Exploring Rural Health

Today’s podcast features an interview with Casey Balio, PhD, research assistant professor at the East Tennessee State University Center for Rural Health and Research, and Betty Bekemeier, PhD, MPH, RN, FAAN, director of the Northwest Center for Public Health Practice. They share new insights about the rural public health workforce from their recent article published in the Journal of Public Health Management & Practice. The transcript and a list of resources and organizations mentioned in the episode can be found at: https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/podcast/public-health-workforce-may-2026 Exploring Rural Health is an RHIhub podcast.

Today’s podcast features an interview with Kathy Griffis, Chief Operating Officer of Titus Regional Medical Center in Mount Pleasant, TX. We learn about how they have developed routines and protocols to reduce violence and ensure safe healthcare environments for their staff and patients. The transcript and a list of resources and organizations mentioned in the episode can be found at: https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/podcast/workplace-violence-apr-2026 Exploring Rural Health is an RHIhub podcast.

Today’s podcast features an interview with Chris Laman, Vice President of Strategy at Columbia Memorial Hospital. We learn about the importance of developing and maintaining the rural allied health workforce. The transcript and a list of resources and organizations mentioned in the episode can be found at: https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/podcast/allied-health-mar-2026 Exploring Rural Health is an RHIhub podcast.

Today’s podcast features an interview with Joe Theine and Jen Gero, MD. We learn about community-based recruiting and how it benefits providers and patients alike. The transcript and a list of resources and organizations mentioned in the episode can be found at: https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/podcast/recruiting-feb-2026 Exploring Rural Health is an RHIhub podcast.

Today’s podcast features an interview with Dwain Harris, Chief Executive Officer of the National AHEC Organization, along with Brianna Sheppard, PhD, Director of West Virginia Area Health Education Centers, and Meredith Lair, Executive Director of the Northeast Oregon Area Health Education Center. We learn about Area Health Education Centers and how they help to ensure consistent healthcare professional workforce availability in rural areas. The transcript and a list of resources and organizations mentioned in the episode can be found at: https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/podcast/ahecs-jan-2026 Exploring Rural Health is an RHIhub podcast.

Today’s podcast features an interview with Dr. Kevin Biese, Chair of the Board of the American College of Emergency Physicians Geriatric Emergency Accreditation program, and Dr. Natalie Elder, Director of Geriatric Emergency Medicine for the Vermont Health Network. We learn about the Geriatric Emergency Department Certification program, and how it provides a roadmap for organizing and care for rural geriatric patients. The transcript and a list of resources and organizations mentioned in the episode can be found at: https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/podcast/geriatric-ed-nov-2025 Exploring Rural Health is an RHIhub podcast.

Today’s podcast features an interview with Dan Shane, PhD, Associate Professor with the RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis, about opportunities for applying technological advances in rural health and human services, potential challenges, and future avenues of development. The transcript and a list of resources and organizations mentioned in the episode can be found at: https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/podcast/tech-innovation-oct-2025 Exploring Rural Health is an RHIhub podcast.

Today’s podcast features an interview with Carrie Henning-Smith, PhD, co-director of the University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center, about the prevalence of and difficulties caused by medical debt for both rural patients and providers. The transcript and a list of resources and organizations mentioned in the episode can be found at: https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/podcast/medical-debt-jan-2025 Exploring Rural Health is an RHIhub podcast.

Today’s podcast features an interview with Stephanie Larson, PhD, an Associate with the Institute of Ethics at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, and Devora Shapiro, PhD, Associate Professor of Medical Ethics at the Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, about creating ethically informed frameworks in rural healthcare in order to best serve rural patients. The transcript and a list of resources and organizations mentioned in the episode can be found at: https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/podcast/ethics-dec-2024 Exploring Rural Health is an RHIhub podcast.

Today’s podcast features an interview with Kristen Dillon, MD, Chief Medical Officer of the Federal Office for Rural Health Policy. In this special National Rural Health Day episode, we get an overview of the current state of rural maternal health, including access barriers and disparities in health outcomes, as well as exploring the ways that the Health Resources and Services Administration is working to improve outcomes for rural mothers. The transcript and a list of resources and organizations mentioned in the episode can be found at: https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/podcast/maternal-health-nov-2024 Exploring Rural Health is an RHIhub podcast.

