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!

Video courtesy of Rural PREP, a grant-funded affiliate of the RTT Collaborative.

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 Report 2020-2021 Now Available

Posted on:

 

The RTT Collaborative has published its Annual Report 2020 – 2021!
Thank you to everyone who has supported the RTTC and helped make it successful.

In this report, you will find…

•   Letter from the Executive Director on the impact of the RTT Collaborative

•   Statistics on the RTT’s Participating Programs

•   How to be become a Participating Program

•   Income Report

•   Expense Report

•   Highlights from September 2020 – June 2021’s Newsletter

•   View: 2020 - 2021 Annual Report.pdf (1 MB pdf)

 
Read More

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

  • Rural Covid Infections Decline for Third Straight Week
    on October 14, 2021 at 5:00 am

    Reports on rural COVID-19 infections and mortality for the week of October 3-9, noting that the rural infection rate was still much higher than the metropolitan rate but that new infections fell around 12% during the week. Offers charts with weekly infection and mortality data, state rural/metro comparisons, and county and state-level data maps.

  • Rural U.S. Hospitals Stretched Thin After Nurse Shortage Exacerbated by the Pandemic
    on October 13, 2021 at 5:00 am

    Video report on nursing shortages and the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on those shortages, focusing on the rural Hendry Regional Medical Center in Clewiston, Florida. Offers perspectives of nurses and emergency department leadership, and addresses burnout related to COVID-19 patient care and the role of traveling nurses in filling staffing needs.

  • New Vaccinations in Rural Counties Decline for Second Week
    on October 12, 2021 at 5:00 am

    Reports on rural COVID-19 vaccinations as of October 7, noting a sustained decline in new vaccinations. Notes that 42.6% of the total rural population has completed vaccination, compared to 54.5% of the metro population. Offers county and state-level data maps and charts depicting vaccination trends.

  • CMS Clarifies Medicare Recognition of Interstate Licensure Compacts
    on October 12, 2021 at 5:00 am

    Describes updated guidance from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services regarding interstate licensure compacts, which are an area of ongoing policy change in relation to expanding telehealth services for Medicare enrollees. Notes that CMS will recognize licenses obtained through compacts as valid.

  • Making History, Despite History: The First Tribally Affiliated Med School Takes Flight in Oklahoma
    on October 8, 2021 at 5:00 am

    Discusses the new Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine, which is located in a small town in Oklahoma. Operated as a collaboration between OSU and the Cherokee Nation, it is the first tribally affiliated medical school in the United States. The school will focus on producing physicians to practice in rural and tribal communities.

  • COVID-19 Cases and Deaths by Race/Ethnicity: Current Data and Changes Over Time
    on October 8, 2021 at 5:00 am

    Analyzes COVID case and death data to identify racial and ethnic disparities and how those disparities may be changing over time. Includes a discussion of COVID trends in rural areas.

  • The Surge of Telehealth During the Pandemic is Exacerbating Urban-Rural Disparities in Access to Mental Health Care
    on October 7, 2021 at 5:00 am

    Reports on studies of telehealth in rural and urban areas during the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on mental healthcare telehealth visits. Notes that studies found rural populations used telehealth to access mental healthcare at lower rates than in urban areas, and describes issues of technological capability and broadband access.

  • Rural Infections Decline by 20%; Number of Covid Deaths Falls Slightly
    on October 7, 2021 at 5:00 am

    Reports on rural COVID-19 infection and mortality rates for the week of September 26-October 2, noting a second consecutive week of decline for new rural infections and a decline in COVID-19 related deaths. Offers a county-level data map, charts of COVID-19 rates by metro and nonmetro status over time, and state-by-state comparisons.

  • Rate of New Vaccinations Falls by 20%
    on October 4, 2021 at 5:00 am

    Reports on rural COVID-19 vaccination rates as of September 30, noting a 20% decrease in new rural vaccinations and nearly a 1/3 decrease in metropolitan counties. Notes that 42.1% of the rural population and 54% of the metro population were fully vaccinated as of September 30. Offers a map with county-level data, charts tracking vaccination rates over time, and state-by-state rural and metro comparisons.

