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

September 2021 Newsletter Now Available

Posted on:

The RTT Collaborative September 2021 Newsletter is now available!

This newsletter includes resources, announcements and summaries for the summer conferences: AAFP National Conference, the RTT Rural Residency Fest and the RTT Rural Residency Fair. In this newsletter, we also announce the opening of the RTT Annual Photo Contest!

Some newsletter highlights include: 

  • RTT Collaborative Rural Residency Fair Summary
  • RTT Collaborative Rural Residency Fest Summary
  • AAFP National Conference Summary
  • Save the Date and location!! for the RTT Collaborative’s Annual Meeting
  • RTT Collaborative Annual Photo Contest Announcement + Opening
  • NIPDD Scholarship Grantees Announcement
  • Developing Program Highlights: LVHN Schuylkill Family Medicine Rural Residency
  • Developing Program Highlight: Indiana Regional Medical Center Family Medicine Residency
  • Rural PREP Corner
  • RRPD Grantees Corner (RRPD Grantees announcements)

Check out the full newsletter here: Sept.
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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

  • Rural Infections Drop by 5%; Death Rate Continues to Rise
    on September 15, 2021 at 5:00 am

    Analyzes new COVID-19 infection rates between September 5-11, 2021. Finds that the rate of new infections in rural counties decreased by 5%, while rural COVID-19 deaths increased by about 13%. Notes that rural residents accounted for almost a quarter of all COVID deaths even though they make up about 15% of the U.S. population. Provides infection and mortality charts and maps with county data for all states except Nebraska.

  • USDA Launches Resource Guide to Help Rural Communities Seeking Disaster Resiliency and Recovery Assistance
    on September 15, 2021 at 5:00 am

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the release of a new resource guide, Disaster Resiliency and Recovery Resources A Guide for Rural Communities, to provide information on programs and services to help rural communities with disaster resiliency, recovery assistance, and long-term emergency preparedness planning.

  • Rural COVID-Death Rate Twice as High as Urban One
    on September 15, 2021 at 5:00 am

    Reports on data showing rural COVID-19 deaths are two times the rate of urban COVID-19 deaths. Notes that the rate of new COVID-19 infections in rural counties is 50% higher than the rate in urban counties. Shares that throughout most of the pandemic the rural death rate has been equal to or slightly higher than the urban death rate but that this new trend has been emerging since early August.

  • Rural Hospitals Losing Hundreds of Staff to High-Paid Traveling Nurse Jobs
    on September 15, 2021 at 5:00 am

    Describes how the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated existing nursing workforce shortages in rural hospitals.

  • Latest Job Count Shows Counties Struggling to Get Back to Pre-Pandemic Employment
    on September 14, 2021 at 5:00 am

    Reports on rural job data for July 2021, offering county-level maps reflecting job gains and losses from July 2019 to July 2021 and July 2020 to July 2021. Highlights areas of high employment gains and losses, noting that both large metro and rural counties have job losses of around 3.2% compared to 2019.

  • Community Health Access and Rural Transformation (CHART) Model Announces Award Recipients
    on September 13, 2021 at 5:00 am

    Announces $20 million in funding to entities in Alabama, South Dakota, Texas, and Washington to address disparities in health equity and increase healthcare access in rural areas. Notes that the four recipients serve 300,000 Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries in rural and tribal communities.

  • Pace of New Vaccinations Drops Slightly in Both Rural and Metro Counties
    on September 13, 2021 at 5:00 am

    Reports on COVID-19 vaccination rates as of September 9, noting that the number of new immunizations declined over the last week. Offers rural and urban vaccination comparisons, with rural populations at 39.6% and metropolitan populations at 51.4% vaccinated. Provides data charts on rural vaccinations by week, state rankings, and state and county-level maps with vaccination data.

  • HHS Announces the Availability of $25.5 Billion in COVID-19 Provider Funding
    on September 10, 2021 at 5:00 am

    Announces $25.5 billion of funding to support healthcare providers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, including $8.5 billion for providers who serve rural Medicaid, Medicare, or Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) patients. Funding also includes $17 billion for Provider Relief Fund (PRF) Phase 4, which is based on lost revenues and expenditures from July 1, 2020 - March 31, 2021.

