Rural Hospitals

Hospital leaders say gaps in Missouri's care system can leave young patients waiting for services and placements even after their immediate medical needs have been addressed. Proposed legislation would require state agencies to respond more quickly when children need ongoing care

A health care expert in Illinois questions whether upcoming changes to how doctors bill for pregnancy-related care will actually expand access to maternal care services. While the update modernizes billing practices for the first time since the mid-1990s, he says deeper financial incentives and policy changes are needed to address the economic challenges driving the growth of OB deserts.

Missouri will receive more than $200 million in federal funding starting this year, through a new Rural Health Transformation Program. The money is aimed at strengthening rural health systems, expanding access to care, and improving coordination

In Kansas City, hospitals are treating local COVID-19 patients as well as patients transferred from rural counties in Missouri and Kansas, where there's no mandate or culture for wearing masks.