Exploring Rural Health

Community-Based Recruiting: Keeping Providers Close, with Joe Theine and Jen Gero

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.

AHECs and Their Role in Sustaining the Rural Healthcare Workforce, with Dwain Harris, Brianna Sheppard, and Meredith Lair

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.

Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation for Rural Providers, with Kevin Biese and Natalie Elder

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.

Technological Innovation in Rural Health and Human Services Spaces, with Dan Shane

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.

Medical Debt and Its Impact on Rural Patients and Providers, with Carrie Henning-Smith

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.

Ethical Aspects of Rural Healthcare, with Stephanie Larson and Devora Shapiro

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.

National Rural Health Day Episode: Addressing Rural Maternal Health Disparities, with Kristen Dillon

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.

Charting a Path to Comprehensive Healthcare for Rural Veterans, with Matt Coleman and James VanCleave

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.

Building a Regional Healthcare Presence and Partnerships, with Krista Postai and Jason Wesco

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.

Applying AI to Rural Health, with Jordan Berg

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.