Skip to main content
Rural Health Information Hub

Other Case Studies and Collections of Program Examples: Community and economic development

In addition to RHIhub's Rural Health Models and Innovations rural program examples, you may also want to browse other case studies, databases, and websites with collections of health programs.

Each resource listed below uses its own criteria for selecting program examples, which may range from programs known to be effective based on research to anecdotal accounts. In each resource, you may want to review information on the level of evidence required for a program's inclusion.

May include non-rural programs that could be applicable to rural health delivery.

Rural Renewal: Three Success Stories, Capturing Prosperity/Health
Showcases success stories from 3 rural communities that sought to address local health concerns, such as inadequate prenatal care and access to healthy food, and increase access to healthcare and related services. Describes community-based initiatives implemented in Nebraska, New Mexico, and South Carolina.
Author(s): Phillip L. Polakoff, Dennis Berens, David Angelson
Date: 01/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: A Healthier WE
view details
Federal Funding for Rural Health: Supporting Planning and Development Around a Regional Transportation Need
Features Rides to Health and Wealth, a regional transportation program in eastern Missouri helping improve rural healthcare access and other health-related transportation needs. Includes discussion of how the program planning and development continued during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Author(s): Kay Miller Temple
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 12/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
view details
Live Healthy, Live Well, 'Live Algoma'
An overview of a rural community (Algoma, Wisconsin) coming together to set goals and work on projects focused on health and wellness. Projects included modifying an old bank to develop an alternative school called Pathfinder, building the Algoma Community Wellness Center, and collaborating with local industries and schools to create new learning opportunities for students. Algoma is a recipient of the 2017 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Culture of Health Prize.
Date: 09/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
view details
After Hospital Closure: Pursuing High Performance Rural Health Systems without Inpatient Care
Describes ways for rural communities to develop optimal healthcare delivery systems after a local hospital closure. Features 3 case studies from Arizona, Michigan, and Illinois. Includes tables showing options currently available under federal and state laws and policies under consideration.
Author(s): Keith J. Mueller, Charlie Alfero, Andrew F. Coburn, et al.
Date: 06/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
view details
Health Outside Hospital Walls
Outlines how Chadron Community Hospital and Health Services (CCHHS) in Chadron, Nebraska, is leveraging the changing healthcare environment to prioritize population health and fill needed service gaps within the community. As part of the focus on overall community health, CCHHS took leadership in an assisted living facility, funded a large scholarship fund to help cultivate a skilled local workforce, and assumed management of the community action agency.
Date: 07/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Value
view details
Planning for Transportation Together: Collaborating to Address Transportation and Economic Resilience
Expands on the definition of economic development in transportation, and provides case studies demonstrating how state agencies, regional and rural planning and development organizations can work together to develop transportation facilities, infrastructure, and services to create jobs, improve access to employment, education, and community services including healthcare.
Author(s): Carrie Kissel, Brett Schwartz, Sara James, Susan Dyer
Date: 07/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Development Organizations
view details
Cultivating a Competitive Advantage: How Rural Counties Are Growing Economies with Local Assets and Regional Partners
Case studies of rural counties using creative methods to improve their economies. Includes examples that involve the healthcare sector and address issues that impact health.
Date: 11/2014
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Counties
view details
MiCareMatters: Stories
Collection of articles highlighting the stories of rural Michiganders and their community hospitals.
Type: Website
Sponsoring organization: Michigan Health & Hospital Association
view details
USDA Rural Development Success Stories
Collection featuring initiatives and projects made possible through USDA Rural Development funding.
Type: Website
Sponsoring organization: USDA Rural Development
view details