Cancer treatment is difficult enough without having to drive hours just to get to an appointment. But for many rural patients, traveling long distances for chemotherapy and other cancer services is part of the experience.
That’s why we’re especially encouraged by the work rural hospitals are doing to bring cancer care closer to the communities they serve.
From new accreditation opportunities to mobile screening programs and local chemotherapy services, rural healthcare organizations are finding wonderful ways to make cancer care more accessible.
And while expanding services is exciting, there’s another important part of the conversation: what it takes to keep those services available for years to come.
We’ve been following several rural cancer initiatives this year. Here are six you should know about, along with what they could mean for rural hospitals and the communities they serve.
What's Changing for Rural Cancer Care in 2026?
Rural cancer care is receiving some much-needed attention this year.
In 2026, the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer introduced an accreditation pathway specifically for rural hospitals. States are also investing in cancer screening and treatment through the $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP), while new partnerships are helping smaller hospitals expand access to specialized services.
A March 2026 American Cancer Society study puts the challenges facing rural communities into perspective. After examining more than 27 million cancer deaths, researchers found that rural counties now have the highest cancer death rates in the country.
That finding is especially concerning given the challenges rural patients face getting screened, seeing specialists, and receiving treatment.
Fortunately, rural hospitals and their partners are finding creative ways to address those challenges. Some are bringing equipment directly into communities, while others are partnering with larger health systems to offer services that used to require hours of travel.
Here are six initiatives that show what that work looks like.
6 Rural Cancer Initiatives to Follow in 2026 and Beyond
1. A New Cancer Accreditation Pathway Designed for Rural Hospitals
For years, many rural hospitals have found Commission on Cancer (CoC) accreditation difficult to pursue. Traditional requirements often called for staffing and resources that smaller hospitals didn’t have available.
The new Rural Cancer Program accreditation offers another option.
Introduced in June 2026, the pathway adjusts certain staffing and patient service requirements to better reflect how rural hospitals operate while maintaining a focus on quality care and continuous improvement.
Hospitals located in counties classified as Rural-Urban Continuum Codes (RUCC) 4 through 9 may be eligible. Organizations can begin working toward the standards and request a site visit after demonstrating a full year of compliance.
This is an encouraging development for rural hospitals that provide valuable cancer services but haven’t had the resources to pursue traditional accreditation.
The new pathway also emphasizes quality measurement, giving hospitals another reason to understand patient outcomes and identify opportunities to improve care.
2. Rural Health Transformation Funding Creates New Opportunities for Cancer Care
We’ve been following the Rural Health Transformation Program closely, and one thing that’s been particularly interesting is how differently states are approaching their investments.
Several have included cancer screening and treatment in their plans.
Iowa, for example, has proposed community Health Hubs that would bring preventive and diagnostic services together. Depending on the location and implementation, those services could include mammography, radon testing, FIT tests, colonoscopies, MRIs, and virtual skin cancer checks.
Bringing these services together could make it easier for rural patients to receive recommended screenings and connect with additional care when needed.
Other states are exploring different approaches. Alabama has included mobile screening and regional care coordination in its plans, while Kansas and Iowa have proposed community health kiosks. North Carolina has also identified cancer care as a rural health priority.
For rural hospitals, these investments create opportunities to expand services, build partnerships, and help more patients receive care locally.
If your organization is exploring what’s possible through RHTP, your state office of rural health is a good place to learn more about planned projects and available opportunities.
3. A Montana Hospital Brings Chemotherapy Closer to Home
Dillon, Montana, is home to about 4,000 people. Until recently, residents needing chemotherapy often faced a drive of more than two hours to Bozeman. Now, imagine making that trip regularly during treatment, especially in a Montana winter.
Barrett Hospital & HealthCare, a Critical Access Hospital in Dillon, wanted to give patients another option. Working with Bozeman Health, Barrett opened a local oncology clinic and infusion center in October 2024. Patients can now receive chemotherapy, oncology consultations, and survivorship care closer to home.
What makes this partnership particularly interesting is how the two organizations approached it. Rather than simply referring patients to a larger facility, Barrett and Bozeman Health developed a shared governance and investment structure. Both organizations have a role in the program, allowing the rural hospital to remain involved in decisions about the care available to its community.
A $1.9 million Merck Foundation grant awarded to Conquer Cancer, the ASCO Foundation, helped support the initiative, which went from planning to opening in less than two years.
Developing a new service line is a significant undertaking for any rural hospital. Staffing, equipment, clinical requirements, and ongoing costs all need careful consideration.
