Spotlight
A Collection of Celebrated Caregiver Stories
Nothing is more impactful and relatable than a personal story. Iowa CareGivers, through a partnership with the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health, is showcasing Caregiver Stories from direct care workers, family caregivers, and healthcare students. The stories help to educate others about who caregivers are and the important role they play, but more importantly, inspire all who read them. Please read the stories and consider submitting your own story or sharing with others.
Hover over the image to read about these caregiver's testimonials.
Upcoming Events
Summer Health Professions Education Program
The Summer Health Professions Education Program is a free summer enrichment program designed to improve access to information and resources for college students interested in the health professions. Use the website to see more information on eligibility and requirements.
List of National Rural Health Association Upcoming Events
|
Innovative State Workforce Projections Models
Jan 20, 2026, 12:00 PM Central
This webinar, Innovative State Workforce Projection Models, will highlight how states have used workforce projection models to understand and forecast healthcare workforce needs. Presenters will demonstrate how these tools integrate state-level data to assess supply, demand, and emerging gaps across key healthcare occupations. Community Facilities Direct Loan & Grant ProgramOpen Year Around
This program provides affordable funding to develop essential community facilities in rural areas. An essential community facility is defined as a facility that provides an essential service to the local community for the orderly development of the community in a primarily rural area, and does not include private, commercial or business undertakings. |
News
EveryStep Launches Mobile “Suitcase Clinics” in Central IowaEveryStep has launched “Suitcase Clinics,” a mobile reproductive and maternal child health program serving Polk, Dallas, Madison, and Warren counties. The initiative aims to reduce barriers to care such as transportation, insurance, and language particularly for populations facing high maternal health risks, including Black women in Iowa. By bringing care directly into communities, the program hopes to improve access, support families, and reduce disparities.
Negotiated Rulemaking for Higher Education 2025The Department of Education’s RISE Committee, under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA, Public Law 119–21), has refined how “professional degree programs” are defined for student financial aid purposes. These programs are understood as post-baccalaureate degrees that qualify graduates to begin practice in a recognized profession (e.g., law, medicine, pharmacy, nursing), and they carry distinct loan limits and repayment rules compared to undergraduate or academic graduate programs.
|
Northeast Iowa Community College Opens New Affordable Dental ClinicNortheast Iowa Community College has opened a new dental clinic that expands access to affordable oral health care in the region. The clinic provides low-cost exams, x-rays, cleanings, and fillings, making it easier for individuals and families without dental insurance to get the care they need. The clinic also serves as a hands-on training site for students in the college’s Dental Assisting program, giving them real-world experience while supporting the community. Faculty involved in the program highlighted how early dental care can prevent more serious health problems and improve overall well-being.
Telehealth Policy UpdatesRecent legislation authorized an extension of many of the Medicare telehealth flexibilities including waiving geographic and originating site restrictions through January 30, 2026. In support of the extensions, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published a related FAQ document for calendar year 2026.
|
Tools & Resources
Gaps in Artificial Intelligence Research for Rural Health in the United States: A Scoping ReviewArtificial intelligence (AI) has impacted healthcare at urban and academic medical centers in the US. There are concerns, however, that the promise of AI may not be realized in rural communities. This scoping review aims to determine the extent of AI research in the rural US. The Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association (JAMIA) found that with few studies moving beyond AI model design and development stages, there are clear gaps in our understanding of how to reliably validate, deploy, and sustain AI models in rural settings to advance health in all communities.
|
Rural Health Information Hub List of Funding Opportunities
- NBCC Foundation Rural Scholarships - Scholarships for students residing in rural areas who are currently enrolled in a master's level counseling program and are committed to practicing in rural communities after graduation.
- AgriSafe Nurse Scholar Program - A distance learning opportunity available to rural nurses designed to increase knowledge base in prevention, identification, and assessment of diseases related to agricultural work exposures. A partial scholarship is available for nurses working in nonprofit organizations, Rural Health Clinics, Federally Qualified Health Centers, and educational institutions.
- NRHA Rural Hospital CEO Certification Program - A rural hospital leadership and certification program for current and future rural hospital CEOs.
- NRHA Rural Hospital CNO Certification Program - A leadership and certification program for current Chief Nursing Officers of rural hospitals.
- Rural Health Care Outcomes Accelerator - A 3-year initiative designed to eliminate rural health disparities by helping hospitals and clinicians provide high-quality evidence-based care. Assistance includes free access to evidence-based programs, consultants, networking, and recognition.
