December 1, 2025
Communities in Action: Innovative Approaches to Rural Emergency Care
The use of telehealth in rural hospitals can increase access to emergency services. Learn how this program is improving health outcomes for individuals and communities in rural areas,
Click Here to Read More
December 1, 2025
Telehealth Resources for Rural Areas
1 in 5 people in the U.S. live in rural and frontier areas. Rural communities experience less traffic congestion, better air quality, and more open spaces. However, people living in rural areas have greater health care needs and more limited access to timely health services.
Telehealth can help reduce health disparities by increasing access to timely, high quality health care. Even in communities without access to broadband, some health care services can be provided by phone, secure messaging, and asynchronous care.
This best practice guide provides tools and resources to help health care providers effectively use telehealth in rural communities. This information can be used to establish a new program or expand and enhance an existing telehealth program.
Telehealth Resources
Click the links below to access:
October 17, 2025
Webinar: State Loan Repayment Program (HRSA-26-015) Technical Assistance, October 22
Learn more about the eligibility requirements, application process, and ask questions during this live informational session.
Note: You must register to attend on Microsoft Teams. Register with the email address where you would like to receive the webinar link.
Cost: Free
When: Wednesday, October 22, 2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Click Here to Register
September 26, 2025
Accepting Applications: NHSC Students to Service Loan Repayment Program, Deadline November 6
The National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Students to Service Loan Repayment Program provides up to $120,000 in loan repayment funds to students in their final year of school who are studying to become a physician, dentist, physician assistant, nurse practitioner or certified nurse midwife.
An additional $40,000 Maternity Care Target Area Supplemental Award is available to eligible physicians and certified nurse midwives. Designated Maternity Care Target Areas are within existing professional shortage areas that are experiencing a significant shortage of maternity health care professionals.
In exchange for loan repayment, participants must commit to three years of primary care services at approved sites in high-need areas.
The application deadline is November 6 at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Click Here to Learn More and Apply
September 19, 2025
New FMT Resource: Sustaining Rural Labor & Delivery Programs
Over the past decade, hundreds of rural hospitals have stopped offering Labor & Delivery services, and many remaining programs face financial and operational challenges. Drawing on case studies from previous Stroudwater Associates engagements, this resource details three strategies that may bring a Labor & Delivery program closer to sustainability and prevent unnecessary closures in rural areas.
These strategies ensure that Critical Access Hospitals and rural hospitals understand how to properly:
This resource can be used by hospitals to support informed decision-making and optimize resource allocation to improve financial sustainability and ensure continued access to Labor & Delivery services in rural communities.
Click Here for Sustaining Rural Labor & Delivery Programs Resource
September 18, 2025
New Resource: Telehealth for Nutrition Care and Services
Tele-nutrition enables providers to deliver personalized nutrition care to patients using innovative telehealth technologies.
Explore the latest tools and strategies for effective use of telehealth when providing nutrition care.
This National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, share this tip sheet with your patients so they can see how telehealth helps people of all ages get nutrition care and services from home.
Click Here to see the Latest Tools and Strategies for Telehealth Nutrition Services
Click Here to see Childhood Obesity Tip Sheet
September 12, 2025
September is National Recovery Month
September is National Recovery Month observed every September to promote and support new evidence-based treatment and recovery practices, the nation’s strong and proud recovery communities, and the dedication of service providers and communities who make recovery possible.
A variety of federal resources are available to support individuals and their families:
To learn more about programs created by HRSA’s Federal Office of Rural Health Policy to support recovery, visit the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP) on HRSA’s website. Each of the RCORP Centers of Excellence provides a clearinghouse of information and resources for prevention, treatment, and recovery that are specific to rural communities.
Click Here for SAMHSA’s National Recovery Month Toolkit
Click Here for CDC’s Stigma Reduction Guide
Click Here for NIDA’s Preferred Language for Talking About Addiction
September 4, 2025
Targeted Technical Assistance for Rural Hospitals Program (TTAP), Apply by September 30
The Targeted Technical Assistance for Rural Hospitals Program (TTAP) is not a grant program for hospitals. Instead, participating hospitals receive technical assistance at no cost.
All applicants are eligible to participate in webinars and training events focused on best practices for financial and operational improvement held through the grant period.
TTAP is a federally funded initiative that offers comprehensive technical assistance to rural hospitals to address:
During their tenure in the program, hospitals receive comprehensive technical assistance in:
The ideal applicant organization is a rural hospital or critical access hospital that demonstrates a need and readiness for targeted technical assistance aimed at supporting financial and operational stability.
Participating hospitals must be committed to meaningfully engaging in all aspects of the program. While all eligible rural hospitals and critical access hospitals are encouraged to apply, this program is designed to best support organizations that are:
Online applications will be accepted on a rolling basis. However, an annual application deadline is announced for each new project year. The deadline for the 2025–2026 project year is Tuesday, September 30, 2025, at 11:59 pm. Once the application deadline has passed, organizations may begin applying for participation in the next project year. Applicants who are not selected may be considered for future cohorts.
Apply by September 30
Click Here to Learn More and Apply
September 4, 2025
CMS Proposes Updates to Medicare and Medicaid Programs, Comment by September 15
This proposed rule would revise the Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and the Medicare Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) payment system for calendar year 2026 based on continuing experience with these systems.
Included are descriptions of the changes to the amounts and factors used to determine the payment rates for Medicare services paid under the OPPS and those paid under the ASC payment systems.
This proposed rule would also update and refine the requirements for the:
This rule also contains requests for information on measure concepts regarding:
Click Here to Read Proposed Changes and Updates and Comment by September 15
September 4, 2025
CMS Proposes Updates to Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Payments, Comment by September 12
On January 31, 2025, President Trump issued Executive Order (EO) 14192 “Unleashing Prosperity Through Deregulation,” which states the Administration policy to significantly reduce the private expenditures required to comply with Federal regulations to secure America’s economic prosperity and national security and the highest possible quality of life for each citizen.
CMS is seeking public input on approaches and opportunities to streamline regulations and reduce administrative burdens on providers, suppliers, beneficiaries, and other stakeholders participating in the Medicare program.
This major proposed rule addresses:
Click Here to Read More and Comment
