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.

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.

ASPIN's Certified Recovery Specialist Program
Updated/reviewed September 2022

Need: Improved approach in addressing the behavioral health and primary care disparities of Indiana's underserved rural counties.
Intervention: A network was established that trained community health workers (CHW) to be certified health insurance enrollment navigators and provide mental health services.
Results: This year, ASPIN trained 230 CHWs, cross-trained 70 behavioral health case managers as CHWs, and 35 individuals in the Indiana Navigator Pre-certification Education.

Healthy Southern Illinois Delta Network
Added September 2022

Need: To improve people's health in a rural 16-county region in Illinois.
Intervention: A coalition of local health departments and healthcare facilities coordinates regional efforts, which are implemented locally by health community coalitions.
Results: HSIDN has created toolkits, developed resource guides, and provided wellness trainings, among other initiatives.

Morrison County Accountable Community for Health
Updated/reviewed September 2022

Need: To combat prescription drug misuse in rural Morrison County, Minnesota.
Intervention: The Morrison County ACH brought together primary care, social services, law enforcement, and other partners to make sure that patients receive treatment and support.
Results: One pharmacy saw a 40% reduction in the number of prescribed opioids, and the ACH was able to taper 684 patients off opioids completely.

Rural Project Examples: Networking and collaboration