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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Community engagement and volunteerism

Engaging Communities to Preserve Access to Emergency Medical Services in Rural Maine
White paper focusing on rural EMS issues and how Informed Community Self Determination (ICSD) might be implemented to address these issues in Maine. Intended to ensure that individuals understand the EMS capabilities in their community, that the services are the type and level needed, and that services are adequately funded.
Date: 10/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Action Network
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Community Collaboration During COVID-19: Reaching Hmong and Latino Residents in a Rural Setting
Describes how local and state organizations collaborated to reduce the impact of COVID-19 in Hmong and Latino populations in rural north central Wisconsin. Discusses the recruitment and training of community liaisons, the impact of the project, and lessons learned.
Date: 10/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Cooperative Extension as a Force for Healthy, Rural Communities: Historical Perspectives and Future Directions
Discusses the history of Cooperative Extension and describes its potential for public health engagement in rural communities. Notes Extension's role in applying land-grant resources community initiatives.
Author(s): David R. Buys, Roger Rennekamp
Citation: American Journal of Public Health, 110(9), 1300-1303
Date: 09/2020
Type: Document
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Transit for Healthcare: Volunteer Drivers in Aging Rural Minnesota
Covers supply and demand for volunteer drivers and discusses how insufficient transportation services negatively affect healthcare access for elderly and disabled populations in rural Minnesota. Examines obstacles facing volunteer drivers, including mileage reimbursement, distance to client's home, vehicle insurance, and more.
Author(s): Whitney Oachs
Date: 09/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Policy and Development
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A Century Later: Rural Public Health's Enduring Challenges and Opportunities
Discusses rural health disparities that have persisted over the past century, with information on infectious disease, access to healthcare, maternal and child health, and racial health disparities in the United States. Discusses public health challenges and solutions for rural communities.
Author(s): Erika Ziller, Carly Milkowski
Citation: American Journal of Public Health, e1-e9
Date: 09/2020
Type: Document
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A Volunteer Program in Maine to Transport Community Members to Health Care Appointments
Highlights a non-emergency volunteer transportation program in rural Maine. Outlines the goals and structure of the program and provides data about the number of trips and miles covered by year over the course of the program's existence.
Author(s): Sarah Levin Martin, James Wood, Steven Soule
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 17
Date: 08/2020
Type: Document
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Small Rural Hospital Transition (SRHT) Project Behavioral Health Care Coordination Summit: Summit Findings
Summarizes the findings from a two-day summit on the role of rural hospitals in addressing behavioral health as part of a community-wide initiative. Identifies barriers to behavioral health care coordination in rural areas. Describes four areas of opportunity to advance care coordination. Includes resources for each area of opportunity identified.
Author(s): Amy Harding
Date: 08/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Advocates for Human Potential, National Rural Health Resource Center
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Blind Spot: Mobility and Aging in Rural America
Examines mobility challenges older adults face in rural America. Highlights programs that support the transit needs of older adults in rural Arizona. Outlines opportunities for philanthropies to engage with communities on mobility initiatives.
Date: 08/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Age Friendly Arizona
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Addressing Opioid Use in Rural Communities: Examples from Critical Access Hospitals
Highlights strategies adopted by Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) to combat opioid use in their communities. Describes lessons learned from the featured CAHs regarding the development and implementation of projects targeting opioid use. Identifies ways that State Flex Programs and State Offices of Rural Health can support the efforts of CAHs in addressing opioid use in their communities. Provides list of opioid-related resources for CAHs and State Flex Programs.
Author(s): John Gale, Sara Kahn-Troster, Karen Pearson, Nathan First
Date: 08/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Investing in Rural Communities to Achieve Health Equity
Brief describing how The Two Georgias Initiative supported communities in their efforts to address the growing health and healthcare disparities occurring in rural areas of Georgia. Discusses the collective efforts of 11 organizations representing rural communities to establish a community health coalition and a community health improvement plan that includes representation of those most impacted by health inequities. Encourages grantmaking organizations to create funding opportunities that address health equity issues in rural areas.
Author(s): Lisa Medellin, Samantha Bourque Tucker
Date: 07/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Grantmakers in Health
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