rural health

Engineers and psychologists at Missouri University of Science and Technology are using computer modeling and real-world interviews to see if a mobile cancer radiation truck could bring care to far-flung patients in rural parts of the state.

Rural America is not known for its public transportation. But as its residents get older faster than their urban counterparts, the need is increasing. Some communities are finding ways to provide rides.

Many transgender people seeking gender-affirming and other medical care in rural areas have to educate their doctors about their needs — if they can find supportive health providers at all.

Customers are paying more at the grocery store for a number of items, but one item is seeing a bigger spike than anything else: Eggs. Plus: Kansans with long COVID struggle to find remedies in one of the only states without dedicated treatment centers.

Post-COVID care centers have been popping up across the country as millions of Americans struggle with the aftereffects of the virus. The centers are typically in larger cities and can have months-long wait times.

A former Days Inn hotel has been transformed into a unique sanctuary for Kansas City's unhoused population. Plus: A Missouri town offers a case study for what happens when rural hospitals close and jeopardize access to critical health care.

In many rural towns, local hospitals are community fixtures. When they close, the entire community feels the ripple effects.

A new federal designation would allow struggling hospitals to end inpatient services, but some have concerns about how that could affect rural health care.

A new report from the USDA shows that rural areas are continuing to see growth among people over 65 while the working age population continues to decline.

Some long-term care facilities in Kansas are closing or reducing the number of clients they can serve due to a shortage of employees. And while staffing agencies can help fill the void, one advocacy group says they're charging "extortionate prices for staffing."

Kansas hospital spending grew 13% in 2020, at a faster rate than the national average. That could mean higher health insurance premiums.

Noble Health, a three-year-old private equity-backed startup, acquired Audrain and nearby Callaway Community Hospital during the coronavirus pandemic. Facing staggering debt, lawsuits and two federal investigations, it sold the hospitals to a Texas-based Platinum Health Systems. This month, Platinum Health told hospital workers they no longer had jobs.