Students & ResidentsSeek in-depth residency experiences and unmatched opportunities in preparation for rural, underserved urban or international practice.
Admin & FacultyJoin a community of rural educators in the health professions to share best practices, provide mutual encouragement & conduct collaborative research.
CommunityThe RTT Collaborative is committed to a community engaged approach to its work. We would love to have you join us!

NEW WEBSITE COMING SOON!!!

 

Now accepting UME programs to be participating programs!

Interested UME programs can complete and submit the 2024-2025 application HERE.

 

Click HERE for information on our 2025 Annual Meeting!!!

 

Our Participating Programs and Sponsors

Ohio University HCOM
Central Maine Medical Center Family Medicine Residency – Swift River Rural Training Track
Colorado Family Medicine Residencies
Ohio University RUSP
Cahaba Medical Care
Spokane Teaching Health Center
Family Medicine Residency of Idaho
Oregon Health & Science University-Cascades East Family Medicine Residency
Family Medicine Residency of Western Montana
Providence Oregon Family Medicine Hood River Rural Training Program
Hidalgo Medical Services Family Medicine Residency Program
Wayne County Hospital RESST Program
UND Bismarck/Center for Family Medicine-Hettinger RTT & UND Minot/Williston Medical Center-Rural Residency
Wisconsin Rural Physician Residency Assistance Program
University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson Family Medicine Residency

Featured News Story

Annual Rural Photo Contest

Posted on:

The Rural Medical Training Collaborative (formerly RTT Collaborative) invites you to participate in our annual rural photo contest.  Each year we hold a “bragging rights” competition for the shutter bugs associated with our organization to showcase their best photos that represent rural healthcare and training.  The deadline for submission is the end of April, but this year, for the first time ever, all entries that are submitted prior to the start of our annual meeting on April 10th, will be featured at the meeting and eligible to win the new “Rural Educators” award, to be selected by the attendees at the annual meeting in Asheville,
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RHIhub – The nation’s rural health library

Latest News

News stories via the Rural Health Information Hub News stories of interest to rural health, with information provided via the Rural Health Information Hub

  • Share Your Rural Health Story in Honor of National Rural Health Day
    on October 28, 2024 at 5:00 am

    Announces partnership between the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and StoryCorps to record stories related to rural health triumphs and challenges in honor of National Rural Health Day. Conversations will be recorded virtually in early November and archived at the Library of Congress. Registration is open now and recording slots are available on a first come, first served basis.

  • On Navajo Nation, a Push to Electrify More Homes on the Vast Reservation
    on October 27, 2024 at 5:00 am

    Describes lack of access to running water and electricity in some parts of the Navajo Nation, and the impacts on health and other aspects of life. Details federally-funded efforts to extend power lines and improve connectivity, which have faced challenges related to the rugged landscape and the large size of the Navajo Nation.

  • Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Visits North Carolina to Highlight Federal Resources Available to Help Farmers, Families and Communities...
    on October 25, 2024 at 5:00 am

    Provides overview of resources available through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to assist North Carolina farmers, businesses, and communities impacted by Hurricane Helene. Highlights loan and insurance programs for farmers, nutrition assistance for individuals and families, and financial resources available through USDA Rural Development.

  • NRHA Releases 2024 Compendium of Best Practices for Rural Age-Friendly Care
    on October 24, 2024 at 5:00 am

    Announces the release of a report sharing best practices, models, research, and policies related to rural age-friendly care. Highlights the partnership between the National Rural Health Association and The John A. Hartford Foundation in addressing age-friendly care for rural older adults.

  • Pratt Is the Latest Kansas Town Facing Nitrate Pollution. One-Quarter of Its Water Supply Is Off
    on October 24, 2024 at 5:00 am

    Highlights challenges faced by a rural Kansas community in their efforts to address nitrate contamination in drinking water. Notes that agricultural practices and sandy soil have led to dangerous increases in nitrate levels over recent decades. Describes efforts to obtain funding for a new water treatment center and to increase testing of private wells.

  • Northern Forest Center Focuses on Rural Middle-Income Housing Needs
    on October 23, 2024 at 5:00 am

    Highlights the work of the nonprofit Northern Forest Center to fund workforce housing development in rural Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York. Notes that housing shortages have contributed to recruitment challenges for local businesses, including healthcare organizations. Describes their "capital stack" funding approach and the potential for replication in rural communities elsewhere in the country.

  • Medical Academy Serves High School Students and Their Communities
    on October 22, 2024 at 5:00 am

    Profiles Montevideo Medical Academy, a medical training program creating a pipeline for rural Minnesota high school students toward healthcare professions. Describes how the program was started and successes early in the program.

  • Rural Georgians Face Long Distances to Maternity Care - Community Clinics Can Help Fill the Gaps
    on October 21, 2024 at 5:00 am

    Highlights the experience of a pregnant rural Georgia woman in a maternity care desert. Discusses maternity care deserts nationally, obstetric and gynecologic care in Federally Qualified Health Centers, general health disparities in areas with limited access to healthcare, and increasing the healthcare workforce for rural areas.

  • FACT SHEET: Biden-⁠Harris Administration Announces New Actions to Support North Carolina's Hurricane Recovery
    on October 20, 2024 at 5:00 am

    Announcement of new federal Community Liaisons program to assist communities impacted by Hurricane Helene with ongoing recovery efforts. Provides overview of ongoing programs including Disaster Recovery Centers and mass feeding sites serving impacted communities in rural North Carolina. Details additional resources including home inspections and Transitional Sheltering Assistance.

