Rural Life

A council majority voted to approve all three requests by Craver Ranch developer Old Prosper Partners for amendments to the city’s 2040 comprehensive plan and mobility plan and a zoning change from rural agricultural to planned development.

A national survey found the smallest business owners are feeling less confident as they close out the year. Inflation, tariffs and shifts in consumer spending are some of the reasons why.

About 1,500 rural hospitals were eligible to convert to “Rural Emergency Hospitals” beginning in 2020. Researchers at UT Arlington want to take a closer look at the 40 hospitals that entered the program to understand whether it has improved access to care in rural communities.

Texas' application for the Rural Health Transformation program requests $200 million every year of the five-year program. The state is proposing the "Rural Texas Strong" project, which includes a range of proposals to improve health care access and quality in rural areas — such as workforce development and utilizing AI.

Rural Collin County voters strongly supported funds for an "Emergency Services District" that will help provide fire and ambulance service to unincorporated areas.

Last year, North Texas hospitals provided more than $7 billion in uncompensated care, like charity care or bad medical debt. One health leaders said if federal lawmakers don't extend a subsidy that makes federal health insurance marketplace coverage more affordable, hospitals statewide could be responsible for more than $1 billion in additional uncompensated care — which could lead to a loss of services or closures.

The FDA approved the first at-home cervical cancer screening in May. Texas is the eighth state to have access to the test as the company rolls the product out state-by-state.

As Texas develops its application for federal Rural Health Transformation Program funding, rural hospital leaders say stabilizing their facilities should be a top priority. "Without it, all the planning in the world will not matter because there will be no hospital left to transform," one said.

Texas health officials are asking for public input for the state’s application for a new federal rural health program. People can submit their comments through Tuesday, Sept. 9.

UT Arlington's Mobile Simulation Lab will provide training around Texas' rural counties, the majority of which have health care shortages.

As part of a program with the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, the East Texas Council of Governments will receive guidance on how to execute more than 60 broadband access projects across its 14-county region.

Experts say community paramedicine programs, which involve paramedics checking in on people with known health issues before an emergency happens, can cut costs and ease strains on health care systems in rural areas.