This Is Rural Health

Rural healthcare is facing one of its most pivotal moments in decades. With major Medicaid changes, a historic $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Fund, workforce shortages, and growing pressure on hospitals and providers, the decisions being made in Washington today will shape the future of rural communities for years to come.In this episode, we sit down with a leading policy expert from the National Rural Health Association (NRHA) to unpack the rapidly evolving healthcare landscape and what it means for rural providers, patients, and community leaders across the country.From Capitol Hill politics to federal funding opportunities, our guest breaks down the key healthcare issues dominating the national conversation, including Medicaid reform, Medicare Advantage challenges, workforce shortages, telehealth expansion, AI in healthcare, pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) reform, and the long-awaited Farm Bill. We also explore the Rural Health Transformation Program—one of the largest federal investments in rural healthcare in generations—and what states must do to secure and sustain funding.The conversation dives into the realities facing rural hospitals and clinics, the impact of federal policy changes on healthcare access, and the innovative solutions emerging across the country to strengthen rural health infrastructure and improve outcomes.Whether you're a healthcare executive, policymaker, provider, educator, or advocate, this episode offers valuable insight into the opportunities and challenges shaping the future of rural health.If you care about the future of healthcare access in rural America, this is a conversation you won't want to miss. Tune in for an inside look at the policies, funding, and innovations that could redefine rural healthcare for the next generation.The CSRHA has been a go-to resource for rural healthcare and community leaders since 1995. The CSRHA brings an accumulation of actionable insights to the next generation of rural healthcare leaders. For more behind the scenes of this podcast follow @CSRHApodcast on Twitter or @csrha.advocate on Facebook.If you enjoy This Is Rural Health, we could use your support! Please consider leaving a 5-star rating and review, and share it with someone who needs to hear this!Learn more about the CSRHA at csrha.org.

Dr. Ramiro Zúñiga, Chief Medical Officer for Health Net Medi-Cal, brings nearly three decades of experience as a board-certified family physician serving rural and underserved communities across California. At Health Net, he co-leads contractual, compliance, and regulatory efforts for the Medi-Cal line of business while providing strategic and operational direction for quality improvement, utilization management, and clinical programs.Previously Chair of the Department of Family Medicine and Residency Program Director at San Joaquin General Hospital, Dr. Zúñiga has long combined clinical leadership with system-level transformation. He is also a Volunteer Clinical Professor at the UC Davis School of Medicine and serves on multiple boards, including the Sacramento Latino Medical Association, National Hispanic Medical Association, National Hispanic Health Foundation, and the Archstone Foundation.In this episode, Dr. Zúñiga breaks down how CalAIM is transforming care—expanding provider networks with community-based organizations, scaling Enhanced Care Management and Community Supports, shifting to outcomes-based payment, and bringing care closer to where people live and learn through school-based telehealth and mobile clinics. He also shares how Health Net is investing in a diverse, community-aligned workforce and real-time data systems to reduce emergency-department visits and readmissions.Subscribe for more rural-health insights—and explore Health Net and CalAIM resources below.What You’ll Learn From This Episode:Introduction and Welcome Back Reintroduction and Background of Dr. Zúñiga CalAIM Rollout and Successes Expanding the Medical Ecosystem Addressing Workforce Shortages Focus on Equity and Community Partnerships Whole Person Care and Enhanced Care Management Telehealth and Remote Care Innovations Final Thoughts and Future of CalAIMConnect with Dr. Ramiro Zuniga: LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/health-netResourceshttps://bridgingthedivideca.comwww.news.healthnet.comHealth NetCalAIM (DHCS)Hazel Health (school-based telehealth)Centene Foundation – Mobile Clinics partnershipThe CSRHA has been a go-to resource for rural healthcare and community leaders since 1995. The CSRHA brings an accumulation of actionable insights to the next generation of rural healthcare leaders. For more behind the scenes of this podcast follow @CSRHApodcast on Twitter or @csrha.advocate on Facebook.If you enjoy This Is Rural Health, we could use your support! Please consider leaving a 5-star rating and review, and share it with someone who needs to hear this!Learn more about the CSRHA at csrha.org.

