Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Community and faith-based initiatives
Empowering Rural Communities: Overcoming Barriers to Substance Use Treatment
Webinar recording discusses the ways rural communities can overcome barriers to substance use disorder (SUD) treatment and uptake. Explores substance use data for rural communities and outlines common barriers, such as travel times and distance to care, provider shortages, and concerns about stigma and patient confidentiality. Highlights strategies for rural communities to leverage their community bonds and faith communities to address SUD, and details models for expanding treatment and patient support in rural areas.
Additional links: Webinar Slides
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Addiction Technology Transfer Center Network
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Webinar recording discusses the ways rural communities can overcome barriers to substance use disorder (SUD) treatment and uptake. Explores substance use data for rural communities and outlines common barriers, such as travel times and distance to care, provider shortages, and concerns about stigma and patient confidentiality. Highlights strategies for rural communities to leverage their community bonds and faith communities to address SUD, and details models for expanding treatment and patient support in rural areas.
Additional links: Webinar Slides
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Addiction Technology Transfer Center Network
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Rebuilding Georgia's Rural Pediatric Pipeline: Part One
A podcast episode featuring stakeholders of a public-private partnership in Georgia focused on improving access to pediatric care in rural areas of the state. Discusses strategies such as addressing the rural healthcare provider pipeline, improving access to subspeciality collaboration, providing rural training opportunities for medical students, and more.
Additional links: Rebuilding Georgia's Rural Pediatric Pipeline: Part Two
Author(s): Tom Haederle, Elisa Arespacochaga, Marc Welsh, Jean Sumner
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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A podcast episode featuring stakeholders of a public-private partnership in Georgia focused on improving access to pediatric care in rural areas of the state. Discusses strategies such as addressing the rural healthcare provider pipeline, improving access to subspeciality collaboration, providing rural training opportunities for medical students, and more.
Additional links: Rebuilding Georgia's Rural Pediatric Pipeline: Part Two
Author(s): Tom Haederle, Elisa Arespacochaga, Marc Welsh, Jean Sumner
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Rural-Urban Differences in the Prevalence and Correlates of Elder Mistreatment
Examines rural and urban differences among 11 indicators of mistreatment for older adults. Discusses the role of rural residency as a protective factor, underreporting elder mistreatment, and potential policy and community solutions that support prevention and response.
Author(s): Carrie Henning-Smith, Ingrid Jacobson, Dionne Bailey, et al.
Citation: Journal of Applied Gerontology, 2025
Date: 12/2025
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Examines rural and urban differences among 11 indicators of mistreatment for older adults. Discusses the role of rural residency as a protective factor, underreporting elder mistreatment, and potential policy and community solutions that support prevention and response.
Author(s): Carrie Henning-Smith, Ingrid Jacobson, Dionne Bailey, et al.
Citation: Journal of Applied Gerontology, 2025
Date: 12/2025
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Community Healers: How Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority Leads in Health and Wellness
Discusses how the Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority (CIHA) addresses the health needs of its community, by integrating Cherokee culture and Western medical care as a way to improve community health. Documents CIHA's work in promoting relationships between federal and state entities and Native Nations.
Author(s): Hailey A. Baker, Mariana Tuttle, Katy Backes Kozhimannil
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Discusses how the Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority (CIHA) addresses the health needs of its community, by integrating Cherokee culture and Western medical care as a way to improve community health. Documents CIHA's work in promoting relationships between federal and state entities and Native Nations.
Author(s): Hailey A. Baker, Mariana Tuttle, Katy Backes Kozhimannil
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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What Makes a Rural Community Age-Friendly?
Brief discussing key factors for making a rural community age-friendly based on interviews with 25 older adults and 36 community leaders and service providers in 4 rural Iowa towns. Discusses rural challenges, volunteer run services, and social networks. Offers policy recommendations based on findings.
Author(s): Ilona Matysiak
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural Population Research Network
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Brief discussing key factors for making a rural community age-friendly based on interviews with 25 older adults and 36 community leaders and service providers in 4 rural Iowa towns. Discusses rural challenges, volunteer run services, and social networks. Offers policy recommendations based on findings.
Author(s): Ilona Matysiak
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural Population Research Network
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The Unspoken Struggles from Mental Health Stigma in a Rural Community: A Qualitative Exploration of Clubhouse Members' Lived Experiences
Explores the efficacy of the clubhouse model at overcoming stigma around mental health conditions and receiving mental healthcare in rural communities. Bases findings on semi-structured interviews with participants and staff of the Clubhouse in Wyoming. Details the Clubhouse's efforts to address stigma and overcome mental health prejudices.
