Health Observances

We take pride in our work to address the unique health care needs of the more than 61 million Americans who live in rural, Tribal, frontier, and geographically isolated communities throughout the year. Rural communities often face challenges with access to care, financial viability, and the critical link between health care and economic development. This year, we are collaborating with various organizations that work with different types of rural communities to share feedback around CMS OMH initiatives, and ensure our resources continue to help residents of rural communities achieve their optimal health.

As CMS OMH reaffirms our commitment to advancing health equity for those in rural, Tribal, frontier, and geographically isolated areas, we recently released our annual summary report, which exemplifies CMS’s work to improve health care quality, outcomes, and access in these communities. Advancing Health Equity in Rural, Tribal, and Geographically Isolated Communities: FY 2023 Year in Review (PDF) outlines the steps CMS has taken over the past year to support the health needs of rural populations.

On National Rural Health Day and beyond, CMS recognizes the need to ensure those residing in rural communities can achieve their highest level of health. Explore the resources below to learn how you can better serve these communities throughout the year.

Resources

Visit our Rural Health webpage to explore rural health resources, reports, and publications that share information about rural, Tribal, frontier, and geographically isolated communities.

Review the CMS Framework for Advancing Health Care in Rural, Tribal, and Geographically Isolated Communities (PDF), which describes how CMS will focus its efforts to advance rural health. Our new Rural Health Equity One-Pager (PDF) outlines the framework’s six priority areas.

Read the Advancing Health Equity in Rural, Tribal, and Geographically Isolated Communities: FY 2023 in Review (PDF) annual summary report to learn how CMS has met the needs of these populations throughout 2023.

Download the Advancing Rural Maternal Health Equity Report (PDF) to learn how we used our Rural Maternal Health Initiative to address maternal health disparities between June 2019 and November 2021.

Share the Rural Health Information Hub to help program organizers develop programs designed for rural communities and learn more about issues affecting Americans living in rural areas.