The Rural Impact

In this extra episode of The Rural Impact, James M. Decker joins Michelle Rathman to discuss issues impacting rural areas, including revitalization, agriculture, community engagement, economy, and education. James is...

In this extra episode of The Rural Impact, Michelle Rathman is joined by Julie Rovner, KFF Health News Chief Washington Correspondent. Julie hosts the KFF Health News weekly health policy news podcast, "What the...

In this extra episode of The Rural Impact, Michelle Rathman interviews Ben Spoer, PhD, about the Congressional District Health Dashboard, a crucial tool designed to provide health data at the congressional district...

Just after returning to the studio after two back-to-back episodes where Michelle spent time at the National Rural Health Association (NRHA) Policy Institute and the National Association of Community Health Centers'...

A Programming Note: This episode was recorded in February of 2025. As it drops on March 13, 2025, it's important to note that topics and issues raised about Medicaid funding, Congressional Appropriations, a potential...

Guests: Joan Alker, Executive Director and Co-Founder of the Center for Children and Families, Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy Gina Capra, Chief Education Officer, National Association of...

In this extra episode, Michelle sat down with Dr. Seth D. Kaplan, a leading expert on fragile states, societies, and communities, and the author of Fragile Neighborhoods: Repairing American Society, One Zip Code at a...

In the third episode of the new series, 2025 & The Impact of Policy Shifts, Michelle sat down with Dreama Gentry, President and CEO of Partners for Rural Impact, a national intermediary that mobilizes rural...

In part one of the second episode of the new series, 2025 & The Impact of Policy Shifts, Michelle sat down with Mark Lieberman reporter for Education Week covering K-12 school finance nationwide. He previously...

In part one of the first episode of the new series 2025 & The Impact of Policy Shifts, Michelle sat down with Larry Levitt, Vice President for Health Policy at KFF. Levitt oversees policy work on Medicare,...

In our first episode of 2025, Michelle offers a recap of several of our 2024 series and special episodes, including conversations with authors Elizabeth Carpenter-Song and Sarah Smarsh, researchers from New American,...

In this special What's Your Impact? Episode, Michelle begins with a review of the multi-episode series "Pathways and Policies to Ensure Rural Learners Succeed in Place and Why it's Essential for America's Future" and...