Community Vitality and Rural Healthcare – Resources
Selected recent or important resources focusing on Community Vitality and Rural Healthcare.
Rural Partners Network Annual Report 2023: Building Rural Prosperity
Reports on the 2023 activities of the United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development Rural Partners Network, a group working across federal agencies to ensure that rural people have access to federal resources and a hand in determining how those resources are deployed in their communities. Features selected community networks and discusses projects related to medical care, community development, and more. Provides an overview of the Rural Partners Network's history and investments in rural areas.
Date: 05/2024
Sponsoring organization: USDA Rural Development
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Reports on the 2023 activities of the United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development Rural Partners Network, a group working across federal agencies to ensure that rural people have access to federal resources and a hand in determining how those resources are deployed in their communities. Features selected community networks and discusses projects related to medical care, community development, and more. Provides an overview of the Rural Partners Network's history and investments in rural areas.
Date: 05/2024
Sponsoring organization: USDA Rural Development
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A New Philanthropic Approach to Supporting the Health and Capacity of Rural Communities
Discusses the Imperial Valley Wellness Foundation's efforts to support community development and health equity through its implementation of the Rural Development Hub (RDH) model. Discusses RDHs as facilitators of partnership, cooperation, and philanthropic investment in rural, underserved communities.
Author(s): Roque Barros, Karen Winston
Date: 05/2024
Sponsoring organization: Grantmakers in Health
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Discusses the Imperial Valley Wellness Foundation's efforts to support community development and health equity through its implementation of the Rural Development Hub (RDH) model. Discusses RDHs as facilitators of partnership, cooperation, and philanthropic investment in rural, underserved communities.
Author(s): Roque Barros, Karen Winston
Date: 05/2024
Sponsoring organization: Grantmakers in Health
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Collaboration, Not Competition: Thrive Allen County's Capacity Building Initiatives
Features the work of a Kansas nonprofit, Thrive Allen County, that brings grant funding to the county for its own projects and also helps build the area's capacity through grant writing, technical assistance, and other services.
Author(s): Allee Mead
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 05/2024
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Features the work of a Kansas nonprofit, Thrive Allen County, that brings grant funding to the county for its own projects and also helps build the area's capacity through grant writing, technical assistance, and other services.
Author(s): Allee Mead
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 05/2024
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Promoting Rural Financial Well-Being and Inclusion: Aligning Strategies with Community Needs
Provides measures for financial well-being and defines assets across rural county types, such as high-employment agricultural areas, centers of wealth and health, recreational and cultural areas, and more, and includes economic indicators like income and home ownership rate for each county type. Discusses challenges to financial well-being, strategies to improve economies, and policy considerations.
Author(s): Yipeng Su, Anna Morgan
Date: 05/2024
Sponsoring organization: Urban Institute
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Provides measures for financial well-being and defines assets across rural county types, such as high-employment agricultural areas, centers of wealth and health, recreational and cultural areas, and more, and includes economic indicators like income and home ownership rate for each county type. Discusses challenges to financial well-being, strategies to improve economies, and policy considerations.
Author(s): Yipeng Su, Anna Morgan
Date: 05/2024
Sponsoring organization: Urban Institute
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"Economic Development is Population Health": A New Vision for Rural Hospital Leadership
Describes the role that rural hospital investments can play in contributing to community health. Features a Wisconsin Critical Access Hospital making infrastructure investments in their downtown and a New Hampshire medical center investing in public transit and affordable housing.
Author(s): Brendan Stermer
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 04/2024
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Describes the role that rural hospital investments can play in contributing to community health. Features a Wisconsin Critical Access Hospital making infrastructure investments in their downtown and a New Hampshire medical center investing in public transit and affordable housing.
Author(s): Brendan Stermer
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 04/2024
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Swimming Upstream on the Path to Thriving
Explores challenges and opportunities for equitable economic development in rural, disadvantaged communities. Discusses the impact of persistent poverty, local entrepreneurship supports, community development strategies and policies, and investment models. Highlights the relationship between community health and prosperity, including discussion of the value of local hospitals and medical centers.
Author(s): May Erouart, Amanda Weinstein
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: Center on Rural Innovation
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Explores challenges and opportunities for equitable economic development in rural, disadvantaged communities. Discusses the impact of persistent poverty, local entrepreneurship supports, community development strategies and policies, and investment models. Highlights the relationship between community health and prosperity, including discussion of the value of local hospitals and medical centers.
Author(s): May Erouart, Amanda Weinstein
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: Center on Rural Innovation
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Rural Partners Network with Farah Ahmad
Podcast episode featuring Farah Ahmad, Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Discusses the Rural Partners Network, an alliance of 25 federal agencies working together with 36 communities across 10 states and Puerto Rico to help rural communities build prosperity through job creation, infrastructure development, and community improvement. Describes how USDA Rural Development and the Rural Partners Network are working to address housing and transportation concerns in rural areas.
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: Impact! Communications, Inc.
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Podcast episode featuring Farah Ahmad, Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Discusses the Rural Partners Network, an alliance of 25 federal agencies working together with 36 communities across 10 states and Puerto Rico to help rural communities build prosperity through job creation, infrastructure development, and community improvement. Describes how USDA Rural Development and the Rural Partners Network are working to address housing and transportation concerns in rural areas.
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: Impact! Communications, Inc.
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Community Impact and Benefit Activities of Critical Access, Other Rural, and Urban Hospitals, 2022
Examines the economic and healthcare benefit of Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) on rural communities. Looks at the services provided, the economic health of CAHs, and the effect this has on their communities broadly. Includes comparisons of community benefit and patient care services indicators provided by CAHs and other rural and urban hospitals.
Author(s): Zachariah Croll, John Gale
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Examines the economic and healthcare benefit of Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) on rural communities. Looks at the services provided, the economic health of CAHs, and the effect this has on their communities broadly. Includes comparisons of community benefit and patient care services indicators provided by CAHs and other rural and urban hospitals.
Author(s): Zachariah Croll, John Gale
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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2024 County Health Rankings National Findings Report
Analyzes county-level health and wellness data, focusing on issues such as public investment and health equity. Includes information on access to broadband, information, civic infrastructure and services, and more. Provides U.S. map of county-level life expectancy (LE) and discusses the relationship of LE to civic health.
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: County Health Rankings & Roadmaps
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Analyzes county-level health and wellness data, focusing on issues such as public investment and health equity. Includes information on access to broadband, information, civic infrastructure and services, and more. Provides U.S. map of county-level life expectancy (LE) and discusses the relationship of LE to civic health.
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: County Health Rankings & Roadmaps
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The Impact of Rural General Hospital Closures on Communities—A Systematic Review of the Literature
Presents a literature review of studies on the health and economic effects hospital closures have had on rural communities. Analyzes 21 studies completed in the previous 8 years and details the economic and healthcare access outcomes identified.
Author(s): Carol A. Mills, Valerie A. Yeager, Kathleen T. Unroe, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 40(2), 238-248
Date: 03/2024
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Presents a literature review of studies on the health and economic effects hospital closures have had on rural communities. Analyzes 21 studies completed in the previous 8 years and details the economic and healthcare access outcomes identified.
Author(s): Carol A. Mills, Valerie A. Yeager, Kathleen T. Unroe, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 40(2), 238-248
Date: 03/2024
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Last Updated: 4/7/2025