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

 

Registration is open for our 2024 Scholarly Intensive Seminar Series!  Click HERE for more information!

 

 

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,
Read More


RHIhubThe 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

  • Improving Public Health by Strengthening Community Infrastructure
    on July 11, 2024 at 5:00 am

    Profiles Thrive Allen County, a Kansas nonprofit rural revitalization organization that recently presented a webinar focusing on how community-driven work in poor rural areas can improve local infrastructure, which in turn can promote better public health.

  • CMS Proposes New Payments for Digital Health Under CY2025 PFS Draft Rule
    on July 11, 2024 at 5:00 am

    The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' proposed calendar year 2025 physician fee schedule rule includes new payments and coverage for digital health and telehealth services. The draft rule contains significant provisions for Rural Health Clinics and Federally Qualified Health Centers and gives opioid treatment programs more flexibility in their use of telehealth services.

  • Biden Harris Administration Proposes Policies to Reduce Maternal Mortality, Advance Health Equity, and Support Underserved Communities
    on July 10, 2024 at 5:00 am

    The Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System and Ambulatory Surgical Center proposed rule would increase access to care and advance health equity. The proposal introduces new requirements for maternal quality improvement efforts, increases access to services in tribal, rural, and other underserved communities, addresses barriers to Medicare coverage for those recently incarcerated, and supports the agency's goals of reducing opioid overdoses.

  • Nearly Half of U.S. Counties Don't Have a Single Cardiologist
    on July 8, 2024 at 5:00 am

    A study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology showed that 46.3% of U.S. counties, many of which are rural, lack a cardiologist. Features a county-level map with shadings showing counties with at least one cardiologist.

  • Randolph County, Ill. Turns Unused Part of Nursing Home Into State-Of-The-Art Behavioral Health Center
    on July 5, 2024 at 5:00 am

    Describes process by which Randolph County, Illinois used grant funding to transform part of an underused county-owned nursing home into a behavioral health center. The county held stakeholder meetings to address initial opposition among community members and created a consensus around development of a center.

  • Rural RPM Program Is a Lifeline for Pregnant Women
    on July 3, 2024 at 5:00 am

    Discusses how a remote patient monitoring program in northern Minnesota is increasing access to care and resources for rural pregnant women. Details the program's structure and highlights the use of in-home telehealth appointments, physical monitoring equipment, and arranging transportation for in-person care.

  • Safe and Stable Housing Is a Foundation of Successful Recovery
    on July 3, 2024 at 5:00 am

    Highlights a program providing recovery housing for people with opioid use disorder (OUD) in rural North Carolina. Details the program's structure, background, and funding. Discusses models referenced in the program's design.

  • Expert: Rural Hospitals Are Particularly Vulnerable to Increasing Cyberattacks Targeting Healthcare Facilities
    on July 2, 2024 at 5:00 am

    A policy brief from the National Rural Health Association notes that cyberattacks at healthcare facilities have increased more than 125% since 2023. Rural hospitals typically have an older IT infrastructure and inadequate IT staffing, which makes them particularly vulnerable. Microsoft and Google are offering free or discounted services to rural hospitals to help them prevent cyberattacks.

  • Biden-Harris Administration Invests Over $200 Million to Help Primary Care Doctors, Nurses, and Other Health Care Providers Improve Care...
    on July 1, 2024 at 5:00 am

    Announces funding to support 42 programs aimed at improving care for older Americans, including people experiencing Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. The initiative integrates geriatric training into primary care and also provides families and caregivers of older adults with the knowledge and skills to help them support their loved ones.

  • AJPH Call for Papers Special Section on Intersections of Public Health And Primary Care
    on June 28, 2024 at 5:00 am

    The American Public Health Association is seeking submissions of articles focused on partnerships and collaborations between public health and primary care to be featured in a special issue of the American Journal of Public Health. Includes details on themes of interest, including a request for submissions focused on approaches that increase access to primary care in rural and hard-to-reach settings. Submissions are due November 1, 2024.

