"If you’ve met one rural hospital, you’ve met just one." It’s a phrase that is often used to emphasize the unique challenges and opportunities facing rural hospitals. It’s a favorite of Michelle Rathman, the host of the Rural Matters podcast, which is partnering with the Center for Optimizing Rural Health (CORH) on a four-part miniseries [...]

Meeting Hospitals Where They Are By Cassity Avila Rural hospital staff are working overtime to combat the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. They need actionable and relevant information about finances, hiring practices, patient engagement, and everything in between, which is where the Center for Optimizing Rural Health (CORH) comes in. CORH hosts at least one webinar each [...]

The Heart of Rural Health Care By Andrea Brewer Prior to the onset of COVID-19, rural hospitals in the HRSA Vulnerable Rural Health Assistance Program were already accustomed to routinely “doing more with less.” When the pandemic struck, they were required to step up to an extraordinary level of service and patient care not previously [...]

Infection Prevention Training and Mentorship Helps Keep Nursing Homes Safe By Kim Cassens and Melissa Lackey While the A&M Rural and Community Health Institute has primarily focused on rural outreach, we can all appreciate the fact that COVID-19 is not rural-specific. Healthcare providers everywhere are stretched thin and in high demand in all types of [...]

Standing Up For Rural Health By Bree Watzak In the best of times, rural communities in America experience firsthand the deep inequities and dangerous gaps in the nation’s health system. But these are not the best of times.  As the COVID-19 pandemic stretches into its second year, America’s rural health infrastructure is stretched to the [...]

Navigating The Rural Healthcare Road During The Pandemic And Into The Future By Dr. Nancy Dickey Rural healthcare professionals have risen to the occasion during the COVID-19 pandemic. The challenges they face during this uncertain time coupled with continuing technological advancements in healthcare will undoubtedly change things—most likely for the better. At the beginning of [...]

Healthcare Cyber Threats By Dr. Peter Yu In recent years, the healthcare industry has consistently been the primary target for cyberattacks and cybercriminals. According to recent reports, data breaches cost the industry approximately $5.6 billion every year, and almost 90% of healthcare organizations had experienced a data breach (mostly ransomware attacks) in the past few [...]

Community Star On National Rural Health Day, we recognize all of the organizations and leaders working to improve the health and lives of rural communities. The National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health uplifts leaders through its annual Community Stars program. CORH is pleased to celebrate Community Star David Weems, CEO of George E. [...]

Focusing the Lens: Understanding the Rural Hospital Landscape Contributing authors:  Bolin, JN., Bruining, H., Hutchison, L. The Center for Optimizing Rural Health (CORH)’s primary purpose is to provide an extensive range of technical assistance services that help rural hospitals adjust and respond to the challenges associated with providing health care in rural areas. Over the [...]

Health care and access to needed medical care are just a few of the many challenges of the last several months as the United States continues to struggle with the COVID-19pandemic.