Federal Rural Health Programs Catalyzing Innovative Rural Care Delivery

The Rural Health Transformation (RHT) Program, launched at the end of 2025 by the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, represents an unprecedented $50 billion federal investment over five years to help rural and remote communities expand access to care, adopt innovative delivery models, and stabilize local systems. States will receive annual funds to deploy strategies improving chronic disease management, workforce capacity, technology adoption including telehealth, and care coordination tailored to rural populations. Faculty can contribute by designing and evaluating rural-adapted care models, piloting telehealth and workforce innovations with community partners, and generating implementation and outcomes evidence to guide state RHT program strategies and funding priorities.

Digital Arts as a Scalable Tool to Reduce Loneliness and Digital Exclusion Among Older Adults

Recent research demonstrates that digital arts and culture activities, such as online dance classes, digital photography, and virtual creative workshops, are effective tools for increasing digital confidence and social connection among older adults. A 2025 University of Sheffield study shows that creative participation lowers technology anxiety and embeds digital skills in meaningful, social contexts. This approach directly addresses the growing societal challenge of loneliness among older adults, which UK data links to digital exclusion, poorer mental health, and reduced community participation. Faculty can contribute by designing co-created digital arts interventions, evaluating mental-health and social-connection outcomes, and developing scalable, inclusive platforms that integrate creative practice with aging, public health, and digital-equity research.

Tools & Resources

Access additional market information through powerful tools available from the J. Willard Marriott Library:

Markets and Markets – Comprehensive market reports, with competitive intelligence and trends

BCC Research – Detailed market forecasting and industry analysis

Factiva – Global news and business information

Pitchbook – Private market and investment data

Researchers can contact the Technology Licensing Office (TLO), Eccles Health Science Library, J. Willard Marriott Library, or Center for Medical Innovation (CMI) for tailored market information.

Upcoming Webinars

The Art of Prescribing: Advancing Arts-Based Pathways to Health – Thursday, March 26, 2026

This webinar explores how arts participation functions within social prescribing to improve mental health and connection, with examples and guidance on cross-sector partnerships to scale sustainable, evidence-informed programs.

Arizona Telemedicine Program: Developing a Telemedicine Program Webinar – Tuesday, May 5, 2026

This webinar covers standards, reimbursement, legal, and cybersecurity foundations for launching telehealth, valuable for stakeholders interested in designing access solutions for rural and underserved populations.

Need help getting started?

Explore our full Market Research for Inventors page for tools, examples, and a step-by-step PDF guide to walk you through the process.

This article was originally published on the Technology Licensing Office website.

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