoridation. The Senate Finance Committee approved his nomination in a narrow 14-13 vote, sending it to the Senate floor for final consideration.

PCOH will continue monitoring these legislative and policy developments to ensure Pennsylvanians maintain access to essential dental care services.

PA Broadband Authority Encourages BEAD Applications

Posted on by lad3

Despite the uncertainties surrounding potential changes to federal programs that support the PBDA’s mission to expand broadband access and bridge the digital divide across the Commonwealth, Pennsylvania remains steadfast in its commitment to delivering the transformative broadband investments that have already been secured under federal law. The PBDA, in coordination with its federal partners and the Governor’s Office, is actively monitoring developments as they unfold.

If you’re a current grantee, please continue to follow these essential grant management practices:

  •  Submit timely reimbursement requests. Only request reimbursement for costs that have already been incurred and ensure all required documentation is included.
  • Stay in regular communication. Contact your grant manager or email pabroadbandauthority@pa.gov for general inquiries.

If you’re planning on applying for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program please note that Application Period One closes Friday, February 7th.

New Reports! Power of Partnership in Strengthening the Philadelphia Fed Regional Economy

Posted on by lad3

On behalf of the Philadelphia Fed, thank you for your continued partnership and the important work that you do to support a strong economy. We strive to be a resource to you through our data-driven research, ongoing community engagement, and ability to convene stakeholders around shared solutions to economic challenges. Our work in 2024 included:

  • a comprehensive update to the Occupational Mobility Explorer, which now includes nearly 600 job titles across more than 500 U.S. locations. This resource allows users to explore career paths and visualize how job skills needed for specific occupations can transfer to higher-paying occupations in the same geographical area.
  • launching the Banking Deserts Dashboard to provide insight into regions and communities that do not have local bank branches. This tool is part of ongoing research by the Federal Reserve Banks of Cleveland and Philadelphia to better understand how the decline of bank branches across the nation may be impacting low-income communities.
  • advancing a national conversation about the importance of hospitals and higher education institutions to local economies. The 2024 Anchor Economy Conference highlighted research on the economic impacts of anchor institutions in regions and engaged community leaders, researchers, and experts in a meaningful discussion about anchor economies. Our ongoing Anchors for Equity Research in Action Labs are also exploring how to leverage partnerships with anchor institutions in local workforce development efforts.

As we look ahead, we’re excited to host the Economic Mobility Summit in Philadelphia on April 22 and 23, 2025. We aim to bring together community leaders, policymakers, researchers, experts, advocates, and others from across the nation to highlight the importance of economic mobility to the U.S. economy; identify ways to advance research into actionable strategies; and elevate best practices for community-led, cross-sector collaboration that can increase economic opportunity and mobility in regions. We encourage you to register and reserve your seat today!

As always, we will keep you updated with the latest events, research, and ways to engage with us and the Federal Reserve System in the months ahead.