  • Rural Cases Increase for 10th Week While Metro Numbers Decline
    on September 9, 2021 at 5:00 am

    Reports on rural COVID-19 infection and death rates for the week of August 29-September 4, noting that case rates are approaching those during the winter peak. Offers state and county-level data, as well as metro and rural comparisons over time.

  • Nearly 80% of Rural Farming-Dependent Counties Lost Population in Last Decade
    on September 8, 2021 at 5:00 am

    Article examining rural population declines between 2010-2020 among counties with farming economies, finding that 79% of those counties lost population, compared to 6 out of 10 recreation-based counties which gained population. Offers a map of farming and recreation-economy counties with data on population gains and losses.

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

  • Strengthening SNAP and TANF is Essential to Support Children in Early Childhood
    on September 17, 2021 at 4:29 pm

    Research brief examining participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) in Virginia during children's first six years of life. Uses administrative data from the Virginia Longitudinal Data System to explore differences in participation by race and residence in rural versus urban counties. -- Lerner Center for Public Health Promotion

  • Antibiotic Stewardship Detailed Data Summarization Tool for State Flex Programs
    on September 17, 2021 at 2:59 pm

    Tool to help state Flex programs summarize and utilize the Core and Detailed Annual Facility Survey antibiotic stewardship data. Provides a core element summary and a question-by-question summary of Critical Access Hospital responses. -- Stratis Health

  • A First Look at the 2020 Census American Indian/Alaska Native Redistricting Data
    on September 17, 2021 at 1:07 pm

    Report discusses the 2020 census and details tribal response rates by region. Compares tribal response rates to national rates. -- National Congress of American Indians Policy Research Center

  • 2020 Census Results: Regional Tribal Land Data Summary
    on September 17, 2021 at 1:06 pm

    Presents a summary of changes in tribal areas as a result of the 2020 census. Highlights geographic changes, such as the addition of tribal lands, and population changes by region. -- National Congress of American Indians Policy Research Center

  • Disaster Resiliency and Recovery Resources: A Guide for Rural Communities
    on September 16, 2021 at 6:53 pm

    Provides an overview of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD) programs and services for rural residents, businesses, and communities impacted by disasters, as well as programs that support long-term planning and recovery efforts. Includes information on technical assistance providers to help rural planning and recovery efforts. Highlights examples of how three rural communities used USDA RD programs to aid their recovery. -- USDA Rural Development

  • Availability of Post-Acute Care and Long-Term Care Services in Rural Areas
    on September 16, 2021 at 6:38 pm

    September 14, 2021 webinar discussing the availability of post-acute care and long-term services in rural areas. Shares information on nursing home closures, nursing home deserts, and data describing nursing homes characteristics by metro and nonmetro location. Includes an analysis of hospitals with swing beds that provide coverage for post-acute care and long-term services in rural areas and home health services in rural areas without nursing homes. -- Rural Health Research Gateway

  • QuickStats: Age-Adjusted Death Rates for Cancer, by Urban-Rural Status and Sex — National Vital Statistics System, United States,...
    on September 16, 2021 at 5:02 pm

    Line chart showing urban and rural cancer death rates for men and women from 1999 through 2019. -- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

  • Rural Telehealth and Healthcare System Readiness Measurement Framework
    on September 16, 2021 at 2:50 pm

    Presents a performance measurement framework to guide quality and performance improvement for healthcare services delivered via telehealth in rural areas in response to disasters. Covers five domains — access to care and technology; costs, business models, and logistics; experience; effectiveness; and equity — rural-specific measurement issues, and potential solutions. Includes recommendations for rural telehealth measurement for time-sensitive emergencies, public health emergencies, and disasters. -- National Quality Forum

  • Rural-Urban Differences in Changes and Effects of Tobacco 21 in Youth E-cigarette Use
    on September 16, 2021 at 2:34 pm

    Highlights a study on youth e-cigarette use across rural and urban communities in light of the increase in Tobacco 21 (T21) policies. Compares under 21 e-cigarette use in rural and urban areas and in T21 and non-T21 areas. Breaks down data by year (2018-2019), gender, and grade in school, among other measures.

  • The State of Senior Hunger in America in 2019: An Annual Report
    on September 15, 2021 at 8:27 pm

    Discusses food insecurity rates among Americans age 60 or older. Includes demographics and characteristics of seniors lacking sufficient access to food, and provides trends and state-level information on food insecurity. Features data breakdowns by metropolitan and nonmetropolitan settings. -- Feeding America