The first day of the 2026 RHAA Annual Summit focused on numerous topics essential to improving rural health care access. One of these topics is, of course, legislation! Opening the floor was a discussion with Arkansas US Representative Bruce Westerman who gave a congressional perspective on how we lead rural health care forward. Additionally Brock Slabach, Vice President of the National Rural Health Association elaborated on rural health policy in a changing federal landscape. University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Chancellor, Dr. Lowry Barnes, discussed the vision of UAMS leadership on advancing rural health in Arkansas. This was a fantastic precursor to the panel discussion, “Arkansas Rural Health Transformation: Strategy & Implementation” including Jim Hudson, Secretary, Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration; Janet Mann, Secretary, Arkansas Department of Human Services; David Long, Senior Manager, BDO, Arkansas Rural Health Transformation Program; and Brad Nye, Director, Arkansas Rural Health Transformation Program, Department of Finance & Administration. The initial day of the conference concluded with Dr. Sherry Turner, Associate Dean of GME/CME/DIO, Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine; Dr. Amanda Deel, Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs, NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine at Arkansas State University; Dr. Brian Jones, Vice Chancellor of Regional Programs at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences; and Dr. Jessica Atrio, MD, MSc, Associate Dean Clinical Research, Alice Walton School of Medical as they advocated for the focus on training the next generation of Arkansas physicians. Lastly, attendees were able to listen to a lively discussion from Arkansas State Representatives Howard Beaty, Mary Bentley, Lee Johnson, Aaron Pilkington, and Senator Ben Gilmore regarding the state of legislative leadership as it impacts rural health.

We weren’t sure how the RHAA was going to top such well-informed presentations from the first day, but we were keen to find out on the second day of the event! Opening remarks were followed by a topic everyone is dying to know more about: AI! Dr. Andrew Ibrahim, Professor at the University of Michigan and CCO of Viz.ai presented “Advancing Rural Health in Arkansas: The Power of AI Implementation” which had everyone energized for the morning! Following his discussion included a presentation from Charity Hallman, Senior Vice President, Hope Enterprise Corporation and  Jay Taylor, Partner and Attorney, Friday, Eldredge & Clark, LLP, about how to leverage new markets tax credits when attempting to solve financial hurdles in rural health transformation. In this same category was a panel presentation touching on how the Community Health Worker workforce in Arkansas needs advancement. Discussing the policies, payments, and practices that would make this possible included Cassie Cochran, Health Deputy Director, AR Department of Health; Judy Pile, Executive Director, Arkansas Community Health Worker Association; Dr. Pearl McElfish, Director, UAMS Institute for Community Health Innovation; and Rosalinda Medrano Green, Assistant Director, UAMS Institute for Community Health Innovation.

Before a hands-on demonstration, the students were able to learn about various essential components to incorporating telehealth into everyday practice. Additionally, these core concepts are the foundation to understanding how telehealth and telemedicine can be advocated for once these students head out into their professional healthcare careers.

The UAMS Institute for Digital Health & Innovation and the South Central Telehealth Resource Center have compiled our resources to deliver a new way for healthcare professionals to get trained and educated on all aspects of telehealth and telemedicine.

Interested in our training sessions? Connect with us today and learn what educational opportunities we have available!

Click the link below for more information on eligibility and use of funding along with important deadlines!

Hurray! Congress has officially passed a continuing resolution to reopen the federal government. Included in that package was an extension of the Medicare key telehealth flexibilities first put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic. This extension is temporary, however, and will last only through January 30, 2026. Additionally, it is important to note that these waivers are retroactive to September 30, 2025. This means any interactions that took place from October 1, 2025 through the end of the federal shutdown but were not eligible for coverage/payment under permanent telehealth policy are now be eligible under federal law.

Thanks to our friends and collaborators at the Center for Connected Health Policy, we have a convenient chart that breaks down these waivers specifically.

October 2025 has been a whirlwind of confusion and updates for Medicare telehealth waivers in the wake of the federal government shut down. After Congress failed to pass a FY 2026 spending bill as of October 1, 2025 this officially expired key telehealth flexibilities first put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic.

While Congress continues to negotiate a government funding package that my reinstate some of these flexibilities, permanent statutory restrictions are now in effect. To help navigate all the circulating information, we’ve compiled the best resources to follow for live updates during the shutdown.

The Center for Connected Health Policy has created several resources to aid providers and stakeholders navigating the expiration of these key telehealth flexibilities. A Medicare Waiver Expiration & Telehealth FAQs was designed to address the most common questions CCHP has received through its technical assistance channels in recent weeks. Additionally, a chart, Telehealth Medicare Policies Post-September 30, 2025, that outlines current Medicare telehealth policy and aims to provide a quick reference point when interpreting evolving policy.

