rural Pennsylvania

June 18, 2026 | 8:24 AM

Figuring out how to expand healthcare access in Pennsylvania’s rural communities

Twenty percent of Pennsylvanians live in a rural area, yet only 10% of doctors and hospitals are located in their communities. The numbers are even worse for dentists, with only 6% practicing outside of the state’s metropolitan and suburban counties.

By Whitney Downard, Pennsylvania Capital-Star

May 29, 2026 | 6:00 PM

Broadband internet access still lacking across the country, Pa.

Reliable internet now touches nearly every part of modern life, but access remains uneven in many rural areas across Pennsylvania.

By Staff

December 22, 2025 | 5:00 AM

Expanding broadband in rural Pa. was complicated by rule changes and uncertainty in 2025

By Charlotte Keith/Spotlight PA

July 10, 2025 | 12:06 PM

Medicaid cuts in Trump’s tax bill will ‘devastate’ access to care in rural Pennsylvania, critics say

State officials estimate 310,000 Pennsylvanians will lose Medicaid coverage and anticipate strain at health facilities caused by federal budget cuts.

By Marley Parish of Spotlight PA State College

April 1, 2025 | 4:58 PM

Pa. health care experts worry about future of rural hospitals if Medicare or Medicaid see cuts

By Sydney Roach/WPSU

October 2, 2024 | 10:26 AM

Bedazzled mini-truck entices rural Pa. youth to build Bluetooth speakers from scratch

How does a Japanese mini-truck, weighing in at less than a ton and containing a mobile recording studio and the tools to build Bluetooth speakers from scratch, find its way to the Indiana Mall?

By Aaron Partnow/WESA

September 6, 2024 | 9:50 AM

Program bringing remote workers to rural Pa. wraps up. St. Marys participants share feedback

By Sydney Roach/WPSU

March 27, 2024 | 10:03 AM

Penn Highlands Elk maternal care cuts highlight Pa.’s widening rural services gap

The end of Penn Highlands’ birth services marks another huge maternal care loss for Pennsylvania’s shrinking rural counties.

By Marley Parish of Spotlight PA State College

February 20, 2024 | 10:36 AM

What Josh Shapiro’s budget pitch could do for Pennsylvania’s rural communities

The governor’s budget proposal would give rural areas a boost to invest in housing, address gaps in health care, and market the outdoor landscape.

By Marley Parish of Spotlight PA State College

February 7, 2024 | 9:13 AM

Rural Pa. township disbanded police department after chief got a new job

Supervisors in Sweden Township voted to hand full-time coverage over to Pennsylvania State Police, a decision they say will free up tens of thousands of dollars in the township’s budget.

By Marley Parish of Spotlight PA State College

tag | rural Pennsylvania