Skip to main content
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Community engagement and volunteerism

2018 National Survey of Health Attitudes: Description and Top-Line Summary Data
Results of a survey designed to provide insight into how people in the U.S. think about, value, and prioritize health and issues of health equity. Appendix A shows survey results comparing populations by city size, with breakdowns by rural areas, small towns, midsized cities, and large cities, and Appendix B features statistics comparing urban and rural areas.
Additional links: Appendix A: Survey Results Comparing Populations by City Size, Appendix B: Survey Results Comparing Urban and Rural Populations
Author(s): Katherine Grace Carman, Anita Chandra, Sarah Weilant, Carolyn Miller, Margaret Tait
Date: 2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: RAND Corporation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
view details
How Counties Can Use Evidence-Based Policymaking to Achieve Better Outcomes
Examines county-level efforts to promote evidence-based policymaking and looks at ways in which counties engage in this work. Also identifies ways that counties support and sustain their success. Includes examples of several behavioral health initiatives.
Date: 12/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: MacArthur Foundation, National Association of Counties, Pew Charitable Trusts
view details
Looking Back But Leaning Forward: New Opportunities and Challenges for North Carolina's Rural Communities
Issue brief describing efforts among local and state leaders to promote community engagement in rural North Carolina and to address shortages of physicians and advanced practitioners. Also examines challenges faced by rural North Carolina hospitals, uses of telemedicine, plans to promote quality care for children and families, and recommendations for the future.
Author(s): Thomas G. Irons, Margaret L. Sauer
Citation: North Carolina Medical Journal, 79(6), 366-371
Date: 11/2018
Type: Document
view details
Counting Rural America: A Guide to 2020 Census Operations
Discusses the U.S. Census Bureau's special operations for counting populations in remote rural areas, including locations without mailing addresses, with high seasonal vacancies, or areas recovering from national disasters. Addresses the challenges of limited internet access and cell phone service, and methods to improve the count in these areas. Identifies specific Hard-to-count (HTC) populations, and ways local governments, businesses, and service providers can ensure an accurate count in rural areas.
Author(s): Cara Brumfield, Sophie Khan
Date: 10/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Georgetown Center on Poverty and Inequality
view details
Addressing Social Determinants of Health Needs of Dually Enrolled Beneficiaries in Medicare Advantage Plans: Findings from Interviews and Case Studies
Examines structures and approaches used by Medicare Advantage (MA) plans for dually enrolled and other high-cost beneficiaries. Includes case studies showcasing care models and how organizations are addressing social determinants of health for these beneficiaries. Discusses some challenges for rural areas and small community partnerships.
Author(s): Melony E. Sorbero, Ashley M. Kranz, Kathryn E. Bouskill, et al.
Date: 10/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
view details
Cultivating Country Doctors: Preparing Learners for Rural Life and Community Leadership
Explores how selected medical school and residency programs develop students' competencies related to rural life, community engagement, and community leadership.
Author(s): Sarah B. Thach, Bryan Hodge, Misty Cox, Anna Beth Parlier-Ahmad, Shelley L. Galvin
Citation: Family Medicine, 50(9), 685-690
Date: 10/2018
Type: Document
view details
Trauma Training Initiative Teaches Rural Laypeople How to "Stop the Bleed"
Features the Stop the Bleed initiative, which trains community members to help control blood loss while waiting for medical help. Highlights training provided in rural North Dakota and Nebraska.
Author(s): Allee Mead
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 10/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
view details
Addiction and Substance Misuse Reports and Publications
Provides data on prevalence of substance use, and opioid misuse, use disorders, overdoses, and related topics. Includes discussion of prevention programs and screening.
Date: 09/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
view details
Community Reinvestment Program
Profiles the Eastern Oregon Coordinated Care Organization (EOCCO), a rural program that received community reinvestment funding from the Oregon Health Authority to invest in the community and provide care for Oregon's Medicaid recipients using a fixed global budget system. EOCCO engaged a community advisory council (CAC) comprising local individuals that showed an active interest in improving their own and the community's health. EOCCO in turn reinvests the money they receive in projects targeted to improving priority health concerns determined by local community health assessments.
Date: 09/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Value
view details
Engaging People Who Are Hard to Reach
Discusses the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute's (PCORI) efforts in engaging rural communities in healthcare research. Presents methods for reaching migrant and seasonal farmworker populations, as well as other predominately rural groups.
Author(s): Ivey Wohlfeld
Date: 08/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute
view details