Rural Health News is a weekly segment of Rural Health Today, a podcast by Hillsdale Hospital.
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
Since the H-1B Visa fees were imposed last September, rural healthcare providers have expressed serious concerns over the cost of keeping a large portion of their staff, as well as what the fees will mean for future recruitment. Hiring clinicians who rely on an H-1B visa is not optional for many rural hospitals due to the disproportionate shortage of healthcare providers in rural areas. Thanks to the advocacy of many associations, hospitals and communities, Congress is taking steps to exempt healthcare workers from the new fees. Many state representatives throughout the country have urged action on this exemption and many influential healthcare associations have backed the petition. We hope to provide a final update in a success story on this issue soon, but it’s going to take more advocacy and more individuals reaching out to their local legislators to get us across the finish line.
Damage Report
A recent study led by the University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center found that access to quality healthcare is significantly affected by the availability of medical professionals, which is much lower in rural communities. The Health Professional Shortage Area designation is helping to measure the most affected areas and so far, has found that individuals in rural communities have less access to primary care providers, dental care providers and mental healthcare providers compared to their urban counterparts. Disability prevalence is also higher in rural communities and healthcare professional shortages are significantly worse. Overall, nearly two-thirds of rural counties nationwide are classified as high-need in at least one domain, whether that’s high chronic disease prevalence, low socioeconomic status or limited physician availability.
As we see Medicaid cuts and other harmful legislation start to take effect, protecting access to care in these rural areas is more important than ever. Don’t forget to connect with your legislators and provide meaningful education in your rural community so that our most vulnerable populations never lose their seat at the table.
Success Story
Unhoused people face greater barriers to mental health care, especially when their community is a mental health desert. A mobile clinic in Eugene, Oregon is removing this barrier for unhoused youths by driving right to them. The Teen Health and Empowerment Van is equipped to provide therapy and substance use services to anyone between the ages of 16 and 25. Thanks to Medicaid and grant funding, this fantastic program is available at no cost to everyone, regardless of their insurance type or income level.
Stories like this emphasize how vital Medicaid access is to maintain local health programs that benefit entire communities.
Sources
National Association of Rural Health Clinics, “Congress Takes Steps to Exempt Health Care Workers from New H-1B Fee,” April 16, 2026, https://www.narhc.org/News/33042/Congress-Takes-Steps-to-Exempt-Health-Care-Workers-from-New-H-1B-Fee.
Congress.gov, “Text – H.R.7691 – 119th Congress (2025-2026): H-1Bs for Physicians and the Healthcare Workforce Act of 2026,” https://lawler.house.gov/uploadedfiles/lawler_169_xml.pdf.
Rural Health Research Gateway, “Identification and Characteristics of Under-Resourced and High-Need Rural Counties,” April 13, 2026, https://www.ruralhealthresearch.org/alerts/708.
Rural Health Research Gateway, “County-Level Differences in Health Professional Shortage Areas by Rurality, Age, and Disability Status,” April 9, 2026, https://www.ruralhealthresearch.org/alerts/693.
Kayla Robbins, “A Therapy Office on Wheels Is Reaching Homeless Youth Left Behind,” April 9, 2026, https://invisiblepeople.tv/a-therapy-office-on-wheels-is-reaching-homeless-youth-left-behind/, Invisible People.
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.