  • Telehealth has Rapidly Expanded. But Companies are Still Struggling to Reach Rural Populations
    on September 30, 2021 at 5:00 am

    Discusses barriers to telehealth expansion in rural areas, including broadband infrastructure, patient volume, technology needs, and state licensing. Notes that telehealth companies have expanded more readily in urban and suburban areas, highlighting market challenges that will require partnerships between companies and rural facilities.

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

  • The Association Between System Affiliation and Financial Performance in Critical Access Hospitals
    on October 19, 2021 at 2:24 pm

    Examines the association between Critical Access Hospital (CAH) health system affiliation and financial performance as measured by the Critical Access Hospital Measurement and Performance Assessment System (CAHMPAS). Discusses trends in health system affiliation as an alternative to closures as well as potential downsides of affiliation. -- Flex Monitoring Team

  • Federal Office of Rural Health Policy Designated Rural Health Areas in Oklahoma, 2021
    on October 18, 2021 at 8:43 pm

    County-level map of rural health areas in Oklahoma as designated by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP). -- Oklahoma State University Center for Rural Health

  • Population Growth in Rural America Was Small – and Uneven – Between 2010 and 2020: Census in Rural America 2020 Update
    on October 18, 2021 at 6:47 pm

    Reports rural population data from the 2020 Census. Includes a map showing county-level population change data in the United States. -- Housing Assistance Council

  • Rural Housing Symposium: Recovery Through Resiliency
    on October 18, 2021 at 4:10 pm

    Video recording of the 2020 Rural Housing Conference that covers discussions on long-term trends and recent changes in rural housing due to the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic impacts, recovery pathways, and policy collaboration on a variety of topics to build rural resiliency. Includes 7 sessions available for viewing. -- Housing Assistance Council

  • Partnerships, Mergers, and Acquisitions Can Provide Benefits to Certain Hospitals and Communities
    on October 18, 2021 at 4:06 pm

    Discusses challenges hospitals may face to increasing the scale of operations. Describes how partnerships, mergers, and acquisitions can help prevent hospital closure and preserve access, enhance patient care, and reduce costs. Includes examples of how four acquired hospitals in rural communities benefitted from capital investments and improvements. -- American Hospital Association

  • Transforming State Behavioral Health Systems: Findings from States on the Impact of CCBHC Implementation
    on October 15, 2021 at 8:38 pm

    Shares information from surveys and interviews with state Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) program directors from the eight original demonstration states, including Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, and Pennsylvania. Reports the CCBHC program helped states address mental health and substance use issues in their communities by lowering costs, improving outcomes, building health care system capacity for mental health and substance use, and increasing the infrastructure to meet the rising need of care. Includes specific examples of how the CCBHC program improved access to urgent recovery centers, crisis centers, and telehealth services in rural communities. -- National Council for Mental Wellbeing

  • Structural Racism, Racial Inequities and Urban–Rural Differences in Infant Mortality in the US
    on October 15, 2021 at 8:06 pm

    Examines linked live birth/infant death data between 2013–2017 from the National Center for Health Statistics to determine overall and race-specific associations between three county-level structural racism indicators, infant mortality, and rural/urban differences.

  • Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Rural America
    on October 15, 2021 at 6:54 pm

    Highlights a study on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on rural America. Explores outcomes in the areas of physical and mental health, household income, and overall well-being. Discusses shifts in employment and their impact on personal and local economies.

  • 2021 Uniform Data Set (UDS) Measure Crosswalk to Other Quality Reporting Programs
    on October 15, 2021 at 2:33 pm

    Chart listing National Quality Forum measures and the related 2021 measures for the Uniform Data Set (UDS), CMS eCQM (electronic clinical quality measures), Core Quality Measures Collaborative (CQMC) core sets, CMS Quality Payment Program (QPP), Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP), and Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS). Can be used to identify which UDS measures are being used by other programs. -- Stratis Health

  • Medicare Clarifies Recognition of Interstate License Compact Pathways
    on October 14, 2021 at 7:22 pm

    Guidance from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) discussing the recognition of physician and non-physician practitioner licenses received through interstate license compacts for billing Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) for services provided to Medicare patients. -- Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services