Rural Project Examples Addressing Wellness, health promotion, and disease prevention

Mother's Milk Bank of South Carolina
Updated/reviewed January 2023

Need: Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) across the state of South Carolina were purchasing breast milk from out-of-state milk banks for preterm infants.
Intervention: The Mother's Milk Bank of South Carolina (MMBSC) opened 26 sites in South Carolina for breast milk to be donated, safely pasteurized, and delivered to NICUs across the state.
Results: Over 571,586 ounces of milk have been donated to MMBSC depot sites and over 402,523 ounces of milk have been delivered to South Carolina NICUs.

University of Virginia Diabetes Tele-Education Program
Updated/reviewed January 2023

Need: To educate people in rural Virginia who either have diabetes or are considered at high risk for developing it.
Intervention: Teleconferencing technology is used to offer diabetes education programs to people with diabetes or those at high risk for developing it. Health professionals are also indirectly trained in diabetes care and management.
Results: Participants reported better prevention practices and/or self-management of diabetes after being thoroughly educated about this condition.

Cold Water Safety Children and Youth Educator Program
Updated/reviewed December 2022

Need: Drowning was a leading cause of death for children in Alaska.
Intervention: Cold Water Safety and Survival for Educators workshops were developed in 1998, with help from a 4-year federal grant, to train educators to provide education and hands-on skills for school children and members of the public.
Results: The safety program was integrated into about 50% of Alaskan school curriculum and schools in other states, helping to train hundreds of educators and thousands of children on the importance of cold water safety.

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.

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.

Rapid HCV Testing as an HIV Testing Strategy in Rural Areas
Updated/reviewed November 2022

Need: To provide HIV testing in rural areas while navigating around HIV stigma.
Intervention: A pilot study to provide HCV (Hepatitis C Virus) rapid tests and then offer an HIV rapid test as well.
Results: An increase in the number of people tested for HCV and HIV.

Wisconsin Rural Women's Initiative
Updated/reviewed November 2022

Need: To provide personal development programs to ease isolation and provide resources for farm and rural women of Wisconsin.
Intervention: Wisconsin Rural Women's Initiative (WRWI) develops self-sustaining women's circles that work to maintain social connections and develop healthy practices in order to break down the isolating effects of rural living.
Results: WRWI has worked with rural and farm women in 67 counties, providing services that encourage and build self-esteem, teach skills for coping with change, and create an ongoing support system.

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.

Win With Wellness
Updated/reviewed October 2022

Need: To reduce risk of obesity and chronic disease in rural northwest Illinois.
Intervention: Win With Wellness (WWW) collaborates with community organizations and worksites to improve physical activity and eating behaviors and reduce weight among adults using a multi-component approach.
Results: From 2015 to 2018, the two participating counties initiated 28 Take Off Pounds Sensibly (TOPS) groups with 367 participants. In the second round of funding, WWW recruited 183 participants for 9 TOPS groups and 8 community Heart-to-Heart sites.

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.

Rural Project Examples: Wellness, health promotion, and disease prevention