Rural Project Examples from Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI)
Other Project Examples
Optimal Health Behavioral Health Home Models
Updated/reviewed December 2019
Updated/reviewed December 2019
- Need: A healthcare delivery model to improve health and well-being of Pennsylvania patients with serious mental illness in Pennsylvania, especially those in rural settings.
- Intervention: County human service administrators, patients, families, a behavioral health provider network, and a nonprofit behavioral health managed care organization implemented 2 versions of a behavioral home health model focusing on a complete culture of wellness.
- Results: These unique models significantly increased patient activation, engagement in both primary and specialty care, and improved client perception of their mental health status.

Updated/reviewed July 2018
- Need: Rural communities in Florida often lack enough financial and technical support to fully implement health information technology (HIT) within their healthcare practices.
- Intervention: The Rural Health Partnership of North Central Florida founded a Florida nonprofit organization that helps rural providers across the nation understand the benefits, risks, and opportunities of HIT while providing the means to invest in HIT programs.
- Results: CommunityHealth IT has a presence in 66 Florida locations and 140 medical and behavioral health providers are exchanging patient data. This network has provided 306,656 Florida patients with data since their founding in 2011.