Barrett didn’t have to build an oncology program on its own. By partnering with Bozeman Health, the hospital brought specialized cancer care to Dillon while sharing the program’s costs, resources, and responsibilities. For Dillon patients, that means more time at home and less time on the road.
4. Mobile Cancer Screening Is Reaching Patients Across Rural Communities
Not every community needs a permanent screening facility to improve access to cancer care. Sometimes, the equipment can come to the patient.
In Indiana, IU Health is doing just that through its mobile lung cancer screening program.
By June 2026, the mobile unit had screened 1,000 patients across 45 counties. That’s an encouraging milestone in a state where fewer than 20% of approximately 110,000 eligible residents receive recommended lung cancer screening each year.
Utah is exploring another approach through ARPA-H’s PARADIGM program. Huntsman Cancer Institute is developing a mobile care vehicle to bring hospital-level services to three rural Utah counties, aiming to expand access to specialized care and clinical trials.
Both approaches are helping explore ways to bring services closer to rural patients without requiring every community to build a new facility. For rural hospitals, mobile programs can also open the door to partnerships. Hospitals already have relationships with local patients, primary care providers, and community organizations. Working with mobile screening providers can help build on those connections while expanding access to services.
Reaching more patients is an important step, but hospitals also need a way to make sure screening results are communicated, referrals are completed, and patients get the follow-up care they need.
5. Project ECHO Helps Rural Clinicians Connect With Cancer Specialists
Rural primary care teams often support patients throughout their cancer experience, from identifying concerning symptoms to helping manage care after treatment. But they may not have an oncologist or other cancer specialist nearby to consult.
Project ECHO helps address that challenge by connecting rural clinicians with specialists through virtual learning sessions and case discussions.
A CDC-funded pilot combined the Project ECHO model with patient navigation support. Among participating rural providers, 93% reported improved knowledge, and 80% said they planned to apply what they learned in practice.
The patient navigation component is important, too.
A cancer diagnosis can bring a lot of appointments, decisions, and information to manage. Having someone help patients understand their next steps and connect with needed services can make the experience easier to navigate.
For rural hospitals with limited specialty resources, programs like Project ECHO offer another way to strengthen care through collaboration and education.
6. Florida Is Using AI to Improve Cancer Screening and Follow-Up Care
Getting screened for cancer is important. But what happens when a patient receives an abnormal result, and the nearest specialist is hours away?
That’s one challenge USF Health and Tampa General Hospital are addressing with nearly $2 million from the Florida Cancer Innovation Fund.
Four primary care clinics in rural Florida will be putting the new technology to work. One goal is to catch patients who are overdue for cervical cancer screening and give them the option of HPV self-testing. The tools will also help clinic staff keep track of abnormal results so patients who need additional care don’t fall through the cracks.
Just as importantly, it will help care teams coordinate follow-up appointments, including diagnostic testing and specialty care that may not be available locally.
We especially appreciate that this project looks beyond the initial screening. By helping clinics identify patients who need additional care and connect them with the right services, Florida is taking a practical approach to improving cancer prevention and early diagnosis in rural communities.
Bringing Cancer Care Home Is One Thing. Keeping It There Matters, Too.
Barrett Hospital’s infusion center is a wonderful example of what rural hospitals can accomplish through partnerships. But opening a new service is only the beginning. Keeping it available means understanding what it costs to provide care and how the hospital will be reimbursed.
For hospitals considering similar oncology services, a few financial areas are worth paying attention to.
Getting Oncology Charges Right
Cancer treatments often involve expensive medications, specialized supplies, and multiple services during a single visit. If drug charges or infusion administration codes are outdated or missing, hospitals could lose revenue on care they’ve already provided.
A chargemaster review can help hospitals identify these issues and ensure their charges accurately reflect the services they offer.
Finding Patterns in Oncology Denials
Between prior authorizations, medication units, and documentation requirements, oncology claims can be complicated.
Reviewing oncology denials together can reveal problems that are easy to miss when reviewing claims individually. For example, a hospital might find that certain medications are repeatedly denied or that one payer has more authorization issues.
Tools like REDi Health’s Denials IQ can help hospitals identify recurring problems and find opportunities to reduce preventable denials.
Making the Most of Available Resources
For eligible hospitals, the 340B Drug Pricing Program can also support oncology services by reducing costs on certain outpatient medications.
With partnerships, grant funding, and accurate reimbursement, these savings can help hospitals manage the ongoing costs of care.