  • Biden-Harris Administration Takes Groundbreaking Action to Expand Health Care Access by Covering Traditional Health Care Practices
    on October 16, 2024 at 5:00 am

    Announces an amendment to Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) to allow coverage of traditional healthcare practices at Indian Health Service (IHS) facilities, tribal facilities, and urban Indian organizations in Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Oregon. The action is expected to improve access to culturally appropriate healthcare. Notes the health disparities for American Indian and Alaska Native populations compared to the general population.

Helpful Resources

Rural resources via the Rural Health Information Hub Resources, reports, and other documents on rural health topics from a variety of sources, with information provided via the Rural Health Information Hub

  • Weight Status Underestimation and Weight Management Goals among Adults in the Rural South of the United States
    on October 28, 2024 at 4:10 pm

    Analyzes weight status, underestimation, and management goals among residents in rural South Carolina. Analyzes survey data among 185 respondents according to accuracy of weight reporting, weight loss/management goals, and related demographic factors. Discusses accuracy of weight perceptions among residents and the impact on weight management in the rural South.

  • Differing Needs for Advance Care Planning in the Veterans Health Administration: Use of Latent Class Analysis to Identify Subgroups to...
    on October 28, 2024 at 4:05 pm

    Analyzes the Advance Care Planning via Group Visits (ACP-GV) intervention among identifiable subgroups and their potential differing needs. Examines healthcare records of 26,857 Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) users regarding their ACP knowledge and planning, with demographic breakdowns according to race/ethnicity, sex, marital status, and rural versus urban location.

  • Strengthening Rural Health: The Role of HPV Vaccination
    on October 28, 2024 at 3:02 pm

    Recording of an October 1, 2024, webinar regarding trends in HPV-related cancers in rural areas and the importance of HPV vaccination to cancer prevention. Features Heather Brandt, Director of the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital's HPV Cancer Prevention Program. Discusses the hospital's efforts to increase HPV vaccinations in rural communities. Part of the Rural Health Clinic Technical Assistance Series. -- National Association of Rural Health Clinics

  • CAH Perspectives on Collection and Use of Demographic and Social Drivers of Health Data
    on October 28, 2024 at 2:33 pm

    Describes how collecting information about social drivers of health (SDOH) can help hospitals inform treatment and discharge planning decisions and identify local health disparities. Summarizes findings from interviews with nine Critical Access Hospital (CAH) staff regarding their experiences collecting demographic and SDOH data. Highlights themes related to challenges CAH staff face in collecting this data and how CAHs utilize the data they collect. -- Flex Monitoring Team

  • A Qualitative Study of Rural Plant-Based Eaters' Knowledge and Practices for Nutritional Adequacy
    on October 28, 2024 at 2:14 pm

    Examines nutritional knowledge, strategies, and access to nutritional expertise among 28 adults who follow a flexitarian, pescatarian, vegan, or vegetarian diet in rural Vermont. Discusses factors influencing the nutritional adequacy of plant-based diets, and identifies gaps in nutritional support for rural people following plant-based diets.

  • USDA Rural Development: Rural Emergency Health Care Grants
    on October 28, 2024 at 2:14 pm

    Story map explaining the investments and reach of the USDA Rural Emergency Health Care Program, which expanded rural vaccination, healthcare services, and food assistance availability in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Provides data on overall investments and economic relief provided, and highlights healthcare facilities that benefited from USDA Rural Development grants and loans. -- USDA Rural Development

  • Validation of Prognostic Scales for Functional Outcome in Ischemic Stroke Patients Treated with Intravenous Thrombolysis in a Rural Setting
    on October 28, 2024 at 2:14 pm

    Examines the efficacy of prognostic tools for stroke recovery in a rural setting, utilizing data of 279 stroke patients who received thrombolytic therapy at the Southern Illinois Healthcare Stroke Network from July 2017 to June 2024. Provides data on the performance of the DRAGON, MRI-DRAGON, and S-TPI tools in predicting positive and negative patient outcomes.

  • Regional Variation in Deescalated Therapy in Older Adults With Early-Stage Breast Cancer
    on October 28, 2024 at 1:40 pm

    Results of a study to determine how much geospatial variation in locoregional therapy can be attributed to region or patient characteristics. Features demographics including breakdowns by urban or rural status.

  • CMS-Approved Waivers Break New Ground for Medicaid Coverage of American Indian and Alaska Native Traditional Health Care Practices
    on October 25, 2024 at 7:40 pm

    Provides an overview of Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) approved 1115 waivers that allow Medicaid agencies to cover American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) traditional healthcare practices in four states: Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Oregon. Describes who can access traditional healthcare practices under these waivers, where traditional healthcare services can be provided, who will be certified to provide these services, and implementation support. -- Center for Health Care Strategies

  • Strengthening Indigenous America: Building Resilience Through Disaster Preparedness, Response, and Recovery: Proceedings of a Workshop—in...
    on October 25, 2024 at 7:21 pm

    Summarizes key concepts from a July 2024 workshop that explored how to support the capacity of Indigenous American and tribal communities and nations to prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters and public health emergencies. Discusses tribal sovereignty; emergency management capacities and capabilities; relationships with partners and jurisdictions; Indigenous knowledge, best practices, and translation; and data and research. -- Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine