Rural issues

Deploying telehealth in rural areas and elsewhere to deliver care more efficiently while reducing costs and expanding access continues to accelerate. And the evidence is mounting that virtual care is delivering on these promises. This was a hot topic at the recent AHA Rural Health Care Leadership…
Winona (Minn.) Health is using an intelligent online exam tool built on an AI platform to automate care delivery and improve both efficiency and the patient experience for those in remote areas. Patients can access Winona Health’s SmartExam platform from Bright MD 24/7, complete an online…
Public and private entities can apply for $1 million grants for a three-year period to enhance or expand opioid and other substance use disorder services in high-risk rural communities, the Health Resources and Services Administration announced.
Among other highlights, AHA President and CEO Rick Pollack hosted sessions with policy experts on health care implications for the 2020 election, Medicare for All, the future of the Affordable Care Act, and AHA's rural advocacy agenda. 
AHA Board Chair Melinda L. Estes, M.D., today kicked off the AHA Rural Health Care Leadership Conference by welcoming more than 1,000 rural hospital and health system leaders and trustees — the largest number of attendees in the conference's history.
The AHA is engaging in early primary states, including Iowa, with ads about rural health care and affordability to ensure issues important to hospitals and health systems stay in front of candidates.
Rural hospitals are community strongholds, serving as the key point of care for nearly 20% of Americans. Beyond providing healing and hope, rural hospitals nationwide are pillars of their local economies, creating essential jobs that support families and community vitality.
4 key takeaways from
In this AHA Advancing Health podcast, Elisa Arespacochaga, vice president of the AHA Physician Alliance, talks with Benjamin Anderson, former CEO of Kearny County Hospital in Lakin, Kan., about how his hospital took a chance on an unorthodox approach to recruit physicians, including offering four-…
Rural hospitals are often the largest local employer and help attract other businesses to the area, improving economic stability.