Our job is unique in many ways. This site is dedicated to those who work under rural conditions and the challenges that presents. We offer resources and information in many areas for the rural responder.

  • EMS Headlines Newsfeed Courtesy
    EMS Network News

    EMSN Today
    ~emsnetwork.org~

    This webpage uses Javascript to display some content.

    Please enable Javascript in your browser and reload this page.

    Rural Health Newsfeed Courtesy
    Rural Assistance Center

    Sen. Udall Drafting Bill to Kill Telemedicine Barriers

    Fri, 03 Feb 2012 10:43:47 CST

    Government Health IT article reports that Sen. Tom Udall (D-Utah) anticipates introducing a bill this spring to make it easier for physicians to practice telemedicine in many states instead of applying for a separate license for each state.

    The Worth of the Rural 'Creative Economy'

    Fri, 03 Feb 2012 09:52:04 CST

    Daily Yonder article tells how from the Blues Trail through the Delta to the Walter Anderson Museum on the Gulf Coast, rural Mississippi's economy is buoyed by what they call the "creative economy."

    Aging America Creates Demand for Health - Care Workers

    Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:00:00 CST

    Reuters article reports that the graying of America and a booming Hispanic population is driving major changes in the structure of the U.S. workforce and the types of jobs that will be available over the next decade, according to a new government report.

    Rural Relevant Quality Measures for CAHs

    Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:00:00 CST

    NRHA Rural Health Voices blog reports that the FLEX Monitoring Team just released a Brief on rural relevant quality measures for Critical Access Hospitals (CAH). The purpose of the brief is to provide a set of rural relevant quality measure for policy makers and the rural health provider community.

    How One Hospital Entices Doctors to Work In Rural America

    Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:00:00 CST

    NPR Health Blog article tells how the Ashland Health Clinic, a tiny hospital in southwest Kansas, is trying a reverse-recruitment model, by offering potential candidates eight weeks off to do missionary work overseas.

    House Bill Would Gouge Rural Transit

    Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:00:00 CST

    Daily Yonder article discusses how rural transportation leaders are speaking out against a proposal before Congress that would cut funding for needed public transit programs.

    Rural Health: Residency Doctor Chooses to Return to Rural Roots

    Thu, 02 Feb 2012 11:19:22 CST

    Tri-State Neighbor, (SD) article profiles students in the almost 40-year-old Sioux Falls Family Medicine Residency program that has helped produce about 300 doctors since 1973.

    Heat from Farmers Results in Rethinking of Youth Labor Limits

    Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 CST

    Washington Times, (DC) article reports that bowing to an angry backlash from agriculture groups and family farmers across the country, the Obama administration Wednesday said it would scale back proposed new rules that would have sharply limited the amount of work young people can do on farms.

    Health Reform Law Saves $2.1 Billion for 3.6 Million Americans with Medicare

    Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 CST

    Nearly 3.6 million people with Medicare saved $2.1 billion on their prescription drugs in 2011 due to the Affordable Care Act according to data issued today by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

    Redirecting Rural Health Research: A Think Tank Summit

    Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 CST

    Idaho State University announces that abstracts are being accepted until February 28, 2012, for an interprofessional rural health research conference and Think Tank that will be held Aug 8-10, 2012, in Idaho Falls, Idaho.

    Bill Would Improve Medicare Payment for Small, Rural Hospitals

    Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 CST

    AHA News Now article reports that Reps. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Mike Thompson (D-CA) today introduced the Rural Hospital and Provider Equity Act, a bill that would improve Medicare payment for rural hospitals that serve a disproportionate share of low-income patients, and adjust the low-volume adjustment for small prospective payment system hospitals that do not qualify as critical access hospitals.

    Obama Administration Announces Pilot Program to Help Rural Borrowers Refinance Mortgages, Get Lower Interest Rates

    Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 CST

    Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is launching a pilot program to help rural borrowers refinance their mortgages to reduce their monthly payments.

    A Computer Beats a Pen for Getting Prescriptions Right

    Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:31:59 CST

    NPR article discusses how one way to reduce drug errors inside hospitals is to have doctors enter the prescriptions on a computer instead of with pen and paper. After the switch, hospitals can see error rates drop by a whopping 60 percent.

    Medicare Advantage Premiums Down 7 Percent on Average, Enrollment Up 10 Percent

    Wed, 01 Feb 2012 10:32:00 CST

    Medicare Advantage premiums have fallen by 7 percent on average and enrollment has risen by about 10 percent since this time last year, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced today.