New Podcast: Geriatric-Ready Emergency Care for Rural CommunitiesThis conversation is highly relevant for Iowa’s rural hospitals, many of which serve rapidly aging communities. The episode highlights how even small Critical Access Hospitals can pursue accreditation by designating clinical “champions,” implementing staff training, improving mobility and nutrition supports, and adopting protocols that improve safety and outcomes for older adults.
|
Current and Maximum Acceptable Travel Times to Primary Care Among US Older AdultsThe Journal of American Medical Association's findings suggest that substantial increases in travel time could discourage primary care use among individuals with lower income and education, racial and ethnic minority individuals, urban residents, and individuals with longer travel time. Interventions aimed at alleviating transportation barriers to health care access should consider these populations.To access the tool, you'll need to sign up for an account.
|
Rural Hospital Financial Distress Index: Relative Risk in 2025The Financial Distress Index (FDI) uses historical data about hospital financial performance, government reimbursement, organizational characteristics, and market characteristics to predict the probability of rural hospital financial distress within two years. The model assigns every rural hospital to one of four financial risk categories: highest, mid-highest, mid-lowest, or lowest. This infographic shows a U.S. map of the number and percent of rural hospitals within each state at highest relative financial distress risk in 2025.
|
Health Professions Graduations Data DashboardThe purpose of this dashboard is to monitor trends in national and state-level graduations for various health professions from 2008-2023. The map can be used to compare the total number of graduations or the rate of graduations per 100,000 population for a specific health profession by state and year.
|
Maternal Health Report Card
The Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health recently released state-by-state maternal mental health report cards that provide a snapshot of state progress addressing maternal mental health. Using measures across three domains—providers and programs, screening, and coverage—these report cards pinpoint areas of opportunity for states to improve maternal mental health.
|
Rural Health Information Hub Maps
If you work in rural health in Iowa, the Rural Health Information Hub Maps offer a valuable tool for understanding key trends and challenges affecting rural communities across the state and the nation. Whether you’re working on a funding proposal, developing a community health program, or advocating for rural health resources, this tool can help support your efforts with clear, up-to-date data.
|
Publications
Recruiting and Retaining Mental Health Professionals in Rural AmericaA recent Rural Monitor article highlights persistent challenges in recruiting and retaining mental health professionals in rural America, citing barriers like geographic isolation, limited resources, and lower pay. The article emphasizes that collaboration, strong workplace culture, and community integration are key to sustaining a stable rural behavioral health workforce.
|
How Team-Based Behavioral Care From Array is Reducing ED StrainPsychiatrist shortages, record emergency department visits and prolonged boarding are straining hospital capacity nationwide. But a new care model is easing the pressure — and improving patient flow. This report shares how hospitals are deploying a virtual, team-based approach to behavioral health that pairs master's-level clinicians with psychiatrists. The result: faster evaluations, better alignment to patient acuity and fewer unnecessary admissions.
|
Closing the Distance in Rural Primary CareThe 2025 Evidence Report, Closing the Distance in Rural Primary Care, highlights the growing challenges facing rural health care, including workforce shortages, declining primary care spending, and hospital closures. The authors urge policymakers to measure and boost primary care investment, maintain reimbursement rates, and ensure the $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program centers whole-person care and rural-appropriate value-based models.
|
The State of Rural Provider Compensation in 2025Stroudwater Associates, in partnership with the National Rural Health Association (NRHA) and National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health (NOSORH), developed a physician and advanced practice provider compensation survey for rural organizations. Representing approximately 4,697 rural providers, the results of the survey illustrates the enormous variability in provider compensation across rural organizations and the pressing need for rural healthcare to align provider compensation with the organization’s goals and be compliant with fair market value (FMV).
|
The State of Rural Primary Care in the United StatesDrawing from the Commonwealth Fund 2023 International Health Policy Survey and federal health workforce data, The Commonwealth Fund describes the current state of U.S. primary care across rural America, focusing on the workforce, access to care, and care delivery. They also highlight innovative rural primary care delivery models and regional differences where data are available.
|
Unlocking Local Leadership: Why Rural People Step Forward to Help Their CommunitiesGallup’s research with the LOR Foundation finds that people in rural America are highly engaged in supporting their neighbors — 68% say they frequently help others in their communities. However, despite 46% expressing a desire to be more involved, fewer than one in 10 have taken on more formal leadership roles when it comes to projects that help their communities.
|
Navigating the Student to Employee Lifecycle to Enhance Recruitment and Retention in Local Health DepartmentsA recent study in the Journal of Public Health Management and Practice highlights a unified logic model developed by the CDC’s Division of Scientific Education and Professional Development to strengthen the public health workforce. By aligning fellowships, training, service-learning, and workforce development science, the model supports a sustainable, competent workforce capable of delivering essential public health services.
|
Nationwide Decline in Rural Family Physicians Continues Despite Workforce EffortsIn this study, researchers used the American Medical Association Physician Masterfile to identify family physicians aged 65 years or younger in the U.S. actively practicing outpatient care from 2017 to 2023. Physicians' office addresses were mapped to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural-Urban Continuum Codes to identify and describe family physicians in rural communities.
|
A Study Finds Rural US Loses 1 in 9 Family Physicians in 6 YearsThe Annals of Family Medicine published a study that the rural family physician workforce shrank 11% from 2017 to 2023, marking an ongoing shortage in primary care access. The Northeast saw the steepest percentage loss (15.3%), while the West saw the smallest (3.2%).
|
