News from rural America.

Money from the Rural Health Transformation Program is rolling out, the closure of a Michigan hospital is worrisome as massive 2027 Medicaid cuts loom, producers are squeezed but the Farm Bill remains stalled and America's Grange halls are hosting harvest potlucks.

TRANSCRIPT

For the Daily Yonder and Public News Service, this is the news from rural America.

Money from the Federal Rural Health Transformation Program is rolling out to states and local providers.

In Arkansas, 50 rural hospitals, community health centers, nonprofits and universities are getting almost $150 million.

State Secretary of Finance Jim Hudson says it'll be used to expand rural telehealth and trauma services and update remote patient monitoring.

They're funding innovative uses of technology to be able to address the problem of chronic disease management in our state, which is significant.

The half of Arkansas residents who live outside of cities typically have less access to care and worse health outcomes.

The fund was added to H.R. 1, last year's tax and budget mega bill, to ease concerns about the impact of Medicaid cuts.

But even with the federal initiative, rural health care is in trouble.

In 2023, the hospital in Sturgis, Michigan, population 11,000, became the state's first designated rural emergency hospital.

Still, the new status and payment model couldn't offset ongoing financial strain, and it closed in June.

Lauren Lapine-Ray with the state's Health and Hospital Association warns rural providers are worried because the biggest Medicaid cuts take effect next year.

We are working closely with our state health department and are advocating for funding to go directly to rural hospitals.

She says patients will probably have to travel farther or lose care, while communities could lose in other ways.

At the end of the day, losing a rural hospital is a significant hit to the local economy.

Congressional gridlock over a new farm bill isn't helping farm country, where Nebraska Farmers Union President John Hansen says years of mounting losses are squeezing producers, especially in corn and soybeans.

A lot of operations are in deep financial trouble, and their bankers have made it clear to them that unless things change substantially, this may well be their last year.

The last farm bill passed in 2018, and it's been extended three times.

Hansen argues it's been years since the federal safety net has covered for record production costs and low commodity prices, a serious issue for everyone.

When farmers go to town and they don't buy, folks in Main Street don't sell.

And so there's this belt tightening that goes through the whole economy.

With fall in the air, America's Grange Halls will be hosting harvest potlucks and festivals.

Founded almost 160 years ago, the National Grange helped rebuild rural communities post-Civil War.

President Christine Hamp notes it was the first major national organization to admit women as equal members.

From the very beginning, it didn't matter your gender, your color, or anything else.

You had a place in the Grange in 1867.

For the Daily Yonder and Public News Service, I'm Roz Brown.

For more rural stories, visit dailyyonder.com.