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.

 

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

 

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,
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

  • Senator Baldwin Introduces HSHS Act to Protect Communities from Hospital Closures
    on July 25, 2024 at 5:00 am

    Announces proposed legislation to require hospital systems either closing or eliminating services to notify the Department of Health and Human Services as well as develop with the public a plan for continuing accessible care for patients. The bill would also require annual Congressional reports on hospital closure trends and capacity for surge demand.

  • What to Know about Smoke, Heat and Health
    on July 24, 2024 at 5:00 am

    Details efforts by the Montana Department of Environmental Quality to provide rural schools with accurate air quality information. Provides an overview of the health impacts of wildfire smoke, actions individuals can take to reduce exposure during fire season, and how to stay updated on air quality information and alerts.

  • Tribal Partnership With UW-Madison Combines Ag Research With Indigenous Food Knowledge
    on July 23, 2024 at 5:00 am

    Highlights a $10 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to help expand the Wisconsin Tribal Elder Food Box Program. Describes how the program works to support tribal food security through the distribution of boxes filled with culturally-relevant foods purchased from Indigenous food producers.

  • The Rewards of Working as Rural Docs
    on July 22, 2024 at 5:00 am

    Features the perspectives of rural doctors on the positive aspects of rural practice, including high quality of life, a varied caseload, and supportive community relationships. Provides overview of rural health disparities and efforts to address provider shortages through loan forgiveness programs.

  • Request for Information (RFI): Evolving the Network of the National Library of Medicine
    on July 19, 2024 at 5:00 am

    A Request for Information from the National Library of Medicine for health science and public libraries, health professionals, community organizations, and others to provide guidance on increasing access to biomedical and health information through the Network of the National Library of Medicine. Topics of interest include data science, coordination of services, collaboration strategies, medical library services, and more. Responses may be submitted by email through August 30, 2024.

  • Dental Therapists, Who Can Fill Cavities and Check Teeth, Get the OK in More States
    on July 17, 2024 at 5:00 am

    Describes the role of dental therapists, a provider type licensed to provide basic preventative care under the supervision of a dentist, in expanding oral healthcare access in rural and underserved communities. Highlights the work of dental therapists in tribal communities in Alaska and Washington, where oral health needs are significant and dentists are in short supply.

  • Food Stamps Go Further in Rural Areas — Until You Add Transportation Costs
    on July 15, 2024 at 5:00 am

    Highlights the impact of transportation costs on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits between rural and urban areas. Discusses rural grocery store access, broadband access, local industry, and county-level data on SNAP coverage.

  • Rural Hospitals Built During Baby Boom Now Face Baby Bust
    on July 15, 2024 at 5:00 am

    Highlights declines in birth rates across time and the associated impact on rural labor and delivery services. Discusses the impact of low service volume on maintaining labor and delivery services and offering high quality healthcare.

  • CMS Announces Resources and Flexibilities to Assist with the Public Health Emergency in the State of Texas
    on July 12, 2024 at 5:00 am

    Announcement of a public health emergency beginning July 5, 2024 from The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) related to Hurricane Beryl in Texas. Offers information and resources for those impacted and responding to the hurricane including CMS waivers, healthcare enrollment, a disaster toolkit, dialysis care, and medical equipment and supplies replacement.

  • 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.

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

  • Teachers of Students With Disabilities in Rural Public and Private Schools
    on July 26, 2024 at 7:58 pm

    Provides percentages of public and private school teachers whose main teaching assignment was special education or who had a student with a disability in their class, broken down by city, suburban, town, or rural locale. -- National Center for Education Statistics

  • Challenges of EHR "Meaningful Use" in Rural Health Centers
    on July 26, 2024 at 7:08 pm

    Describes a South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control quality improvement initiative to reduce health disparities for people with hypertension and high blood cholesterol in rural areas. Discusses the extent to which rural health centers were able to disaggregate data and report quality measures using electronic health records (EHRs). Highlights barriers to engaging in meaningful use, including rurality, staffing, and financial challenges.

  • Spatial Accessibility and Uptake of Pediatric COVID-19 Vaccinations by Social Vulnerability
    on July 26, 2024 at 6:47 pm

    Examines pediatric uptake of COVID-19 vaccines by vaccination site, travel time to nearest site, and county-level social vulnerability. Utilizes 2022 U.S. Vaccine Tracking System data to analyze 15,233,956 vaccine doses administered across 27,526 sites, with breakdowns according to sociodemographics, including rural versus urban location.

  • Social Infrastructure Availability and Suicide Rates Among Working-Age Adults in the United States
    on July 26, 2024 at 2:32 pm

    Examines the relationship between county-level social infrastructure (SI) and suicide rates among working-age adults. Analyzes 2016-2019 National Vital Statistics System mortality data and 2013-2015 National Neighborhood Data Archive information on community SI, providing statistical correlations as well as county-level maps. Discusses the relationship among county demographic, socioeconomic, healthcare, and SI factors in relation to mental health and well-being.

  • Expanding the Opioid Use Disorder Medication Treatment Workforce in Rural Communities Through the RCORP Initiative
    on July 26, 2024 at 2:27 pm

    Examines the impact of the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP) on the workforce supply of Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)-waivered clinicians in rural areas, who are able to prescribe buprenorphine. Analyzes 2017–2022 DEA lists of waivered clinicians to report on counties with a waivered clinician, clinician-to-population ratios, and treatment slot-to-population ratios. Discusses the impact of RCORP funding on Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) recovery services in rural communities.

  • BroadbandUSA
    on July 25, 2024 at 8:58 pm

    Offers information and resources, technical assistance, best practices, events and webinars, and more to support state, local, and tribal governments and other stakeholders seeking to expand broadband connectivity and promote digital inclusion. A program of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). -- National Telecommunications and Information Administration

  • National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Public GIS Data
    on July 25, 2024 at 8:45 pm

    Offers geospatial data, maps, and applications on National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and other federal broadband grant programs. Includes links to Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program, Connecting Minority Communities, and Broadband Infrastructure Program dashboards. -- National Telecommunications and Information Administration

  • Build Healthy Places Network: Rural Resources
    on July 25, 2024 at 7:56 pm

    Provides resources which support community health and health equity through rural community and economic development. Includes a playbook of strategies and case studies for the health partnership model of investment, a primer on rural multi-sector health partnerships, webinars, essays, organization profiles, and more. -- Build Healthy Places Network

  • Ground Ambulance Industry Trends, 2017–2022: An Analysis of Ground Ambulance Organization Entrance and Exit
    on July 25, 2024 at 7:06 pm

    Describes ground ambulance trends from 2017 to 2022, focusing on organizational characteristics associated with organizations' entry into or exit from the Medicare program. Presents data on the likelihood of entry and exit by a ground ambulance transportation organization by ownership status; urban, rural, or super rural location; and volume. Examines the change in traditional fee-for-service Medicare ground ambulance transport volume at the county level after an organization enters or exits the market. -- Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, RAND Corporation

  • Report on Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2023
    on July 25, 2024 at 6:47 pm

    Presents information on issues such as crime, safety, use of illegal substances, and bullying in schools utilizing multiple national datasets. Includes statistics on school shootings, non-fatal violent crime, school reports on crime and discipline problems, and more. Provides statistics on percentage of schools offering mental health services as well as prevalence of bullying broken down by city, suburban, town, and rural. -- National Center for Education Statistics