The goal is to give rural hospitals a clearer understanding of what it takes to maintain these services, so they can continue caring for patients long after the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) funding runs out.
How Data Helps Rural Hospitals Plan for Better Cancer Care
Financial performance tells a hospital something important about whether a program can continue. But it doesn’t tell the whole story. Hospitals also need to understand how patients use their services, where care gaps remain, and whether new initiatives accomplish what they set out to do.
Consider a hospital that introduces mobile cancer screening.
Knowing how many patients received screenings is useful. But what about patients with abnormal results? Were they able to get additional testing? How long did it take? And did the program reach people who previously had limited access to screening?
Those questions can help hospital leaders understand where a program succeeds and what needs attention.
An Example From Iowa
The Iowa Cancer Registry offers an interesting example of how data partnerships can support rural cancer programs.
The registry partnered with five rural cancer centers pursuing quality accreditation. After assessing where additional data could support accreditation requirements, it developed reports tailored to each hospital and the communities they served.
Those reports provided information on local cancer burden and community needs, helping hospital teams better understand the populations they served.
It’s a useful reminder that rural hospitals may already have access to valuable information but lack the time or analytic resources to use it fully. With the right support, that information can help teams identify priorities, measure progress, and make more informed program decisions.
What Should Rural Hospitals Measure?
The most useful metrics depend on the services a hospital provides and what it hopes to accomplish. For cancer screening programs, that might mean tracking screening completion rates, abnormal results, and how quickly patients receive recommended follow-up care. For infusion services, hospitals may want to understand patient volume, treatment costs, reimbursement, and whether more patients can receive care locally.
These measures can also support accreditation efforts, grant reporting, and conversations with community partners.
We know rural hospital teams wear a lot of hats, and finding time to dig into data isn’t always easy when there’s so much else on their plates. That’s where having a little extra support can make a difference. At REDi Health, we work alongside hospitals to take a closer look at their data, find opportunities they may not have had time to explore, and put that information to good use. Whether it’s improving existing services or planning something new, we want to help hospitals make decisions that benefit their patients and support their financial sustainability.
What Should Rural Hospitals Consider Before Expanding Cancer Services?
The initiatives we’ve highlighted offer plenty of ideas, but there’s no single approach that will make sense for every rural hospital.
A community with limited access to screening may benefit most from a mobile program. Another hospital might already have the facilities and patient demand to explore an infusion partnership.
Before starting a new cancer care initiative, take a closer look at what your hospital and community actually need.
- What services are patients leaving the community for? Look at where patients go for screenings and treatment, and whether they get the follow-up care they need. You may find opportunities to offer more of that care locally.
- Who could help bring the program to life? Think about regional health systems, academic medical centers, and community organizations that could provide expertise, equipment, or additional resources.
- Can the hospital support the program long term? Beyond initial funding, consider staffing, medications, equipment, and other ongoing expenses, and how the hospital will be reimbursed.
- How will we know it’s working? Establish a starting point for the measures that matter most to your program, whether that’s screening participation, timely follow-up care, or the number of patients receiving treatment locally.
These conversations can help hospitals make informed decisions about which opportunities fit their communities and how to support them over time.
More Cancer Care, Closer to the Communities That Need It
There’s a lot to be excited about in rural cancer care right now, and these six initiatives are just a few examples of the great work happening across the country. We love seeing rural hospitals find creative ways to meet their patients’ needs.
As more of these programs get underway, we’re especially interested in seeing how hospitals build on their early progress. New funding and partnerships can open some wonderful doors, but the real opportunity is finding ways to make those improvements part of the care a community can count on for years to come.
We’re grateful to work alongside rural healthcare organizations that put so much heart into what they do. We know their teams already have plenty on their plates, and we’re always happy to be an extra set of hands when it comes to making sense of the data, finding financial opportunities, and planning for what’s next.
If your hospital is exploring a cancer care initiative or looking for ways to strengthen an existing program, we’d love to hear what you’re working on.
These measures can also support accreditation efforts, grant reporting, and conversations with community partners.
We know rural hospital teams wear a lot of hats, and finding time to dig into data isn’t always easy when there’s so much else on their plates. That’s where having a little extra support can make a difference. At REDi Health, we work alongside hospitals to take a closer look at their data, find opportunities they may not have had time to explore, and put that information to good use. Whether it’s improving existing services or planning something new, we want to help hospitals make decisions that benefit their patients and support their financial sustainability.