Their recent newsletter reviews the new CMS guidance that was also issued to clarify the handling of Medicare Telehealth claims. View all their past newsletters and subscribe to stay apprised of all the latest shutdown news!

Through their MLN Connects Newsletter for October 2025, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issues clarifications regarding Medicare telehealth services during the federal shutdown.

The National Consortium of Telehealth Resource Centers (NCTRC) has created a webpage titled Unwinding of the Public Health Emergency, which addresses the impending changes to Medicare telehealth services now that key telehealth flexibilities have expired. The page offers strategies for healthcare providers, policymakers, and stakeholders to prepare for these shifts and stay informed! Additionally, on this page you can find the resource The Telehealth Policy Cliff: Preparing for October 1, 2025 which outlines key impacts, including but not limited to…

This essential resource will be updated every week! Subscribe to the SCTRC or NCTRC newsletters to stay up-to-date on all changes.

The quarterly updates for the Arkansas, Tennessee, and Mississippi Virtual Visit Billing Guides are now available! Payors were fairly quiet this past quarter, but with 2026 on the horizon, we can expect some shifts when CMS releases finalized 2026 telehealth guidance.

CMS has released the Calendar Year (CY) 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) Proposed Rule (CMS-1832-P), which includes several important telehealth changes detailed below. Remember, this is still a proposed rule, the final version will be published in November, and some details may change.

The UAMS Institute for Digital Health & Innovation has been partnering with USTTI since 2009 to bring this course to life. This year, the USTTI Scholars received training from a number of faculty and staff at UAMS, telecommunications professionals, and participating local health professionals. The goal of this course was aimed to help participants describe how to evaluate the health care needs of communities, determine the model for partnership between health professionals, select needs that lend themselves to Digital Health solutions, determine the best type of Digital Health technology, describe how administrative, technical, teaching, and medical staff work together, and outline the development of continuing education programs using interactive technologies.

The United States Telecommunications Training Institute (USTTI) is a nonprofit organization that provides tuition-free training for global communications leaders. Established in 1982, USTTI has trained over 10,000 foreign officials from 177 countries, covering areas such as digital policy, cybersecurity, AI, broadband, spectrum management, and telehealth.

Powered by the U.S. government and industry, equipping professionals from developing nations for leadership roles while shaping regulatory frameworks, securing vital communications networks, and closing the gender digital divide—all tuition-free.

October 2025 has been a whirlwind of confusion and updates for Medicare telehealth waivers in the wake of the federal government shut down. After Congress failed to pass a FY 2026 spending bill as of October 1, 2025 this officially expired key telehealth flexibilities first put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic.

While Congress continues to negotiate a government funding package that my reinstate some of these flexibilities, permanent statutory restrictions are now in effect. To help navigate all the circulating information, we’ve compiled the best resources to follow for live updates during the shutdown.

The Center for Connected Health Policy has created several resources to aid providers and stakeholders navigating the expiration of these key telehealth flexibilities. A Medicare Waiver Expiration & Telehealth FAQs was designed to address the most common questions CCHP has received through its technical assistance channels in recent weeks. Additionally, a chart, Telehealth Medicare Policies Post-September 30, 2025, that outlines current Medicare telehealth policy and aims to provide a quick reference point when interpreting evolving policy.

Their recent newsletter reviews the new CMS guidance that was also issued to clarify the handling of Medicare Telehealth claims. View all their past newsletters and subscribe to stay apprised of all the latest shutdown news!

Through their MLN Connects Newsletter for October 2025, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issues clarifications regarding Medicare telehealth services during the federal shutdown.

The National Consortium of Telehealth Resource Centers (NCTRC) has created a webpage titled Unwinding of the Public Health Emergency, which addresses the impending changes to Medicare telehealth services now that key telehealth flexibilities have expired. The page offers strategies for healthcare providers, policymakers, and stakeholders to prepare for these shifts and stay informed! Additionally, on this page you can find the resource The Telehealth Policy Cliff: Preparing for October 1, 2025 which outlines key impacts, including but not limited to…

This essential resource will be updated every week! Subscribe to the SCTRC or NCTRC newsletters to stay up-to-date on all changes.

The quarterly updates for the Arkansas, Tennessee, and Mississippi Virtual Visit Billing Guides are now available! Payors were fairly quiet this past quarter, but with 2026 on the horizon, we can expect some shifts when CMS releases finalized 2026 telehealth guidance.

CMS has released the Calendar Year (CY) 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) Proposed Rule (CMS-1832-P), which includes several important telehealth changes detailed below. Remember, this is still a proposed rule, the final version will be published in November, and some details may change.