Author(s): Ruth Korankye, Gloria Oladeji, Lauren Gilbert
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 22(11), 1626
Date: 10/2025
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Explores the efficacy of the clubhouse model at overcoming stigma around mental health conditions and receiving mental healthcare in rural communities. Bases findings on semi-structured interviews with participants and staff of the Clubhouse in Wyoming. Details the Clubhouse's efforts to address stigma and overcome mental health prejudices.
Author(s): Ruth Korankye, Gloria Oladeji, Lauren Gilbert
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 22(11), 1626
Date: 10/2025
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Partnering for Progress: Enhancing Mental Health Crisis Response in Rural North Carolina Through Faith-based Training
Discusses strategies for rural communities to enhance mental health crisis response by partnering with and training local organizations. Explores several programs providing faith-based mental health training to rural clergy in North Carolina. Compares data for rural Rockingham County to the state as a whole.
Author(s): Sarah Grenon, Mallory Bejster, Marty Roberts, et al.
Citation: Progress in Community Health Partnerships: Research, Education, and Action, 19(3), 317-325
Date: 09/2025
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Discusses strategies for rural communities to enhance mental health crisis response by partnering with and training local organizations. Explores several programs providing faith-based mental health training to rural clergy in North Carolina. Compares data for rural Rockingham County to the state as a whole.
Author(s): Sarah Grenon, Mallory Bejster, Marty Roberts, et al.
Citation: Progress in Community Health Partnerships: Research, Education, and Action, 19(3), 317-325
Date: 09/2025
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2024-2025 Alabama AHEC Annual Report
Reports on activities in 2024-2025, with sections on the Alabama AHEC Scholars Program, pathway programs, webinars, community health workers, community events, tax incentives, community-based training, and continuing education. Mentions rural throughout.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Alabama AHEC Network
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Reports on activities in 2024-2025, with sections on the Alabama AHEC Scholars Program, pathway programs, webinars, community health workers, community events, tax incentives, community-based training, and continuing education. Mentions rural throughout.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Alabama AHEC Network
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Study Protocol of Sustaining Home Palliative Care for Patients with Heart Failure (Hf) and Their Family Caregivers in Rural Appalachia: A Mixed Methods Randomized Clinical Trial
Study protocol to examine an integrated nurse-led intervention bundle for patients with heart failure and their family caregivers regarding home supportive end-of-live palliative care in rural West Virginia. Discusses the assessment of the intervention's sustainability with rural stakeholders, visiting volunteers, and the West Virginia Faith Community Nurse Network.
Author(s): Ubolrat Piamjariyakul, Stephanie Young, Angel Smothers, et al.
Citation: BMC Palliative Care, 24(1)
Date: 03/2025
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Study protocol to examine an integrated nurse-led intervention bundle for patients with heart failure and their family caregivers regarding home supportive end-of-live palliative care in rural West Virginia. Discusses the assessment of the intervention's sustainability with rural stakeholders, visiting volunteers, and the West Virginia Faith Community Nurse Network.
Author(s): Ubolrat Piamjariyakul, Stephanie Young, Angel Smothers, et al.
Citation: BMC Palliative Care, 24(1)
Date: 03/2025
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Developing an Intergroup Dialogue Curriculum to Improve Mental Health System Capacity for Farmers and Agricultural Communities
Describes the development of an intergroup dialogue curriculum between faith leaders and rural behavioral health providers to promote increased participation by agricultural communities in the behavioral healthcare system. Discusses next steps to pilot-test the curriculum in rural and agricultural communities.
Author(s): Annie J. Keeney, Morgan Valley, Cheryl Beseler, Lorann Stallones
Citation: Journal of Agromedicine, 30(3), 430-435
Date: 02/2025
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Describes the development of an intergroup dialogue curriculum between faith leaders and rural behavioral health providers to promote increased participation by agricultural communities in the behavioral healthcare system. Discusses next steps to pilot-test the curriculum in rural and agricultural communities.
Author(s): Annie J. Keeney, Morgan Valley, Cheryl Beseler, Lorann Stallones
Citation: Journal of Agromedicine, 30(3), 430-435
Date: 02/2025
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