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

  • How Payment Caps Can Reduce Hospital Prices and Spending: Lessons from the Oregon State Employee Plan
    on July 12, 2024 at 9:15 pm

    Report discusses how policy changes to state employee insurance plans effected healthcare costs in Oregon. Details Oregon's plan to place payment caps tied to Medicare reimbursement rates and exceptions for rural and critical access hospitals. -- Milbank Memorial Fund

  • CY 2025 Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System and Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment System Proposed Rule (CMS 1809-P)
    on July 11, 2024 at 8:52 pm

    Fact sheet providing an overview of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed rule regarding updates and changes to the Medicare payments for hospital outpatient and Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) services for calendar year 2025. Summarizes provisions regarding changes to Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) and partial hospital program rate setting; a proposal to include an add-on payment to the Medicare outpatient hospital all-inclusive rate (AIR) for certain high-cost drugs for people with Medicare who receive care at Indian Health Service (IHS) or tribal hospitals; updates to the Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting (OQR), Ambulatory Surgical Center Quality Reporting (ASCQR), and Rural Emergency Hospital Quality Reporting (REHQR) Programs; a proposal for new Conditions of Participation (CoPs) for hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) for obstetrical services; Medicaid and CHIP continuous eligibility; Medicaid clinic services "four walls" exceptions; and more. -- Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

  • Standing Technical Expert Panel for the Development, Evaluation, and Maintenance of Post-Acute Care (PAC) and Hospice Quality Reporting...
    on July 11, 2024 at 8:15 pm

    Describes a December 15, 2023, Technical Expert Panel (TEP) regarding the development of additional cross-setting measures for the Post-Acute Care (PAC) and Hospice Quality Reporting Programs (QRPs), and filling measurement gaps with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Universal Foundation measures. Summarizes TEP comments on adding measures to PAC and Hospice QRPs in four domains: 1) behavioral and mental health, 2) patient experience of care, 3) pain management, and 4) immunization. Covers panelists' discussions on the appropriateness of the existing measure set and potential new measures, setting-specific considerations, data sources, and other topics related to each domain. Includes rural references throughout. -- Abt Associates, Acumen, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

  • Assessing and Advancing Progress in the Delivery of High-Quality Cancer Care: Proceedings of a Workshop
    on July 11, 2024 at 4:35 pm

    Proceedings of a workshop focused on assessing progress in cancer care quality and equity in the past decade, from 2013-2023. Includes discussion on changes, strategies, and advances in cancer care, as well as how to improve cancer care for various populations, such as rural. -- Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

  • Calendar Year (CY) 2025 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule
    on July 11, 2024 at 4:20 pm

    Fact sheet providing an overview of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed rule regarding updates and changes to the Medicare payments under the Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) and other Medicare Part B issues for calendar year 2025. Summarizes provisions related to telehealth services; advanced primary care management services; behavioral health services; opioid treatment programs; dental and oral health services; Rural Health Clinic (RHC) and Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) Conditions for Coverage, care coordination services, telecommunication services, payment for vaccine costs, intensive outpatient program (IOP) services; and more. -- Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

  • Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS): 2024 Reporting Options Comparison Resource
    on July 11, 2024 at 2:33 pm

    Provides an overview of the similarities and differences among the three Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) reporting options: Traditional MIPS, MIPS Value Pathways (MVP), and Alternative Payment Model (APM) Performance Pathway (APP). Designed to help providers understand which reporting options may be best for their practice. Includes information on reporting flexibilities and scoring for small and rural practices. -- Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

  • The Uneven Impact of Medicaid Expansion on Rural and Urban Black, Latino/a, and White Mortality
    on July 11, 2024 at 2:29 pm

    Examines mortality rates and the corresponding impact of Medicaid expansion on Black, Latino/a, and White populations, broken down by rural versus urban location. Utilizes 2009-2019 data of Average Treatment Effect on the Treated (ATET) estimates to provide statistical breakdowns and graphic representation of how Medicaid expansion has impacted mortality rates for varying populations.

  • Evaluating the Feasibility and Acceptability of a Co-Designed Physical Activity Intervention for Rural Middle Schoolers: A Pilot Study
    on July 11, 2024 at 2:24 pm

    Examines a physical activity pilot study in a low-socioeconomic, rural, Midwestern setting with 6th and 7th grade students. Provides the study's conceptual framework, timeline of data collection, intervention-related feasibility indicators, physical activity and health measures, physiological measures, and more.

  • Primary Care Providers Fill Rural Gaps in Autism Resources
    on July 10, 2024 at 6:15 pm

    Features efforts in Arkansas, Missouri, and Arizona to improve screening and services for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their families. Includes methods for preparing primary care providers and providing support for caregivers. -- Rural Health Information Hub

  • An Examination of Emergency Food Supply and Distribution in Rural Pennsylvania
    on July 10, 2024 at 4:47 pm

    Examines the strengths and challenges faced by the Pennsylvania emergency food network in meeting the needs of residents, especially those in rural areas. Uses survey, interview, and observational data from a sample of 22 food banks, 35 partner agencies, and 65 residents served by the partner agencies. -- Center for Rural Pennsylvania