Rural Spotlight

New Report: Medical and Surgical Practice Playbook – 6 Steps to Reduce Infections and Staff Burnout

December 30, 2025

New Report: Medical and Surgical Practice Playbook – 6 Steps to Reduce Infections and Staff Burnout

With over 41 million flu cases every year, it’s critical for medical and surgical practices to implement infection control strategies that protect both patients and staff. This report outlines six proven ways medical practices can:

  • strengthen infection prevention,
  • reduce staff burnout,
  • streamline workflows, and
  • improve patient care – helping your practice stay efficient, resilient, and safe.

Read the report to learn how to:

  • Safeguard your team and patients from preventable infections that can cripple efficiency.
  • Reduce front office turnover (40% last year) through smarter workflows and infection prevention.
  • Ease physician burnout (reported by 45% of physicians) and reclaim valuable time.
  • Boost efficiency by cutting administrative waste and increasing physician time spent with patients (currently only 66%).
  • Enhance patient trust and satisfaction with modern infection prevention strategies that reduce risk.

Click Here to Download the Report

MRHA Webinar: Beyond Broadband; Uncovering the Hidden Barriers to Rural Telehealth Equity, January 22

December 30, 2025

MRHA Webinar: Beyond Broadband; Uncovering the Hidden Barriers to Rural Telehealth Equity, January 22

Telehealth has transformed rural healthcare by expanding access and reducing travel barriers, but not all communities benefit equally. Persistent socioeconomic and infrastructural challenges continue to limit who can fully participate in telehealth services.

This session, presented by Southern Illinois University, explores findings from a comprehensive narrative review examining how broadband access, digital literacy, and affordability shape telehealth adoption in rural areas.

Participants will gain insight into successful models such as Project ECHO and Avera eCARE, which demonstrate practical, evidence-based approaches to improving access and outcomes. Attendees will leave with actionable strategies for strengthening telehealth equity and closing the digital divide in Missouri’s rural healthcare systems.

Target Audience:

  • Rural health professionals,
  • Hospital and clinic administrators,
  • Public health practitioners,
  • Researchers,
  • Policymakers,
  • Health equity advocates, and
  • Students in health-related disciplines

Cost:  Free

When: Thursday, January 22, 12:00 p.m.

Click Here to Register

Webinar: SDOH Series: Radon, Lung Health and Health Equity, January 29

December 29, 2025

Webinar: SDOH Series: Radon, Lung Health and Health Equity, January 29

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Office of Minority Health and Health Equity, is partnering with the Bureau of Environmental Epidemiology and the American Lung Association to offer this free webinar.

You are invited to learn more about radon risks, how they connect to lung cancer and how to take action to improve environmental he4alth and health equity.

Cost: Free

When: Thursday, January 29, 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Click Here to Register

New Missouri Specific Tobacco Cessation Website

December 17, 2025

New Missouri Specific Tobacco Cessation Website

Patients trust their health care providers, and they need their support to quit tobacco. Tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable death and disease in Missouri. When a physician advises a patient to quit just once, it doubles their chances of success. Direct patients to YouCanQit.org for tobacco cessation help.

The updated YouCanQuit.Org provides cessation information for everyone. Patients can access free cessation support, information on nicotine replacement therapies FAQs about Missouri Tobacco Quit Services, withdrawal symptoms, coping skills, vaping, and how to support loved ones in their quit journey. Encourage patients to start exploring YouCanQuit.org and learn more.

Visit YouCanQuit.org to access resources for providers:

MRHA Webinar: Beyond Broadband; Uncovering the Hidden Barriers to Rural Telehealth Equity, January 22

December 11, 2025

MRHA Webinar: Beyond Broadband; Uncovering the Hidden Barriers to Rural Telehealth Equity, January 22

Telehealth has transformed rural healthcare by expanding access and reducing travel barriers, but not all communities benefit equally. Persistent socioeconomic and infrastructural challenges continue to limit who can fully participate in telehealth services.

This session, presented by Southern Illinois University, explores findings from a comprehensive narrative review examining how broadband access, digital literacy, and affordability shape telehealth adoption in rural areas.

Participants will gain insight into successful models such as Project ECHO and Avera eCARE, which demonstrates practical, evidence-based approaches to improving access and outcomes. Attendees will leave with actionable strategies for strengthening telehealth equity and closing the digital divide in Missouri’s rural healthcare systems.

Cost: Free

When: Thursday, January 22, 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Click Here to Register

PFAC Office Hours: Foundational Elements for Managing a PFAC, December 18

December 11, 2025

PFAC Office Hours: Foundational Elements for Managing a PFAC, December 18

Building and sustaining a successful Patient and Family advisory Council begins with a strong foundation. This event will explore the essential components for effectively managing a hospital PFAC and fostering meaningful collaboration to make an impact. Because this is an office hours call format, during the last half of the call, members of MHA’s statewide PFAC will field questions, share stories and have conversations with the audience.

