Rural issues

In 2015, Kearny launched the Pioneer Baby program in partnership with KU School of Medicine-Wichita to improve pregnancy and birth outcomes by reducing pregnancy complications, premature births, low- or extremely high-birth weight, and cesarean sections while increasing breastfeeding rates. The…

AHA Rural Health Care Leadership Conference Nearly 1,000 rural hospital and health system leaders and trustees gathered virtually Feb. 17-18 to discuss today’s pressing issues facing rural hospitals and communities. AHA President and CEO Rick Pollack emphasized to participants the need for more…

The House of Representatives early this morning voted 219-212 to approve a modified version of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, legislation to provide reconciliation protection for a roughly $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package, which includes a number of provisions that affect hospitals and…

Identifying the underlying factors that contribute to disparities in outcomes in vulnerable rural populations and developing strategies to address these issues remain constant challenges, but progress is being made. OSF Healthcare’s Health Equities Action Lab (HEAL) is employing a data-driven…

 

The AHA supports policies and legislation that enable rural hospitals to care for their communities. The Rural Advocacy Agenda outlines some key areas of focus for our 2020 advocacy agenda.

The AHA today released its 2021 Rural Advocacy Agenda, highlighting the association’s top legislative and policy priorities for the year in support of hospitals and health systems in rural communities. The AHA already released a list of actions needed to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic so this…

The telehealth program at a small Texas hospital serves as one example of how trustees who closely interacted with administrators helped to lead the hospital’s timely use of telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic. At Yoakum Community Hospital, a 23- bed critical access hospital, leaders shared…

As the COVID-19 outbreak evolves, AHA has captured the following inspirational stories and lessons learned of how rural hospitals and health systems are working to increase access points, deliver care, improve safety and meet the needs of the residents of their communities. These form a growing…

CARES Act: Provisions to Help Rural Hospitals The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, signed into law on March 27, provides resources and flexibility for rural hospitals.