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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Community and economic development

Alternative Drinking Water Systems: Use by Very Small Communities, Related Cost Savings, and Technical Assistance Provided by EPA and USDA
Provides an overview of 5 alternative drinking water systems used by communities with fewer than 500 people and the barriers to implementing new systems and technologies in small communities. Describes factors that influence the costs and cost-savings of alternative drinking water systems. Identifies 4 federal funding programs that support technical assistance and training for small drinking water systems serving communities of fewer than 10,000 people.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 01/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Ten-Year Reflections on the County Health Rankings & Roadmaps
Discussion of how data, evidence, guidance, and examples used in County Health Rankings & Roadmaps publications from January 2009 - January 2019 have helped communities improve the conditions in which their residents live. Examines how the methodology has changed over time, and includes a section on how the researchers adapted their methods so as to appropriately analyze data from rural areas with small populations.
Author(s): Bridget Booske Catlin, Willems Van Dijk
Date: 2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute
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Innovations in the Food System: Exploring the Future of Food
Summarizes presentations and discussions from an August 7-8, 2019 workshop held in Washington, D.C. Reviews the status of current and emerging knowledge concerning innovations for modern food systems and strategies for meeting future needs. Addresses different perspectives on food systems and includes a presentation on food system linkages to rural economic development.
Additional links: Read Online
Author(s): Food and Nutrition Board
Date: 2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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CDFIs 'Make Dreams Come True' by Creating Opportunity in Rural Spaces
Describes the role that Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) can play in helping rural areas gain access to flexible financing options to support rural health projects. Highlights how the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation and Healthcare Georgia Foundation work with CDFIs to help address rural health concerns. Also features a CDFI recipient of Uplift America, the South Carolina Community Loan Fund, that has helped support a health professions high school.
Author(s): Jenn Lukens
Date: 12/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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It's Time to Connect Rural Health Equity with Community and Economic Development
Discusses research on the relationship of health equity with rural and economic development. Presents resources demonstrating innovative projects to help people in rural communities live healthy lives.
Author(s): Katharine Ferguson, Katrina Badger
Date: 11/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
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Rural Development Hubs: Strengthening America's Rural Innovation Infrastructure
Looks at the role rural development hubs play in rural infrastructure development. Discusses healthcare access and population health as beneficiaries of rural infrastructure development.
Additional links: Executive Summary
Date: 11/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: The Aspen Institute Community Strategies Group
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Transforming Persistent Poverty in America: How Community Development Financial Institutions Drive Economic Opportunity
Report discusses the role community development financial institutions play in rural communities. Highlights economic and social barriers in rural counties, such as unemployment, lack of financial institutions, inadequate housing, structural inequality, and lack of access to healthcare, among others.
Date: 11/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Partners for Rural Transformation
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A Systemic Framework for Understanding the Dynamics of Rural Communities in America
Identifies factors and mechanisms that influence positive and negative outcomes in rural communities. Discusses the relationship between labor and health capacity, with examples of how these can vary over time. Examines household, organizational, and community dynamics, as well as the impact of regional, state, and federal forces on rural communities.
Author(s): Gery W. Ryan, David Catt, Lauren Davis, J. Luke Irwin, Susan S. Everingham
Date: 09/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: RAND Corporation
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Collaborating for Prosperity With American Indians and Alaska Natives: Rural Development Programs for Tribes, Tribal Families, Children, and Communities
Highlights the major USDA Rural Development (RD) programs and initiatives that support American Indians and Alaska Natives. Covers topics such as food security, housing, education, healthcare, economic opportunity, and infrastructure. Features success stories of how these programs have been used in tribal communities. Also includes contact information for the RD office in each state.
Date: 09/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: USDA Rural Development
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Greater Good Podcasts Rural Health Segment, Part 1: How Did We Get Here? Rural Health Challenges in America
Set of three podcast episodes featuring Erika Ziller and Yvonne Jonk of the Maine Rural Health Research Center discussing current rural health issues and challenges, as well as historical factors related to the current rural health system. Addresses rural aging and long-term care, dental care, health insurance coverage, and health-related impacts of growing up in a rural community. Also compares rural health in Maine, other parts of the U.S., and rural communities in other countries.
Additional links: Part 2: Growing Up Rural, Part 3: Rural Health in Maine and America vs. the World
Author(s): Carrie Wilshusen, Erika Ziller, Yvonne Jonk
Date: 09/2019
Type: Audio
Sponsoring organization: University of Maine Graduate and Professional Center
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