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Community Vitality and Rural Healthcare – Resources

Selected recent or important resources focusing on Community Vitality and Rural Healthcare.

Three Simple Ways for Funders to Make Their Rural Work Authentic
Blog post describing ways that foundations can improve rural philanthropy, highlighting the importance of hiring rural staff, working with firms that have rural experience, and employing a rural equity lens in day-to-day operations.
Author(s): Allen Smart
Date: 07/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Family Philanthropy
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Broadband Task Force: High-Speed Internet is Essential for All Counties
Offers policy recommendations and best practices related to broadband infrastructure, including expansion into rural areas. Discusses broadband technology, community partnerships, and policy considerations. Presents case studies of county-level initiatives and a list of broadband solutions by county in the appendix.
Date: 07/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Counties
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Examining Opportunities for Growth and Investment in Rural America
Video recording of testimony from rural healthcare and economic organization leadership to the U.S. House Agriculture Committee. Discusses broadband and telehealth, COVID-19 impacts on rural healthcare and economics, education, infrastructure, aging, and agriculture business issues. Transcript available in the video description.
Additional links: Testimony Transcripts
Date: 06/2021
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: U.S. House Committee on Agriculture
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Broadband Resources for Regional Development Organizations
Provides examples of broadband feasibility plans for several states. Includes links to conference presentations, case studies, and reports, and federal resources for broadband expansion.
Date: 06/2021
Type: Website
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Development Organizations
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Meet CEARH - The Center for Economic Analysis of Rural Health
Webinar recording discusses the economic impacts of rural healthcare systems on local, state, and national economies. Features a presentation by a representative of the Center for Economic Analysis of Rural Health (CEARH) outlining the products and services of CEARH.
Additional links: Audio Recording, PowerPoint Handout, Webinar Transcript
Date: 06/2021
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Building Healthy Rural Communities Together: The Role of Rural Philanthropy in Cross-Sector Partnership to Improve Community Health and Well-Being
Video recording of an interview with Allen Smart of PhilanthropywoRx discussing partnerships between philanthropic organizations, rural communities, and rural healthcare organizations to improve health and well-being through investment in rural places.
Date: 05/2021
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Build Healthy Places Network
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AHA Future of Rural Health Care Task Force: Final Recommendations
Presents the recommendations of the American Hospital Association Future of Rural Health Care Task Force, including innovation-based solutions and promising practices. Solutions include public-private funding changes for core services, flexible rural hospital infrastructure funding programs, creating a rural design center, and supporting grant writing services. Explores promising rural initiatives such as telemedicine, strategic partnerships, maternal health efforts, broadband investment, and rural philanthropy.
Date: 05/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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The Hospital as a Convener in Rural Communities
Examines the traditional and non-traditional role of rural hospitals as conveners that support community health initiatives and population health. Discusses examples of approaches used by rural and urban serving hospitals from Michigan and Virginia. Offers steps for hospitals on becoming a convener, and suggests community stakeholders for forming partnerships to improve health and well-being in their communities.
Date: 04/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Redefining Rural: Towards a Better Understanding of Geography, Demography, and Economy in America's Rural Places
Offers a hybrid definition of rurality based on metro and non-metro definitions from the Office of Management and Budget, Rural-Urban Continuum Codes, and considers outlying communities in metro and micropolitan counties as rural. Compares rural and non-rural poverty rates, economic well-being, population changes, and other characteristics to represent counties in economic distress.
Author(s): Kennedy O'Dell
Date: 03/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Economic Innovation Group
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The Digital Divide: What Is It, Where Is It, and Federal Assistance Programs
Describes the availability of broadband internet access in the United States by state and across urban, rural, and tribal areas. Outlines federal programs to fund and support broadband infrastructure and deployment.
Date: 03/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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Additional resources are available related to this guide. See the full list of resources by topic for:


Last Updated: 5/28/2024