NRHA's Rural Health Voices blog offers informed commentary on the latest news in rural health care from NRHA staff and editorials from selected contributors.
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Author:
Jessica Seigel
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This afternoon, President Donald Trump released a plan to reorganize government programs, including those at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that are critical to our rural communities. As the White House and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director begin to discuss the released plan with Members of Congress, we ask that they ensure that any reorganization of programs under these agencies does not result in the elimination...
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Author:
Sarah Barto
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Mental health staffing shortages exist in urban and rural health care settings, but the problems are even more challenging in rural areas. Locum tenens psychiatrists are helping to combat the shortage of mental health providers in rural areas. In some cases, locum tenens physicians face large backlogs of patients in need of quality mental health care. With changing dynamics of health care and mental health care needs, locum tenens providers help fill the need.
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Author:
Jessica Seigel
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As we continue to discuss regional variance in addressing population health care needs and creating innovative new models, we must consider the unique conditions of border communities. Almost 30% of the estimated 30 million people living in the border region live in rural areas, and no different from other rural populations, they are on average older, sicker, and poorer than those in urban areas. The average median income in the border region is less than $15,000.
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Physical therapists (PTs) are often front and center at critical access hospitals (CAH). In these rural settings, PTs must have expansive knowledge and a vast skill set to best meet the needs of patients and caregivers. A PT must know how to function in nearly every setting at a CAH: outpatient, acute, subacute, nursing home, home health, acute rehab facility, inpatient and outpatient psychiatric, emergency rooms, and more while addressing the needs of individuals across the life span.
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Author:
Jessica Seigel
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The House Appropriations Committee released the text of its Labor and Health and Human Services (HHS) Appropriations bill this morning. NRHA submitted testimony and requests to both the House and Senate Appropriators requesting robust support for rural health programs. While we understand the current federal budget situation, rural health discretionary spending is relatively small but is vitally important for maintaining access to care for individuals living in rural America. The rural...
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Author:
Brock Slabach
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Innovation has been essential to sustaining providers of care in rural communities, and as the single largest payer for rural care, Medicare has been the primary driver of innovation. However, from the program’s inception in 1965, the vicious cycle of Medicare payment policy has forced rural hospitals to find creative solutions to keep operating. Accordingly, NRHA enthusiastically supports the Pennsylvania and Maryland Global Budget Programs.
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Author:
Jessica Seigel
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The National Rural Health Association (NRHA) applauds the Senate Finance Committee for holding a powerful hearing today discussing the state of health care in rural America. The hearing, entitled “Rural Health Care in America: Challenges and Opportunities,” focused on the difficulties providers face in rural communities, as well as the innovative ways in which they are working to ensure continued local care. As Senate Rural Health Caucus Co-Chair Pat Roberts said, this hearing is ...
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Author:
Jessica Seigel
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NRHA is excited to share that the Senate Finance Committee will hold a hearing discussing the state of health care in rural America next week. The hearing, entitled “Rural Health Care in America: Challenges and Opportunities,” will focus on the difficulties providers face in rural communities, as well as the innovative ways in which they are working to ensure continued local care.
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Author:
Sarah Barto
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In many rural communities today, hospital CEO turnover rates are exceeding 20 percent. The exact cause for such a high rate is unknown, but it is certain that the overall health of rural communities is jeopardized.
State and local health organizations, community leaders, and health care board members are becoming deeply concerned.
In a national study, Yaffe and Company is seeking the opinions of current and prior CEOs and board leadership, as we search for causes and solutions.
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Author:
David A. Gross
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NRHA Member and Administrative Director for Education and Research at St. Claire HealthCare (Morehead, Kentucky) discusses his work combatting the opioid crisis in his home state and his recent experience participating in a USDA Rural Development Opioid Crisis Roundtable.
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