Rural Project Examples Addressing Populations - Rural Health Information Hub

Rescue Divas EMT Recruitment

Updated/reviewed June 2022

Need: Increased number of emergency medical technicians in rural northern Wisconsin.
Intervention: Creation of a program, Rescue Divas, for middle school girls to spark interest in emergency medical services careers.
Results: Post-participation results demonstrate the camp increases interest in an emergency medical services career.

Updated/reviewed August 2021

Need: To address intimate partner violence (IPV) in primary care settings as a health concern. To increase healthcare providers' professional understanding about its prevalence and adverse impacts on patient health.
Intervention: In partnership with Safer Futures, Tides of Change provides an advocate at a local health clinic to give confidential services to IPV survivors and training to medical staff. The advocate uses curriculum and other materials designed by Futures Without Violence.
Results: Healthcare providers at the clinic reported increased understanding of IPV and its impact on health. As a result, IPV advocates received an increase in referrals from healthcare providers. Patients experiencing IPV reported a reduction in chronic, toxic stress and improved overall health after receiving advocacy services.

Updated/reviewed November 2020

Need: Decrease rates of domestic violence, child sexual abuse, and child neglect for people in remote tribal villages.
Intervention: An evidence-based model of traditional culture trains local communities on methods of prevention and treatment for domestic and interpersonal violence.
Results: Self-sustaining local system with improved family and spiritual well-being and decreased healthcare access needs.

Updated/reviewed November 2020

Need: Preventive and chronic medical condition care for farm families/agribusiness owners/employees with time and monetary constraints.
Intervention: Through a "Kitchen Wellness" program, a trained healthcare professional provides in-home or on-site complimentary preventive health screening, educational materials, and community referral information.
Results: Completion of hundreds of health screenings, tailored health education sessions and referral information.

Updated/reviewed August 2020

Need: Rural Wisconsin communities experience threatened healthcare infrastructure due to workforce shortages.
Intervention: The Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative, in partnership with the Wisconsin Office of Rural Health, created a youth program to increase awareness of health-related professions known as Club Scrub.
Results: Middle-school students attend the program and gain a better understanding of career options in the healthcare industry.

Updated/reviewed July 2020

Need: Connect individuals to services that address health barriers.
Intervention: A pay-for-outcomes model utilizing Community Health Workers who help provide community members with tools to address needs associated with improving health.
Results: Trained Community Health Workers help patients navigate the healthcare and social service systems and provide education about community healthcare resources.

Updated/reviewed May 2020

Need: Improve healthcare access for school-aged children in a rural and underserved Indiana county.
Intervention: Working with several rural school districts and the state's rural health association, an Indiana county healthcare system used school-based telehealth to expand access for acute illness.
Results: As of May 2019, Greene County General Hospital in rural Linton, Indiana, has expanded primary care access by offering school-based telehealth in 2 elementary and 1 middle school in 3 of the county's 5 school districts.

Updated/reviewed May 2020

Need: Agricultural producers and Pennsylvania's farmworker population needed guidance on complying with Environmental Protection Agency regulations on the safe use of pesticides used in agricultural production.
Intervention: An outreach education program providing compliance and technical assistance for growers was developed which included training materials targeted to the regionally-specific language, customs, and traditions of workers.
Results: Pesticide use training and other farm safety information is now readily available to Pennsylvania's farmers and farmworkers.

Added October 2018

Need: Prevention of type 2 diabetes in adolescents living in rural parts of Louisiana.
Intervention: Through screenings, the Adolescent Pre-Diabetes Prevention Program detects the onset of prediabetes. Through nutrition and physical activity education, the program teaches high school students and staff how to adopt healthy lifestyles.
Results: The program has seen an increase in enrollment and continues to see decreases in body weight, body mass index, and A1C levels among participants.