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FDA Food Protection Plan Shows Significant Progress
The U.S. Food and Drug Administrations Food Protection Plan Progress Report, released today in conjunction with the Interagency Working Group on Import Safety Action Plan Update, shows significant areas of activity to further improve the safety of Americas food supply since unveiling its Food Protection Plan in November 2007.

New Webcast Series for Health Journalists Debuts July 9 at Noon
The Commonwealth Fund reports that a new series of health-related webcasts for journalists debuts next week with a spotlight on the growing problem of the underinsuredthose who have insurance but are still at risk for substantial out-of-pocket expenses.

Helping Kids Get Well One Car Ride at a Time
CNN.com article profiles Russell Jackson, who gave up his career as an Alabama firefighter, moved in with friends and dug into his retirement account to start Kid One Transport, a nonprofit organization that provides rides for needy children in his home state.

AARP, RWJF, Labor Department Seek Solutions to Nursing and Nurse Faculty Shortage
AARP, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) today are convening a summit of multistakeholder groups to identify solutions to the nurse faculty shortage that is forcing nursing schools to turn away thousands of qualified nursing candidates each year.

High Gas Prices Threaten to Shut Down Rural Towns
USA Today article discusses how soaring gas prices are a double-whammy for many rural residents: They often pay more than people who live in cities and suburbs because of the expense of hauling fuel to their communities, and they must drive greater distances for life's necessities: work, groceries, medical care and, of course, gas.

President Signs Medicaid Moratorium Into Law
AHA News reports that President Bush yesterday signed an Iraq war spending bill that includes a moratorium delaying six Medicaid rules until April 2009.

Gas, Food Prices Pinch Elderly Meal Programs
Fox News article reports that the soaring costs of food and utilities are squeezing the estimated 20,000 senior nutrition programs across the country that serve millions of elderly and frail Americans.

Bush Administration Freezing Cuts in Medicare Fees
Associated Press article reports that the Bush administration said Monday it is freezing a scheduled 10 percent fee cut for doctors who treat Medicare patients, giving Congress time to act to prevent the cuts when lawmakers return from a July 4 recess.

2009 Joint Commission Standards Available Online
The Joint Commissions revised standards, rationales and elements of performance for 2009 are now available online, and will take effect January 1, 2009.

USDA Announces More than $2.7 Million in Rural Business Grants
Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer today announced that 15 organizations in seven states have been selected to receive more than $2.7 million in job creation and economic development grants to foster a healthy business climate in rural areas.

State Workers: Thank God It's Thursday
Stateline.org, (DC) article tells how in the face of $4-a-gallon gasoline, a growing number of states are offering their employees four-day workweeks to help relieve commuting costs and save on state energy bills.

CMS Proposes Payment, Policy Changes for Physicians' Services in 2009
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today proposed new efforts to promote access to higher quality and more efficient health care delivered by the nations physicians to people with Medicare under the 2009 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS).

Teenage Photographers: Migration of the Minds
Daily Yonder article tells of an photography project in rural Tennessee that combines the visions of youth, local teenagers and the children of migrant workers, as part of a multicultural education project helping to unite the Appalachian and Latino cultures.

Moratorium on Six Medicaid Rules Sent to President
AHA News reports that the Senate voted 92-6 late last week to approve an amendment to the Iraq war spending bill that includes a moratorium delaying six of seven impending Medicaid rules until April 2009.

Senate Labor-HHS Bill Passes Out of Committee
AHA News reports that the Senate Appropriations Committee last week approved a bill specifying discretionary funding for federal health and human services programs for fiscal year 2009. The Labor-HHS spending bill is expected to go to the Senate floor sometime after the Independence Day recess.

Attitude Determines Student Success in Rural Schools, Study Finds
ScienceDaily article reports that while most of the country focuses on ACT scores, student-teacher ratio and rigorous curriculum to increase student success, it may be the commitment to excellence that determines student achievement in rural schools.

Counties Feel Impact of Hispanic Immigrants
USA Today article reports that the arrival of Hispanics in remote and rural areas far from traditional gateways has been going on for years, but what's new is a pronounced demographic shift unfolding because these young immigrants are having children.

Senate OKs War Cash; Medicare Blocked
Politico article reports that Senate Republicans narrowly blocked passage of the Medicare bill, which had sailed through the House only days before but fell one vote short of the 60 needed, meaning that physicians with elderly patients face an automatic 10.6 percent cut in Medicare reimbursements effective July 1, next Tuesday.

Americans Report Declining Access to Medical Care
AHA News reports that one in five Americans reported forgoing or delaying medical care in 2007, up from one in seven in 2003, according to a new survey by the Center for Studying Health System Change.

Rural Nonprofits Struggle with Sagging Economy
Minnesota Public Radio article discusses how most rural nonprofits are already bare-bones operations, and if bad economic conditions continue, some won't survive.

Proposed Changes to Rural Health Clinic Rules and Regulations Released by CMS
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) today released for public comment the long awaited proposed changes to the Rural Health Clinic rules and regulations.

Energy Boost
Inside Higher Ed article tells how colleges and universities across the country are struggling with major budget cuts, but a few states, like North Dakota, that are big on energy production are flush with funds.

For Milk, Bread and Heroes: Kansas Groceries
Daily Yonder article discusses the importance of keeping a grocery store in rural towns, where even in Kansas, though 72% of the cities have populations of 1,500 or less, it gets harder and harder to find towns this size with a grocery store.

New Nationwide Report Estimates that 40 Percent of Underage Drinkers Received Free Alcohol from Adults Over 21
More than 40 percent of the nations estimated 10.8 million underage current drinkers (persons aged 12 to 20 who drank in the past 30 days) were provided free alcohol by adults 21 or older, according to a nationwide report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

New HRSA Report Illustrates Success of Health Centers
A new report released today by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) describes how HRSA-funded health centers improve the lives of the more than 16 million people they treat each year.

FCC Member, Lessig Unveil U.S. Broadband Initiative
U.S. Federal Communications Commission member Jonathan Adelstein and several high-profile technology executives and industry advocates on Tuesday launched an initiative to make broadband access a national priority in the U.S.

House Passes Medicare Bill
The House voted 355-59 yesterday to pass H.R. 6331, Medicare legislation that would block a July 1 physician payment cut and includes a number of hospital provisions.

Blood Substitute Could Help Rural Accident Victims
Scrippts News article reports on a new blood substitute that could increase the survival rate for rural accident victims, who often bleed to death before they reach a hospital.

Number of People with Diabetes Increases to 24 Million
Diabetes now affects nearly 24 million people in the United States, an increase of more than 3 million in approximately two years, according to new 2007 prevalence data estimates released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Senate Labor-HHS-Education Subcommittee Marks Up its FY 2009 Spending Bill - June 24
The National Rural Health Association (NRHA) reports that the Senate Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Subcommittee met yesterday and marked up its FY 2009 spending bill.