Rural Project Examples Addressing Access - Rural Health Information Hub

The Bridge Program
Updated/reviewed November 2018

Need: Access to primary medical, dental, and mental health services for rural Appalachia Kentuckians.
Intervention: Community Health Workers provide outreach, education, navigation, and care coordination services to 5 counties in the Western Appalachian area of Kentucky through The Bridge Program.
Results: Emergency room visits have decreased throughout the course of the program and referrals to healthcare services have increased. Increases in self-efficacy and decreases in A1C levels have reached statistical significance.

Intermountain Healthcare Connect Care Pro®
Updated/reviewed October 2018

Need: An aging population, shortage of medical providers, and reforms in reimbursement systems were just some of the challenges for rural areas recognized by Intermountain Healthcare.
Intervention: In response, they've developed an Intermountain TeleHealth Services strategy to provide consultation and emergency medical help electronically for patients and clinicians in both urban and remote areas.
Results: Intermountain has installed video and audio conferencing platforms in over 1,200 locations. To date, mortality rates and length of hospital stays have decreased, and patient retention has increased.

Island Hospital's Psychiatry & Behavioral Health Clinic
Updated/reviewed July 2018

Need: Anacortes of Washington State, has limited access to mental healthcare services. In addition, psychiatric or behavioral health services were sparse for students in the Anacortes School District.
Intervention: Island Hospital opened a Psychiatry & Behavioral Health Clinic that serves patients on their campus and created a program to provide services at schools located in the Anacortes School District.
Results: Over 3,000 mental health and social work appointments have been facilitated at Anacortes's public schools. Thousands more appointments have been provided at the clinic to meet the mental health needs of the community.

Paris Metro Transportation
Updated/reviewed June 2018

Need: Reliable transportation options for employment and medical access needs for residents of Paris, Texas.
Intervention: A regional government coalition, already operating a rural regional transportation system, partnered with a rural community's medical, education and business entities to expand and improve the community's transportation system.
Results: Paris Metro now provides a low cost/no cost transportation option for local residents, including those with special transportation needs. After implementation, decreased emergency room visits were noted, likely due to reliable transportation for scheduled medical appointments.

Kid One Transport
Updated/reviewed March 2018

Need: Transportation to medical appointments for children and expectant mothers living in rural Alabama.
Intervention: Kid One Transport provides rides to medical appointments for clients who otherwise have no other means of transportation.
Results: The program has transported 385,000 children and expectant mothers to and from medical appointments. Children have recovered from life-threatening illnesses and are experiencing a higher quality of life.

HealthTran
Updated/reviewed February 2018

Need: To provide transportation to patients in South Central Missouri who otherwise have non-existent, limited, or expensive transportation options to and from healthcare appointments.
Intervention: A non-emergency transportation service that offers rides for patients demonstrating a transportation need for timely primary and preventive care access.
Results: HealthTran has helped to improve healthcare access and long-term health outcomes, as well as reduced preventable hospitalizations and unnecessary emergency department visits.

Rural Project Examples: Access