Today’s podcast features an interview with Matt Coleman, Director of the Kentucky State Office of Rural Health, as well as James VanCleave, Rural Project Manager, Veterans Services for the KORH. We learn about the importance of providing support to rural veterans in need of health services. The transcript and a list of resources and organizations mentioned in the episode can be found at: https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/podcast/veterans-oct-2024 Exploring Rural Health is an RHIhub podcast.

Today’s podcast features an interview with Krista Postai, CEO of Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas, and Jason Wesco, President and Chief Strategy Officer of CHC/SEK. We learn about the community health center’s journey from a single facility operating out of a trailer to having 18 locations across the region that leverage community partnerships to address health-related social needs. The transcript and a list of resources and organizations mentioned in the episode can be found at: https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/podcast/health-center-sep-2024   Exploring Rural Health is an RHIhub podcast.

Today’s podcast features an interview with Jordan Berg, Principal Investigator for the National Telehealth Technology Assessment Resource Center. We discuss present and possible future applications for AI in healthcare, what AI is and isn’t good at, and how it can be especially beneficial for rural patients. The transcript and a list of resources and organizations mentioned in the episode can be found at: https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/podcast/ai-aug-2024 Exploring Rural Health is an RHIhub podcast.

Today’s podcast features an interview with John Supplitt, Senior Director of Rural Health Services for the American Hospital Association. We discuss rural health disruptors and rural availability of obstetrics and other essential services. The transcript and a list of resources and organizations mentioned in the episode can be found at: https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/podcast/essential-services-jul-2024 Exploring Rural Health is an RHIhub podcast.

Today’s podcast features an interview with Amy Rosenfeld, Senior Research Director of the NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis, Jessica Dayton, Executive Director of the Chautauqua Safety Village, and Jane Strommen, PhD, a gerontology Specialist at North Dakota State University overseeing NDSU’s implementation of the Stepping On program. We discuss various types of unintentional injuries, several different programs providing education to reduce the risk of those injuries, and ways in which their outreach is continuing to expand. The transcript and a list of resources and organizations mentioned in the episode can be found at: https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/podcast/unintentional-injury-jun-2024 Exploring Rural Health is an RHIhub podcast.

Today’s podcast features an interview with Alan Morgan, CEO of the National Rural Health Association, Rani Snyder, Vice President for Program at John A. Hartford Foundation, and Jed Hansen, Executive Director of the Nebraska Rural Health Association. We discuss the National Rural Age-Friendly Initiative, the importance of ensuring rural health systems maintain accessibility for patients of all ages, the “Four Ms” of an age-friendly health system, and the vital role of direct care workers. The transcript and a list of resources and organizations mentioned in the episode can be found at: https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/podcast/age-friendly-apr-2024. Exploring Rural Health is an RHIhub podcast.

Today’s podcast features an interview with Steve Simonin, President and CEO of Iowa Specialty Hospital and Clinics. We discuss ways healthcare systems can invest in their communities, strategies for ensuring long-term rural health sustainability, and the importance of maintaining communication with state and federal support systems. The transcript and a list of resources and organizations mentioned in the episode can be found at: https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/podcast/leadership-mar-2024. Exploring Rural Health is an RHIhub podcast.

Today’s podcast features an interview with Jennifer Conner, PhD, American Heart Association (AHA) Vice President of Rural Health Southwest Region, and Jessica Black, AHA’s National Vice President of Community Health. Also joining us is Dianne Connery, Director of the Pottsboro Texas Area Public Library. We discuss trends in rural heart health, the impact of several recent national AHA health initiatives, and the value of local and regional health partnerships. The transcript and a list of resources and organizations mentioned in the episode can be found at: https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/podcast/heart-health-feb-2024. Exploring Rural Health is an RHIhub podcast.