    Country Doctors: Center Draws Doctors to Underserved Areas

    Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 CST

    WCF Courier, (IA) article discusses the efforts being made by the Area Health Education Center in Iowa to attract more doctors to rural and underserved areas.

    One-Room School Also One-Student School

    Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 CST

    New York Times article tells how at a time when many schools are concerned about overcrowded classrooms, the Sunset school in a Montana ranching community has a different problem keeping its lone student at her desk so it can remain open.

    iGR Partners With RCA to Deliver Educational Webinar Series to Discuss Key Issues Facing U.S. Rural Operators

    Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 CST

    iGR, a market strategy consultancy focused on the wireless and mobile communications industry, today announced a partnership with RCA (Rural Cellular Association) to provide a series of webinar sessions dedicated to addressing the unique challenges rural and smaller operators face in today's competitive consumer markets.

    Talk of the Town at Policy Institute

    Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 CST

    As 450 of Americas most passionate advocates are fighting for rural health on Capitol Hill, the NRHA Rural Health Voices blog thought they would recap some of the memorable (and often unscripted) quotes from the National Rural Health Associations 23rd annual Rural Health Policy Institute so far.

    Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Announces Investments to Promote Business Development, Improve Medical Services and Create Jobs in Ten States

    Tue, 31 Jan 2012 10:33:00 CST

    Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that loans and grants provided through USDA's Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant program will be provided to applicants in 10 states to support businesses, improve the quality of medical care, and create or save hundreds of jobs.

    Wakefield: Proud to Partner with NRHA

    Tue, 31 Jan 2012 10:23:31 CST

    NRHA Rural Health Voices blog gives excerpts of a talk given by Mary Wakefield, PhD, Health Resources and Services Administration administrator, at the Rural Health Policy Institute being held this week in Washington, D.C.Wakefield outlined workforce, education, health information technology, telehealth and other HRSA projects and grant programs benefiting or with the potential to help improve rural health quality and access.

    HUD Secretary Donovan Announces New Regulations to Ensure Equal Access to Housing for All Americans Regardless of Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity

    Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:00:00 CST

    U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan announced today new regulations intended to ensure that HUD's core housing programs are open to all eligible persons, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.

    'Spam' Meat Tied to Diabetes Risk in Native Americans

    Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:00:00 CST

    FOX News article reports that Native Americans who often ate processed meat in a can, generically known as "spam" and a common food on reservations, one subsidized by the government -- had a two-fold increased risk of developing diabetes over those who ate little or none, according to a U.S. study.

    U.S. Recession Hikes Rate of Rural Poverty

    Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:00:00 CST

    Daily Yonder article reports that the percentage of people living in poverty was higher in rural America than in either exurban or urban counties in 2010, according to the U.S. Census, and these rates have increased since the recession began in 2007.

    Doctor, Did You Check Your Checklist?

    Mon, 30 Jan 2012 10:06:20 CST

    Kaiser Health News article discusses patient safety issues and how faulty hospital care is one of the leading causes of death, behind heart disease and cancer.

    Affordable Care Act Will Save States and Taxpayers $17.7 Billion on Prescription Drugs

    Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:00:00 CST

    Provisions in the health care reform law, the Affordable Care Act, will save taxpayers and States an estimated $17.7 billion over five years on prescription drugs bought through Medicaid, according to estimates in a proposed rule issued today by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

    Outpatient Move Saves Hospital

    Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:00:00 CST

    HealthLeaders Media article tells how an expanded physical therapy program helped save a 22-licensed-bed critical access hospital in Illinois, a facility that nearly shut down because of fiscal and management problems.

    Why Men From Rural Communities Avoid Seeking Mental Health Counseling

    Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:00:00 CST

    GoodTherapy.org article tells of a new study that suggests that men from rural communities are even more resistant than urban-dwelling men when it comes to getting psychological counseling.

    State of the Indian Nations

    Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:00:00 CST

    Daily Yonder article reports that The National Congress of American Indians every year releases its State of Indian Nations, an alternative prospect for the Congress reported during the week of the State of the Union. One goal set by Nation Congress of American Indians President Jefferson Keel is to turn out a record number of Indian voters in 2012.

    Public Hearings: Attorney Generals National Task Force on Children Exposed to Violence

    Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 CST

    The Attorney General's National Task Force on Children Exposed to Violence will hold the second of four public hearings January 31, 2012 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The hearing will highlight the issue of children's exposure to violence in rural and tribal communities.

    Score! for Two Rural Broadband Teams

    Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 CST

    Daily Yonder article tells how communities in Vermont and rural Lancashire, England, have kicked off efforts to finance rural broadband networks.