Skip to main content

July 2026 Center for Rural Health Update

FOCUS on Rural Health

Strengthening Connections Across the Prairie
Critical Access Hospital nurse leaders meet monthly to connect and collaborate statewide.

News

North Dakota Flex Team Receives National Award
The North Dakota Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility (Flex) Program was honored with the Strengthening Quality Reporting and Improvement Award in Washington, D.C.

North Dakota Rural Health Overhaul: Big Money, but Workforce Remains the Bottleneck
Center for Rural Health (CRH) Director Jacob Warren talks about the healthcare workforce shortage in North Dakota.
Source: KFYR TV

North Dakota Rural Health Clinic Network Attends Policy Summit
CRH staff and members of the North Dakota Rural Health Clinic Network attended the 2026 National Association of Rural Health Clinics Policy Summit in Washington, D.C. and met with congressional offices in June.

Jan Flatin Retirement
Jan Flatin, administrative assistant at CRH, retires after more than 20 years of service to the University of North Dakota.

CRH Welcomes New Employees

Funding & Other Opportunities

Small Health Care Provider Quality Improvement Program
The Health Resources and Services Administration has announced the Small Health Care Provider Quality Improvement Program, which will build capacity to effectively collect and use clinical data while implementing evidence-based approaches to improve healthcare quality, with a particular focus on improving chronic disease outcomes.
Deadline: August 6 at 10:59 pm Central

Now Accepting R-COOL-Health Scrubs Camp Grant Applications
Grant applications are being accepted to host a Scrubs Camp in your community. Through creative and interactive activities, these exciting camps provide an opportunity for students in grades 5-12 to learn about health careers available in rural North Dakota.
Deadline: August 14 at 4:00 pm Central

CRH Events

July 22 Webinar: Migration Mental Wellness
Virtual
1:30 pm Central
July 22
North Dakota Brain Injury Network (NDBIN)
July 25 Statewide Brain Injury Survivor Picnic
In-Person
11:00 am Central
July 25
Lindenwood Park (1905 Roger Maris Drive)
Fargo, North Dakota
NDBIN
August 5 TeleECHO: Legalized or Not – The Impact of Marijuana on the Developing Brain
Virtual
12:00 pm Central
August 5
Project ECHO
August 5 Webinar: Domestic and Sexual Violence 101
Virtual
1:30 pm Central
August 5
NDBIN
August 6 New Qualified Service Provider (QSP): Next Steps Monthly Meeting
Virtual
11:00 am Central
August 6
North Dakota QSP Hub
August 11 TeleECHO: Pelvic Floor/Health
Virtual
12:00 pm Central
August 11
Project ECHO
August 17 QSP Quarterly Update Meeting
Virtual
11:00 am Central
August 17
North Dakota QSP Hub
August 19 TeleECHO: Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment (EPSDT)
Virtual
12:00 pm Central
August 19
Project ECHO
August 19 Webinar: Smarty and Friends – Teaching Children About Safety and Injury Prevention
Virtual
1:30 pm Central
August 19
NDBIN

Publications & Resources

Rural Pediatric Readiness: Improving Emergency Care for Kids
Rural Health Information Hub's (RHIhub) latest Rural Monitor article explores how rural providers are improving their pediatric readiness — the ability to provide quality emergency care for pediatric patients — through nationally available resources and training efforts.

Practical Guide to Supporting Innovation in Rural Health
Developed by RHIhub in collaboration with the NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis, this new guide showcases strategies, tools, and real-world examples to support rural communities in the development of innovative solutions grounded in local strengths.

FCHIP's Impact on Rural North Dakota
Provides an overview of the impact of the Federal Frontier Community Health Integration Project (FCHIP) in North Dakota. FCHIP is a federal demonstration project to test models of integrated care in the nation's most sparsely populated regions, targeting states where at least 65% of counties have six or fewer residents per square mile.