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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Community engagement and volunteerism

How a Desert Town Is Growing Its Way to Better Health
Highlights the work of a community garden program to address food insecurity in Huachuca City, Arizona, by offering fresh produce to the rural desert community through partnerships with the local library and senior center. Discusses the development of the garden, how it responded to challenges related to water, and the efforts of the program to encourage healthy lifestyle through community and youth programming.
Author(s): Elizabeth Bellizzi
Date: 07/2022
Type: Document
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Public Involvement to Support Planning and Environment Linkages in Rural and Small Metropolitan Areas
Describes strategies to increase public input when planning transportation projects in rural and tribal areas that may have an environmental or social impact on the community. Discusses ways to incorporate feedback from underserved and culturally diverse groups, including Native American, immigrant, and refugee populations.
Author(s): Carrie Kissel, Rachel Beyerle, Ciara Ristig
Date: 06/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: NADO Research Foundation, National Association of Development Organizations
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Community Engagement: An Essential Component of an Effective and Equitable Substance Use Prevention System
Describes the role of community engagement for tribal, urban, suburban, and rural communities when developing equitable evidence-based programs and policies supporting substance use prevention programs. Discusses research focused on community engagement activities and outcomes, hands-on strategies derived from participation in community engagement, and evaluation as part of the planning and implementation process. Presents examples of how community engagement facilitates substance use prevention systems in rural and tribal communities.
Date: 06/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Advancing Rural Health: Illinois Small and Rural Hospitals
Discusses the overall impact of the 86 small and rural hospitals in Illinois. Includes data on hospital utilization, patient demographics, economic impacts, associated community engagement and healthcare services, workforce and specialty care issues, and more. Provides county-level maps on obstetric services and location of small and rural hospitals.
Date: 06/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Illinois Health and Hospital Association
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What (And Who) Counts? Defining Rural Development Success
Collection of 4 field perspective pieces on centering rural people in planning community development and allocating resources. Discusses inclusive rural economic development, community-driven assessment, rural assets and power, and building community networks.
Date: 06/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Aspen Institute
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Small-Town Pride Celebrations Supporting Social Connectedness & Well-Being for LGBTQ+ Rural Residents
Highlights celebrations of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ+) members of 2 rural communities in Minnesota and Nebraska. Offers case studies and describes the impacts of the events on social connectedness.
Author(s): Mariana Tuttle, Madeleine Pick, Robert Libal, Carrie Henning-Smith
Date: 06/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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The Unreachable Doorbells of South Texas: Community Engagement in Colonias on the US-Mexico Border for Mosquito Control
Describes community engagement efforts for mosquito surveillance and control in colonias along south Texas's Lower Rio Grande Valley. Discusses the importance of community involvement in developing communications materials and recommendations for engagement, presenting lessons learned from outreach to 6 colonias in Hidalgo County.
Author(s): Jose G. Juarez, Ester Carbajal, Katherine L. Dickinson, et al.
Citation: BMC Public Health, 22, 1176
Date: 06/2022
Type: Document
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A Rural Community's Perspective on the Causes of and Solutions to the Opioid Crisis in Southern Virginia: A Qualitative Study
Results of a study to gain insight into the perceptions, knowledge, and experiences of members of a southern Virginia rural community affected by the opioid crisis, to inform the development of local strategies to address the problem. Examines barriers and facilitators to treatment programs and offers recommendations for targeting populations at risk.
Author(s): Angelina J. Hargrove, Carlin Rafie, Emily Zimmerman, Dawn E. Moser
Citation: Rural and Remote Health, 22(2), 7152
Date: 06/2022
Type: Document
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DRCHSD Spotlight on Henry County Medical Center
Discusses how the Delta Region Community Health Systems Development Program and the Henry County Medical Center in Tennessee assemble a group of diverse community partners to identify and address the behavioral health gaps in their community.
Date: 05/2022
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Resource Center
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Strategies for Rural Health Leaders' Success in a Post-COVID-19 World
Playbook for rural hospital leaders to approach COVID-19 response, vaccination, and related public health efforts. Discusses strategies for countering misinformation through partnerships with community institutions, conducting assessments of community vaccination needs, and communications and engagement. Features case studies of hospitals serving rural communities, and offers links to other tools and resources.
Additional links: Webinar: Rural Health Leaders on Strategies for Pandemic and Beyond
Date: 05/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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