The Missouri Hospital Association’s (MHA’s) statewide PFAC has announced the winners of our fourth annual Compass Honor Award. During the call, participants will hear from the winners as they share their PFAC journey and lessons learned. This award recognizes two Missouri hospitals that have demonstrated exceptional commitment to improving patient engagement, experience, and outcomes through innovative programs and initiatives.

Objectives

At the conclusion to this session, participants will:

  • Hear best practices for establishing structure, defining roles, setting goals and maintaining momentum within their councils,
  • Experience real-world examples, and
  • Discover practical tools to help strengthen partnerships between patients, families and health care teams.

Cost: complimentary to all attendees

When: Thursday, December 18, 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Click Here to Register

MHA Training Opportunity: Emerging Health Care Leaders, Starts March 24

December 11, 2025

MHA Training Opportunity: Emerging Health Care Leaders, Starts March 24

Emerging Health Care Leaders is a leadership development experience designed for early-career professionals and new leaders in your organization. This program equips high-potential contributors with the insight, tools and awareness they need to lead effectively – now and in the future.

Participants will explore their personality, communication style, coaching skills, personal brand and leadership approach, gaining valuable feedback on their strengths, potential blind spots and growth opportunities. The program is designed to enhance current performance, boost leadership confidence and build readiness for next-level responsibilities.

The ultimate goal of this program is to help your emerging leaders make a greater impact today while preparing them to grow into tomorrow’s leadership roles.

Objectives

Upon completion of this program, participants will be able to:

  • Understand the skills and next-level leadership competencies needed to lead at each stage of career development,
  • Have increased self-awareness of personality, work and communication style and how these strengths and challenges may impact effectiveness as a leader,
  • Learn the importance of professional presence, communication and image,
  • Learn ways to build influence and trust in the organization,
  • Have improved perspective around business ethics and decision making,
  • Learn new tools for effective communication and giving feedback,
  • Build a personal mini leadership development plan to develop competencies for the future, and
  • Learn to share a growth and development plan with their manager for feedback and alignment.

Cost:

  • $495 per person for MHA Members
  • $595 per person for nonmembers

This event is eligible for use of the MHA Health Institute Coupon

Click Here to Learn More and Register

Whitepaper: 2025 Cyber Threat Report: Healthcare Now Accounts for 17% of Cyberattacks

December 11, 2025

Whitepaper: 2025 Cyber Threat Report: Healthcare Now Accounts for 17% of Cyberattacks

In 2024, healthcare faced more targeted cyberattacks than any year on record. Threat actors used tactics once reserved for Fortune 500 companies against small clinics diagnostic centers and regional hospitals.

The 2025 Cyber Threat Report breaks down exactly how these attacks unfolded and what leaders can do now to prepare for future attacks. This report is not just a retrospective. It’s a proactive roadmap to help teams identify, isolate and shut down today’s most dangerous threats.

Learnings include:

  • Why malicious scripts are now the top threat vector in healthcare,
  • How threat actors are bypassing defenses via outdated systems and misused tools, and
  • The shift from ransomware encryption to high-leverage extortion and data theft.

Click Here to Download Whitepaper

On-Demand Webinar: The Cost of Getting it Wrong: Smarter Verification for a Tighter Budget

December 11, 2025

On-Demand Webinar: The Cost of Getting it Wrong: Smarter Verification for a Tighter Budget

Budget cuts, identity fraud, and adversarial AI are putting critical security functions like verification at risk. But as regulations tighten and fraud becomes more sophisticated, getting it wrong has real consequences.

Manual verification, weak authentication, and account recovery vulnerabilities are being exploited.

In this session, hear how health systems are automating user journeys, prioritizing identity verification and making smarter security investments with cost in mind.

Key takeaways:

  • How identity gaps impact patient, payer, and provider safety, revenue cycle and compliance,
  • Where automation delivers quick wins in authentication and verification, and
  • How to invest in security without overextending your budget or infuriating users.

Click Here to Access this On-Demand Webinar

AHA Warns of Deepfake AI Schemes

December 11, 2025

AHA Warns of Deepfake AI Schemes

The American Hospital Association (AHA) is advising healthcare organizations to be on the lookout for deepfake AI scams aiming to deceive employees.

Cybercriminals are increasingly generating audio and video with AI to impersonate trusted individuals at hospitals and health systems, according to the December 3 news release.

“Deepfakes are used to manipulate unwitting individuals by having them click on phishing emails, provide their credentials, hire malicious remote IT workers or transfer funds to criminal accounts,” state John Riggi, AHA national advisor for cybersecurity and risk. “Constant vigilance and multilayered human verification processes are needed, especially as AI-synthetic video and audio capabilities continue to advance.”

The AHA pointed to an infographic from the FBI and American Bankers Association Foundation and a FBI public service announcement as useful resources to help prevent exploitation.

Click Here to Read the 10 Most Common Phishing Emails

Click Here to Read More About Deepfake Media Scams

Click Here to See FBI Public Service Announcement