Rural Project Examples Addressing Networking and collaboration

Pharmacists for Patient Safety Network
Updated/reviewed September 2022

Need: Pharmacists in rural Nebraska are often isolated and find it difficult to communicate with others about safety concerns.
Intervention: The Pharmacists for Patient Safety Network was a communication network in which pharmacists identified safety concerns and shared solutions.
Results: After one year of implementation, 30 of the 38 participating pharmacies reported that the network encouraged new safety practices and reinforced existing safety strategies.

Medical Legal Partnership of Southern Illinois
Updated/reviewed July 2022

Need: Legal barriers often prevent economically disadvantaged people in Southern Illinois from obtaining positive health outcomes despite receiving medical care.
Intervention: The Medical Legal Partnership of Southern Illinois (MLPSI) was formed to create a system where medical providers can refer patients in need of legal assistance to local attorneys.
Results: Over 5,100 patients have utilized MLPSI since its founding in 2002. The program has relieved over $8.1 million in medical debt for both hospitals and patients.

Maryland Faith Health Network
Updated/reviewed December 2022

Need: To coordinate formal and informal community-based caregivers for optimal patient experience.
Intervention: The Maryland Faith Health Network unites places of worship and healthcare systems in Maryland. This program aims to decrease the amount of potentially avoidable hospitalizations, improve a patient's overall wellness, and cut down on the cost of medical services.
Results: This model is currently running in 3 hospitals that serve both rural and urban residents in central Maryland. So far, 1,300 congregants from 70 congregations representing Christian, Jewish, and Muslim faiths have enrolled in the Network.

Florissa
Updated/reviewed February 2023

Need: To address the developmental, behavioral, and social/emotional needs of rural children ages 0-18 in northwest Illinois.
Intervention: A centralized facility for children and families facing developmental, behavioral, and social/emotional issues.
Results: Florissa continues to increase its referral numbers, expand its sessions and service offerings, and provide more information resources. It also co-located with the KSB Hospital pediatric department, which became certified as a pediatric patient-centered medical home (PCMH).

Partners in Health and Wholeness
Updated/reviewed December 2022

Need: To lessen the impact of chronic disease and associated complications in North Carolina.
Intervention: Partners in Health and Wholeness, an initiative of the NC Council of Churches, is a faith-based program that integrates healthy living within congregations while offering financial support to launch or expand health initiatives. The program partners with faith communities in North Carolina to fund and support their health initiatives through collaborative partnerships.
Results: Since its founding in 2009, over 900 churches have become a part of the PHW, many in rural areas, and over 600 mini-grants have been awarded to congregations.

San Luis Valley Public Health Partnership
Updated/reviewed December 2022

Need: Public health departments in Colorado's rural San Luis Valley region desired to share public health services to improve health outcomes in the region.
Intervention: Six counties joined in a public health cross-jurisdictional sharing arrangement. The partnership has served as a forum for sharing and evaluating opportunities to improve health access and core public health services.
Results: The partnership has enabled health departments to share expertise and develop regional projects to provide a broader range of public health services.

Heartland OK
Updated/reviewed November 2022

Need: To reduce rural Oklahoma patients' risks for heart disease and stroke.
Intervention: Heartland OK, which began in 5 rural counties, was a care coordination model.
Results: Using a team-based care model increased patients' ability to reduce their blood pressure or achieve blood pressure control.

Together for Beaufort County
Updated/reviewed October 2022

Need: A community-wide collaborative process to identify and address specific quality-of-life challenges confronting the citizens of Beaufort County, South Carolina.
Intervention: Together for Beaufort County facilitates the coordination of local and regional coalitions that address economic, social, health, educational, and environmental factors through shared collective impact process.
Results: Out of 46 counties in South Carolina, Beaufort County has reached the top ranking in health outcomes.

Wisconsin Collaborative for Rural Graduate Medical Education
Updated/reviewed October 2022

Need: Primary care physicians in the rural areas of Wisconsin.
Intervention: A GME collaborative was created that provides leadership, technical assistance, and support for expanding rural graduate medical education in Wisconsin.
Results: The collaborative expanded rural graduate medical education opportunities which now include over 20 rural training programs. There are several residencies and fellowship opportunities in specialties ranging from family medicine to surgery, obstetrics/gynecology, psychiatry, and more.

Wisconsin Early Education Shared Service Network
Updated/reviewed October 2022

Need: Throughout the state of Wisconsin, childcare services are closing rapidly, with staffing and finance issues as the main causes.
Intervention: In Wisconsin's Monroe and Vernon Counties, a collaborative that focuses on addressing key childcare access issues has come up with a creative solution. The Wisconsin Early Education Shared Services Network allows childcare providers to pool staff, resources, and services while receiving support for business and educational operations.
Results: As of September 2022, 25 child care programs in Monroe and Vernon Counties have joined WEESSN and more are considering. Joining has allowed child care providers to focus their time, finances, and energy on the children they serve.

Rural Project Examples: Networking and collaboration