Dr. Wade Banner is a California-board-certified dentist and founder of In Motion Dentists, one of the few practices delivering comprehensive, in-home care—everything from cleanings to crowns and root canals—for seniors, homebound patients, and people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. He also operates a specialized brick-and-mortar clinic in La Verne built for accessibility and behavioral needs.In this episode, Dr. Banner breaks down how portable dentistry actually works (spoiler: a carry-on-sized unit and a 7-minute setup), how partnerships with Regional Centers and RDHAPs unlock access, and why treating isolated patients in urban ZIP codes can feel as “rural” as the farthest county. We dig into workflow, equipment, teledentistry collaboration, and the mindset shift new grads need to serve special healthcare needs—plus how any dentist can start with house calls on a limited basis.Subscribe for more conversations on practical solutions for rural and hard-to-reach care. Learn more or request a ride-along via In Motion Dentists.What You’ll Learn From This Episode:Introduction and Guest Introduction Dr. Banner's Journey into Mobile Dentistry Working with Special Needs and Regional Centers Challenges and Solutions in Rural Dental Care The Importance of House Call Dentistry Future of Teledentistry and RDHAPs Conclusion and Contact InformationConnect with Wade Banner: LinkedIn ResourcesIn Motion DentistsRDHAP ConnectSan Gabriel / Pomona Regional CenterAseptico Portable Dental UnitsCocoon Portable X-RayThe CSRHA has been a go-to resource for rural healthcare and community leaders since 1995. The CSRHA brings an accumulation of actionable insights to the next generation of rural healthcare leaders. For more behind the scenes of this podcast follow @CSRHApodcast on Twitter or @csrha.advocate on Facebook.If you enjoy This Is Rural Health, we could use your support! Please consider leaving a 5-star rating and review, and share it with someone who needs to hear this!Learn more about the CSRHA at csrha.org.

JD Garza is the Associate Director of the California Area Health Education Center (AHEC), hosted at UCSF Fresno, and a board member of the National AHEC Organization. His career centers on partnering with community organizations to serve medically underserved communities. In this episode, JD breaks down how AHEC recruits, trains, and retains health professionals for rural and underserved areas—at scale. We get into AHEC Scholars (a two-year, interdisciplinary track with community projects), clinical placements across community health centers, and why elevating CHWs, MAs, and CNAs is key. He also shares a standout youth diabetes coaching partnership, outcomes to date, and a practical burnout-prevention curriculum (“Healing from the Heart”) co-built with Hennepin Healthcare.What You’ll Learn From This Episode:Introduction to JD Garza and AHEC Overview of California AHEC California AHEC Centers and Partnerships AHEC Programs and Initiatives AHEC Scholars Program Burnout Prevention and Resiliency Program Future Plans and ConclusionResourcesCalifornia Area Health Education Center (UCSF Fresno) National AHEC Organization HRSA Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) Program Hennepin Healthcare — Institute for Professional Worklife (burnout resources)Stanford Youth Diabetes Coaching Program The CSRHA has been a go-to resource for rural healthcare and community leaders since 1995. The CSRHA brings an accumulation of actionable insights to the next generation of rural healthcare leaders. For more behind the scenes of this podcast follow @CSRHApodcast on Twitter or @csrha.advocate on Facebook.If you enjoy This Is Rural Health, we could use your support! Please consider leaving a 5-star rating and review, and share it with someone who needs to hear this!Learn more about the CSRHA at csrha.org.

Ingrid Villeda is a Program & Community Engagement Specialist at the Alzheimer’s Association (Northern CA & Northern NV). She’s spent 8+ years serving older adults, people with disabilities, and caregivers—especially in Latino and rural communities—building partnerships and delivering bilingual education that actually reaches families.In this episode, Ingrid breaks down what Alzheimer’s is (and isn’t), who’s at higher risk, and how new anti-amyloid therapies are changing the timeline for early-stage patients. We dig into the realities of rural care—limited specialists, long travel, internet deserts—and the concrete fixes that work: training primary care, leveraging Project ECHO, phone-first education, and meeting families where they already are (consulates, food banks, schools). You’ll leave with playbook-level ideas to expand access, support caregivers, and drive earlier detection in hard-to-reach places. What You’ll Learn From This Episode: Overview of Alzheimer's Association Understanding Alzheimer's and Dementia Risk Factors and Research Diagnosis and Treatment Options Challenges in Rural Communities Addressing Rural Healthcare Obstacles Behavioral Symptoms and Care Strategies Resources and ConclusionConnect with Ingrid Villeda: LinkedIn Resourceshttps://www.alz.org https://uspointer.net https://www.dementiacareaware.org  https://projectecho.unm.edu/initiatives/alzheimers-and-dementia-care-echo/ The CSRHA has been a go-to resource for rural healthcare and community leaders since 1995. The CSRHA brings an accumulation of actionable insights to the next generation of rural healthcare leaders. For more behind the scenes of this podcast follow @CSRHApodcast on Twitter or @csrha.advocate on Facebook.If you enjoy This Is Rural Health, we could use your support! Please consider leaving a 5-star rating and review, and share it with someone who needs to hear this!Learn more about the CSRHA at csrha.org.