The Rural Impact

11/09/2025

NEW Episode--Continuing crucial conversation. With the looming shutdown of the Federal Government, rural hospitals, clinics, providers, and patients will feel the impact if a FY2026 budget fails to pass. This episode is a must-listen for all those concerned about rural health.

Michelle Rathman-Batschke sat down with National Rural Health Association Alexa McKinley Abel, who provided details about what's in the House's budget for rural health organizations and programs. From there, we welcome Former HRSA Administrator, now Senior Fellow at The Century Foundation, Carole Johnson, to discuss the current state of HRSA and the headwinds that states, counties and rural communities face as they work to piece together strategies on the fly to deal with the impacts of cuts to Medicaid and SNAP, work to fast-track new systems that can manage incongruent work requirement reporting, while still dealing with the loss of 2025 grant funding, appropriated but not received.

Finally, Michelle welcomes Toniann Richard, CEO of HCC Network, which includes operating six Community Health Centers in rural Missouri. The two discuss how the current political environment and policies are impacting care delivery, and they highlight the importance of collaborating with rural public health departments to coordinate vaccine availability and education.

It's another information-packed episode. Listen where you like, subscribe, and join the conversation.
https://tinyurl.com/3dc48a6v

10/09/2025

How are policy, funding, education, and workforce readiness all connected? It can't be said more plainly, it's the economy. Explore how each of these, along with tariffs, is shaping the future of rural. It's a power-packed research meets policy edition. Watch and Subscribe on YouTube! https://youtu.be/Oo8aq8RXSLM

08/09/2025

📢 Calling America's over 5,000 Rural Health Clinics. There is an event you won't want to miss, in a place you'll want to stay, and with people who will inspire you to learn, network, and have fun!
➡️Sharing a special invitation from our partners National Association of Rural Health Clinics to join them for a rendezvous in Reno!
📅October 20-22 NARHC Fall Institute
🔗narhc.org

03/09/2025

Public schools are essential to rural communities.

✔️Nearly 1 in 5 students in the US attend a rural public school
✔️More than 27,000 rural schools educate 9.8 million students every year
✔️Public schools fuel rural economies and provide opportunities for students to become future educators in the same schools they attended

The rise of school voucher programs, which provide public funding for students to attend private schools, poses significant threats to rural schools, students, and communities, experts warn, noting that the lack of private schools in rural areas would force families to pay for those schools (taxes), but they are unable to use them.

Beyond the impact on K-12, what does all this mean for student preparedness for post-secondary education and the future rural workforce?

Find out when you listen to this episode, when Michelle Rathman-Batschke sat down with education and workforce expert, Jeff Strohl, Georgetown University CEW, and economist, Gbenga Ajilore, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

Listen wherever you get your podcast. Download and Subscribe: https://tinyurl.com/2s3cff4z

28/08/2025

It's Thursday, and that means we have a new episode waiting in your cue! You will definitely want to listen because Michelle Rathman-Batschke sat down with Dr. Jeff Strohl from the Georgetown University Center on Education and Workforce. They discuss how policies are impacting rural education, from K-12 to post-secondary, and explore new research on the need to bridge the middle-skills gap through a rural lens.

Next, we welcome Gbenga Ajilore from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities to discuss tariffs, taxes, and their impact on rural households and communities.

At the top of the episode, you'll also hear a health policy update from Alexa McKinley Abel, Director of Government Affairs at the National Rural Health Association.

Thanks to our partners at National Association of Rural Health Clinics!

https://tinyurl.com/2s3cff4z

27/08/2025

What does "Rural Prosperity" mean anyway? Before a new episode drops, download and listen to Michelle Rathman-Batschke conversation with Tony P**a The Brookings Institution, Brent Orrell American Enterprise Instituteabout a joint commission on U.S. Rural Prosperity and its focus on five areas of research, followed by a quick and impactful chat with Matt Hildreth RuralOrganizing.org about engaging the next generation of rural leaders! https://youtu.be/cTwYuaqhGq8

27/08/2025

Partner Alert! ⚠️What happens in Reno...well, you're going to have to find out for yourselves when you attend the Association of Rural Health Clinics Fall Institute!

Beginning October 20th, the two and a half day NARHC Fall Institute features a powerful in-person agenda plus three pre-conference webinars the week before, it’s your chance to engage deeply with the pressing issues facing Rural Health Clinics today.

With unmatched networking, and a throwback 90s Bash, you’ll leave energized and reconnected.

Registration closes the evening of October 19th, so don't wait! Head to narhc.org to register.

24/08/2025

In our latest episode, Michelle Rathman-Batschke was joined by Matt Hildreth RuralOrganizing.org. One of the topics they discussed was the issue of gerrymandering and the impact of redistricting rural areas. Matt said, "I think the United States is one of the only advanced countries (democracies) where politicians can pick the voters. The voters don't just pick the politicians…what we see with gerrymandering is that the districts are getting so red in red states or so blue in blue states that politicians don't feel like they need to go there anymore."

The act of redrawing district boundaries is supposed to be fair and neutral, but as we're seeing in Texas and elsewhere, it's anything but that.

So, what can be done? Matt shares invaluable advice for how to become more civically engaged in your district, advocate for policies that improve communities, economic conditions, and quality of life, and engage the next generation of rural leaders. https://tinyurl.com/4ufvb7de

18/08/2025

14/08/2025

NEW EPISODE and it is a big one!

Michelle Rathman-Batschke has an in-depth conversation with Tony P**a, The Brookings Institution, and Brent Orrell, American Enterprise Institute, to discuss the newly formed Commission on U.S. Rural Prosperity. They cover a wide range of topics, including economic and workforce transformation in the age of AI, rural demographics and infrastructure, health outcomes and delivery imperatives, climate change and natural resources, and dive into policy coordination and the future of Federal investments and interventions.

But that's not all! We also welcome Matth Hildreth, Executive Director of RuralOrganizing.org and RuralProgress, and he discusses how his nonprofit is organizing and supporting rural America's next generation of civic leaders.

So much to learn from these guests! Listen or watch wherever you get your podcasts or download. https://tinyurl.com/4ufvb7de