skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Monday, May 5, 2025

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

President Trump proposes a tariff on foreign films, communities celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week, and severe weather threatens parts of the U.S., while states tackle issues from retirement savings and air pollution to measles outbreaks and clean energy funding.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Canada's PM doubles down on country's independence. Trump refuses to say who has due process rights. The DOJ sues several states over climate laws, and Head Start cuts jeopardize early childhood education in MI.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Rural students who face hurdles going to college are getting noticed, Native Alaskans may want to live off the land but obstacles like climate change loom large, and the Cherokee language is being preserved by kids in North Carolina.

Improving telehealth access in rural Arkansas

play audio
Play

Tuesday, September 26, 2023   

In rural Arkansas, access to healthcare can be a distant dream - literally - as almost 60 counties in the state do not have enough providers to serve their populations. A new initiative with the Health Resources and Services Administration is working to improve access in these areas, through telehealth.

Heather Dimeris, director, Office for the Advancement of Telehealth at the Health Resources and Services Administration, said delivering care remotely online fills a crucial gap. Arkansans can visit telehealth.hhs.gov to explore their options, including behavioral and mental-health services.

"You can look at anxiety or depression screening through telehealth," she said. "You can also receive treatment for your anxiety or depression and other mental health needs, through one-on-one therapy as well as group therapy. And telehealth has also been extremely helpful in treating patients with substance-use disorders."

Dimeris noted 40% of all behavioral healthcare is now done virtually, including therapy, addiction counseling, and mental-health screening. She adds HRSA also provides telehealth services for treatment of chronic diseases, like diabetes, and information for healthcare providers.

However, the growth of telehealth spotlights another challenge for rural Arkansas - the lack of reliable, affordable internet service. Dimeris added some people can use their cell phones for telehealth services. Or they can apply for discounted internet access through two programs offered by the Federal Communications Commission.

"The Affordable Connectivity Program, as well as the Lifeline Program," she continued. "Both of these programs have eligibility requirements. But if you meet them, you really are able to access either free or reduced cost for broadband services and cell phone services."

Lower-income households can get up to $30 a month off their internet service bill, or $75 a month if they live on tribal lands, according to the FCC.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
More than one in three Ohio parents with children under 5 report serious problems paying rent or mortgage, according to a statewide Groundwork Ohio poll. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

A refundable child tax credit aimed at helping families with young children was proposed in Gov. DeWine's budget but was stripped out by the Ohio …


Social Issues

play sound

Scam text messages impersonating the Wisconsin Department of Transportation and toll authorities are on the rise, despite the fact Wisconsin does not …

play sound

A new report shows Illinois youth now have more apprenticeship and internship opportunities, with an increase in women and minority participation but …


The Florida Solar Rights Act protects homeowners' rights to install solar energy systems. (Pixabay)

Environment

play sound

As Congress prepares to vote this week on a budget bill which would repeal solar energy tax credits, Florida solar advocates warned the move would …

Social Issues

play sound

Solving North Dakota's child-care crisis is taking another turn, with adoption of a new tax credit. The incentive is geared for employers who make …

Nearly 28% of child-care workers are covered by Medicaid, and 43% of early educator families rely on one or more public safety nets such as Medicaid or SNAP to make ends meet. (saksit/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Potential Medicaid cuts could have a negative impact on early childhood education professionals in Arkansas. A report from the Georgetown …

Environment

play sound

As Boulder and local governments across the U.S. turn to courts to pay for rebuilding after wildfires, floods and other extreme weather events linked …

Social Issues

play sound

New Mexico's Roadrunner Food Bank is again offering job training after its program was temporarily suspended during the COVID pandemic. Teresa …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021