Category: Rural Headlines

EXCERPT: “More than one third of Americans living in rural areas skipped medical care they needed due to the costs, according to a new study. The Commonwealth Fund’s 2020 International Health Policy Survey found that 36 percent of rural Americans did not get the care they needed due to costs, which is more than double the rate ...

EXCERPT: “Dr. Cindy Firkins Smith doesn’t mince words: ‘Rural health care is on the precipice of a crisis,’ she said. Smith, a vice president and physician at CentraCare, has been practicing dermatology in Willmar for three decades. In all of that time, she’s always recruited other doctors to join her ranks in Greater Minnesota. ‘It’s been ...

EXCERPT: “At the University of Minnesota Morris, psychology faculty have known for some time about the severe shortage of addiction treatment professionals in rural parts of the state. This year, they’ve developed a way to help address that problem by creating a new program designed to train and prepare students to sit for the state’s licensed alcohol and drug ...

EXCERPT: “From his rural court about an hour north of Duluth, Minn., Judge Robert Friday regularly oversees cases in which people face losing their homes, divorce disputes and debts they can’t pay. One or both parties regularly show up without a lawyer. Individuals representing themselves don’t always understand how to present their cases or—sometimes, more important—how to ...

EXCERPT: “Topped by $100 million for rural Internet and a safety net for farmers on grain sales, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on Thursday, May 18, signed an agriculture and broadband spending bill into law. ‘Agriculture is central to our state’s identity, and this bipartisan law will empower Minnesota’s farmers, ranchers, and producers to succeed for ...

EXCERPT: “Big things are happening in small towns across our region, flying in the face of expectations that rural communities have nothing to offer in a modern economy. Reporter Tammy Swift has been documenting these success stories through her reporting. In this episode, she joins host Thomas Evanella to discuss how Halstad, Minn., population 579, is ...

EXCERPT: “In many areas of the country, there’s simply no nearby place to go to for a serious medical emergency or to give birth. More than 300 hospitals in rural areas have closed in recent decades, leaving tens of millions of Americans an hour or more away from the nearest trauma-care center. Over 2,000 rural ...

EXCERPT: “In many rural towns, a grocery store is a thing of the past, as more of these small businesses fold. Yet entrepreneurs and community initiatives are working to turn that trend around. According to the most recent data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 76 counties nationwide are without a single grocery store, and ...

EXCERPT: “The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), the University of Minnesota, the Minnesota Sheriff’s Association, six county jails and other partners have joined together in a pilot project designed to help children and incarcerated parents maintain family ties. Having an incarcerated parent can lead to an increased risk of illness, poor mental health, substance abuse ...