Rural Health News is a weekly segment of Rural Health Today, a podcast by Hillsdale Hospital.
Rural Health News 4-6-2026
Welcome back to Rural Health News, the segment of Rural Health Today where we fill you in on the latest in rural health headlines. We’ll cover three headlines in today’s episode: what’s most urgent, a rural health damage report, and a success story to send us into the week.
Most Urgent
At the end of March, Health and Human Services, alongside CMS, announced a new Healthcare Advisory Committee and its members. The committee is tasked with making recommendations to HHS and CMS in modernizing Medicare, Medicaid and Marketplace insurance plans; reducing administrative burden; improving chronic disease prevention; strengthening Medicare Advantage; enhancing data and quality measurements; and improving care for America’s vulnerable populations. Out of 400 nominees, 18 were selected to serve two-year terms. Among these 18 are 4 health system executives, 5 physicians and 4 policy analysts.
While the committee’s goals sound noble, several concerns prevent healthcare leaders from feeling optimistic about its influence. Under the control of HHS, experts warn policies emerging form this committee will be strictly limited to advancing the Make American Healthy Again movement. While several of the committee members have had a hand in rural health, there are still concerns rural healthcare won’t be represented to the extent needed. We’ll be watching updates from this committee closely moving forward.
Damage Report
Rural hospitals continue to face disproportionate workforce shortages in almost every specialty, especially mental health, primary care and OB. This makes it even more difficult for understaffed, underfunded healthcare facilities to care for their rural populations, which usually have higher rates of chronic illness and lower incomes. With urban hospitals offering competitive bonuses, better access to housing and a thriving economic setting, it’s no great mystery why healthcare workers are favoring these opportunities. Lower recruitment rates inevitably result in higher turnovers for rural hospitals as the staffing shortages add to workforce burnout and lack of adequate funding leads to fewer resources.
Many states are putting workforce development at the top of their list for Rural Health Transformation funding, but to build a rural workforce with long-term sustainability, it will take a much more significant investment to equip rural hospitals to stay competitive as employers. Attracting talent to the rural workforce starts before students graduate with their nursing, medical or other healthcare degree. From entry-level positions to board-certified surgeons, each career path merits awareness and education starting sooner in students’ education. Some hospitals and schools partner to present these opportunities as career fairs or volunteer activities, but rural health will need more support if we ever hope to close this workforce gap.
Success Story
Birthing units are often one of the first service lines to close when a rural hospital experiences financial strain or staffing shortages. This was the case in 2023 when AdventHealth Ottawa closed its Family Birthplace in rural Kansas, turning the entire county into a maternity care desert. As of August 2025, however, AdventHealth reopened their birthing center to address their community’s desperate need for local maternity care. This was possible in part thanks to AdventHealth’s new rural health clinic structure, which aims to restore vital healthcare services to their rural county. Birthing centers are vital to the wellbeing of every community no matter how small, and sustaining them makes an incredible difference for the families each rural hospital serves.
News sources for this episode:
Madeline Scheetz, “HHS, CMS form healthcare advisory committee,” March 26, 2026, https://www.beckerspayer.com/leadership/hhs-cms-form-healthcare-advisory-committee/, Becker’s Payer Issues.
Paul Keckley, “Reality Check: the New Healthcare Advisory Committee,” March 29, 2026, https://paulkeckley.com/the-keckley-report/2026/3/29/reality-check-the-new-healthcare-advisory-committee/.
Sophie Brams, “Kennedy, Oz announce new health care advisory committee,” March 26, 2026, https://thehill.com/homenews/5803303-kennedy-oz-healthcare-reform/, The Hill.
Westat, “Workforce Development Drives Solutions to Rural Healthcare Shortages,” December 17, 2025, https://www.westat.com/insights/workforce-solutions-rural-healthcare-shortages/.
Rural Health Information Hub, “Rural Healthcare Workforce,” https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/topics/health-care-workforce.
Jade Tate, “OPINION: Patient care will suffer if we don’t attract more young people to healthcare fields,” May 7, 2024, https://hechingerreport.org/opinion-patient-care-will-suffer-if-we-dont-attract-more-young-people-to-healthcare-fields/, The Hechinger Report.
Kelly Gooch, “As maternity units close, AdventHealth restores OB care in rural Kansas,” March 27, 2026, https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/care-coordination/as-maternity-units-close-adventhealth-restores-ob-care-in-rural-kansas/, Becker’s Hospital Review.
Rural Health Today is a production of Hillsdale Hospital in Hillsdale, Michigan and a member of the Health Podcast Network. Our host is JJ Hodshire, our producer is Kyrsten Newlon, and our audio engineer is Kenji Ulmer. Special thanks to our special guests for sharing their expertise on the show, and also to the Hillsdale Hospital marketing team. If you want to submit a question for us to answer on the podcast or learn more about Rural Health Today, visit ruralhealthtoday.com.