Today’s podcast features an interview with Catherine Ipsen, PhD, and Rayna Sage, PhD, co-directors of the Research and Training Center on Disability in Rural Communities at the University of Montana. We discuss problems facing rural people with disabilities, and the support systems enabling them to establish and maintain independence. The transcript and a list of resources and organizations mentioned in the episode can be found at: https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/podcast/disabilities-jan-2024. Exploring Rural Health is an RHIhub podcast.

Today’s podcast features an interview with James Small, Rural EMS Outreach Director for the Wisconsin Office of Rural Health. We discuss workforce shortages facing rural EMS and strategies that can be used to maintain and improve their services. The transcript and a list of resources and organizations mentioned in the episode can be found at: https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/podcast/ems-dec-2023. Exploring Rural Health is an RHIhub podcast.

Today’s podcast includes two interviews leading up to National Rural Health Day on November 16th. Features Tammy Norville, National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health (NOSORH) CEO, and Jason Lillich, Executive Director of Three Rivers Mental Health and Chemical Dependency Center, a 2023 National Rural Health Day Community Star. The transcript and a list of resources and organizations mentioned in the episode can be found at: https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/podcast/nrhd-nov-2023 Exploring Rural Health is an RHIhub podcast.

Today’s podcast features an interview with David Lipsetz, President and CEO of the Housing Assistance Council. We discuss housing in rural communities, and the organizations and programs helping to make it sustainable. The transcript and a list of resources and organizations mentioned in the episode can be found at: https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/podcast/housing-oct-2023.   Exploring Rural Health is an RHIhub podcast.

Today’s podcast features an interview with Governor Ernie Fletcher, co-founder and Chief Medical Officer of the Fletcher Group, and Erica Walker, Outreach and Engagement Specialist for the Fletcher Group. We discuss recovery housing in rural communities, and the different levels of support it can provide to clients. The transcript and a list of resources and organizations mentioned in the episode can be found at: https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/podcast/recovery-housing-sep-2023. Exploring Rural Health is an RHIhub podcast.

Today’s podcast features an interview with Carter Florence, DrPH, MPH, Vice President of Programs with Meals on Wheels America, and Shon Gress, CEO and Executive Director of Meals on Wheels Guernsey County. They tell us about the many benefits of the program, the impact of braided funding, and how rural stakeholders can get involved. The transcript and a list of resources and organizations mentioned in the episode can be found at https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/podcast/meals-on-wheels-aug-2023. Exploring Rural Health is an RHIhub podcast.

Today’s podcast features an interview with Carrie Henning-Smith, PhD, about social isolation’s impact of rural communities. We discuss some of its causes and potential solutions. The transcript and a list of resources and organizations mentioned in the episode can be found at https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/podcast/social-isolation-jul-2023 Exploring Rural Health is an RHIhub podcast.

Today’s podcast features an interview with Timothy Callaghan, PhD, an associate professor in the Boston University School of Public Health, and Morgan Kassabian, who contributed to the Rural Healthy People 2030 project while working with the Southwest Rural Health Research center. They detail some of their findings after completing their research for the Rural Healthy People 2030 initiative. The transcript and a list of resources and organizations mentioned in the episode can be found at https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/podcast/rhp2030-jun-2023. Exploring Rural Health is an RHIhub podcast.

Today’s podcast features Janice Walters, Chief Operating Officer of the Rural Health Redesign Center, home of the Rural Emergency Hospital Technical Assistance Center. Walters explains how Medicare’s new Rural Emergency Hospital designation works, and how it can benefit some rural hospitals. The transcript and a list of resources and organizations mentioned in the episode can be found at https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/podcast/reh-may-2023. Exploring Rural Health is an RHIhub podcast.

Today’s podcast features Kathy Wibberly, Director of the Mid-Atlantic Telehealth Resource Center. Wibberly explains the many ways in which rural access to telehealth has changed under the PHE, as well as the changes that will occur after the PHE ends. The transcript and a list of resources and organizations mentioned in the episode can be found at https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/podcast/telehealth-apr-2023. Exploring Rural Health is an RHIhub podcast.

