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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Community and faith-based initiatives

Community Clergy Training to Support Rural Veterans' Mental Health
Report discusses a mental health training program for clergy to support the mental health of rural veterans. Discusses the focuses of the training program and highlights outcomes from the increase of access to mental health support for rural veterans.
Date: 05/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Veterans Health Administration's Office of Rural Health
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Expanded Naloxone Distribution to Reduce Rural Opioid Overdose Mortality
Discusses a study on the effect community-based and pharmacy-initiated naloxone distribution has had on rates of rural opioid overdose mortality. Highlights an intervention that expands naloxone access points in rural communities and pharmacies in addition to traditional provider-based treatment.
Date: 05/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: University of Vermont Center on Rural Addiction
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Evaluating the Dissemination and Implementation of a Community Health Worker-Based Community Wide Campaign to Improve Fruit and Vegetable Intake and Physical Activity among Latinos along the U.S.-Mexico Border
Describes a culturally tailored community-wide program to augment fruit and vegetable consumption and promote physical activity among 5,686 low-income Latinos of Mexican descent living in Texas. Features demographics and statistics on changes in fruit and vegetable consumption over the course of the intervention.
Author(s): Paul Gerardo Yeh, Belinda M. Reininger, Lisa A. Mitchell-Bennett, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(8), 4514
Date: 04/2022
Type: Document
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A Descriptive Analysis of Food Pantries in Twelve American States: Hours of Operation, Faith-Based Affiliation, and Location
Describes the development and content of a charitable food dataset, including geographic information for 3,777 food pantries in 12 states. Features statistics including food insecurity in 2013-2015 and numbers of food pantries and faith-based food pantries, with breakdowns by state and urban or rural locations.
Author(s): Natalie D. Riediger, Lindsey Dahl, Rajeshwari A. Biradar, Adriana N. Mudryj, Mahmoud Torabi
Citation: BMC Public Health, 22, 525
Date: 03/2022
Type: Document
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They Built My Soul: A Qualitative Analysis of the Impacts of Home Repairs in Rural Tennessee
Reports results of 28 interviews with rural Tennessee residents who received housing repairs from the Appalachia Service Project, a nonprofit ministry focused on housing improvement. Identifies discussion themes and comments related to environmental risk, physical health, mental health, financial well-being, and willingness to receive assistance from service organizations. Discusses housing as a social determinant of health, and highlights rural and Appalachian housing and health needs.
Author(s): Bethesda O'Connell, Ada Sloop, Nicole Intagliata, Melisa Miller, Megan Quinn
Citation: Journal of Appalachian Health, 4(1), 9-19
Date: 02/2022
Type: Document
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Community Power in Population Health Improvement: Proceedings of a Workshop
Reports on a January 2021 workshop exploring issues related to community-driven power-building efforts to improve population health. Summarizes workshop presentations and discussions on community-led action around different population health improvement topics such as education, transportation, environmental health, healthy eating, and active living, among others. Chapter 6 includes examples of rural and tribal initiatives.
Additional links: Read Online
Author(s): Board on Population Health and Public Health Practice
Date: 01/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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How Becoming a "Blue Zone" Advanced the Health of Klamath Falls, Oregon
Case study featuring Sky Lakes Medical Center, a not-for-profit, community-owned, acute-care teaching hospital in rural Oregon. Describes a variety of community partnerships underway to help meet the needs of the community, including the Healthy Klamath Coalition, Klamath Works, and the Blue Zones Project.
Date: 01/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Rural Community Health Initiative: Compendium of Best Practices
Presents a collection of community-based health initiatives, including a school health initiative, a COVID-19 vaccine outreach and education program, and telehealth consortia, among others. Describes successful outcomes and sources of funding for each program.
Date: 01/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Rural COVID-19 Innovations
Brief summaries of promising practices, lessons learned, and other examples of rural communities addressing COVID-19 healthcare and health-related concerns, collected from March 2020 through December 2021. Includes efforts related to vaccination, health service provision, help for community members, and more.
Date: 12/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Planning a Reentry Program: A Toolkit for Tribal Communities
Toolkit provides information and guidance for developing a reentry program for American Indians and Alaska Natives who are transitioning from the criminal justice system to civilian life. Highlights evidence-based practices for reentry programs, including partnerships to connect returning citizens to housing, job training and placement, and medical, mental health, and/or substance use treatment, among other services.
Date: 12/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Bureau of Justice Assistance, Center for Court Innovation, Community Justice & Safety For All, U.S. Department of Justice
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