Today’s podcast features Holly Andrilla, Deputy Director of the WWAMI Rural Health Research Center. Andrilla provides us with an overview of several data briefs she recently published detailing rural availability of psychiatrists, psychologists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, social workers, and counselors, as well as recent developments in access to medication for opioid use disorder. The transcript and a list of resources and organizations mentioned in the episode can be found at https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/podcast/behavioral-health-mar-2023. Exploring Rural Health is an RHIhub podcast.

Today’s podcast features Abigail Barker, Research Assistant Professor, Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis; co-Investigator, Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis and Timothy McBride, Bernard Becker Professor, Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis; co-Investigator, Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis. They discuss the various types of health insurance that are available to rural communities, as well as the uptake choices made by members of those communities. The transcript and a list of resources and organizations mentioned in the episode can be found at https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/podcast/health-insurance-dec-2022. Exploring Rural Health is an RHIhub podcast.

Today, Jennifer Conner, DrPH, an associate professor with the Delta Population Health Institute at the NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine at Arkansas State University, and Jason Lofton, MD, a family physician in De Queen, Arkansas at the Lofton Family Clinic, discuss rural obesity and how rural patients can live their healthiest life. The transcript and a list of resources and organizations mentioned in the episode can be found at https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/podcast/rural-obesity-nov-2022.     Exploring Rural Health is an RHIhub podcast.

Today, Julie Wood, MD, senior vice president of research, science and health of the public and Zita Magloire, MD, a practicing family physician in Cairo, Georgia, discuss the role of family physicians in rural maternal health. The transcript and a list of resources and organizations mentioned in the episode can be found at https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/podcast/family-physician-maternal-oct-2022.     Exploring Rural Health is an RHIhub podcast.

Today, Anne Banfield, MD, physician administrative and clinical director at Women's Health at Leonardtown in Maryland, and member of the foundation board of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, discusses the rural OBGYN workforce and the challenges of providing maternal care in rural areas. The transcript and a list of resources and organizations mentioned in the episode can be found at https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/podcast/obgyn-workforce-sep-2022.     Exploring Rural Health is an RHIhub podcast.

Today, Karla Weng, Senior Program Manager for Stratis Health, and Pat Justis, Director of the Washington State Office of Rural Health, share their work on an initiative to expand access to palliative care in rural communities in Washington State, North Dakota, and Wisconsin. The transcript and a list of resources and organizations mentioned in the episode can be found at www.ruralhealthinfo.org/podcast/palliative-care-jun-2022.   Exploring Rural Health is an RHIhub podcast.

Today, we discuss the development of the New Hampshire Mobility Management Network with Alisa Druzba, director of New Hampshire Office of Rural Health and Primary Care, and Steve Workman, director of Transport New Hampshire. For a transcript of this episode, along with a list of the resources we discussed, visit RHIhub: https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/podcast/public-transportation-apr-2022 “Exploring Rural Health” is an RHIhub podcast.

Today, we talk rural transportation with Carol Wright Kenderdine, the director of Easter Seals Transportation Group, and co-director of the National Aging and Disability Transportation Center. For a transcript of this episode and a list of resources mentioned in this episode, visit RHIhub: https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/podcast/public-transportation-mar-2022 “Exploring Rural Health” is an RHIhub podcast.

A conversation with Jan Probst, PhD, Director Emerita at the Rural and Minority Health Research Center, who shares insights on the rural nursing workforce, informed by her work on Rural Nursing Workforce: Current Educational Characteristics and Options for Improvement, www.ruralhealthresearch.org/projects/100002393. She shares findings from that study, as well as recent developments impacting the education of the rural nursing workforce. The transcript can be found at www.ruralhealthinfo.org/podcast/rural-nursing-workforce-feb-2022. Exploring Rural Health is an RHIhub podcast.

"Exploring Rural Health" is a podcast from the Rural Health Information hub. In each episode, we’ll provide you with engaging and useful information about current issues facing rural healthcare, and talk to the people who are coming up with solutions. We’ll learn about various aspects of rural healthcare, from quality and access to programs and services. Join us each month, as we discuss new research, program implementation, and funding, here on Exploring Rural Health!