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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Community engagement and volunteerism

Issues in Staffing Emergency Medical Services: A National Survey of Local Rural and Urban EMS Directors
Explores rural-urban differences in medical oversight and the recruitment and retention of emergency medical technicians and paramedics as reported by a survey of 1,425 local EMS directors.
Author(s): Victoria Freeman
Date: 05/2008
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Far From the City: Community Orientation and Responsiveness of Rural Hospitals
Reports the findings of a national study focused on variation in hospital community orientation and responsiveness across differing rural contexts.
Date: 05/2008
Sponsoring organization: Upper Midwest Rural Health Research Center
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Developing a Rural Community Approach to Overcoming Stigma
Discusses the Community Conversation on Opioid Use Disorder workshop model as a community-engaged process for stigma reduction in rural areas. Includes short videos with subtitles and links to resources supporting workshops and other stigma-reduction programs.
Sponsoring organization: University of Rochester Medicine Recovery Center of Excellence
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Our Indiana: Stories from Rural Hoosiers
A podcast series that focuses on rural life, community engagement, healthcare access, mental health, and wellbeing in Indiana. Includes transcripts with individual episodes.
Sponsoring organization: Indiana Center for Rural Engagement
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Kansas Palliative Care 5-Year State Plan: 2022-2027
Provides an overview of the 2022-2027 Kansas palliative care plan, with a focus on access, education and healthcare workforce training, public and community awareness, and emergency preparedness and disaster planning. Includes palliative care access strategies that are specific to rural and frontier areas, as well as a county-level map that shows data on palliative care needs according to mortality rates.
Sponsoring organization: Kansas Department of Health and Environment
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Kansas Rural Champions
Provides information on individuals who are part of the Kansas Rural Champions network and the rural programs they serve, such as those focused on child care, housing, community infrastructure, and community development. The mission of rural champions is to help build capacity in rural areas and address public needs.
Sponsoring organization: Kansas Office Of Rural Prosperity
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Rural America Placemaking Toolkit
Provides information and strategies for rural community placemaking through public spaces, community arts, downtown revitalization, and design. Discusses processes for community and cultural assessments, and covers food access initiatives and healthcare in the Cross-Sector Partnerships module. Includes directories of organizations offering technical assistance and financial assistance.
Sponsoring organizations: Blueprint Kentucky, USDA Rural Development
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National Rural Health Day Promotional Toolkit
Contains customizable resources for for community stakeholders, including hospitals, clinics, first responders, public health and elected officials, non-profits, civic organizations, to engage employees and the community in National Rural Health Day events and activities. Includes template social media posts, press releases, posters and flyers, and more.
Sponsoring organization: National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health
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Providing Developmental Screenings and Services in Rural Communities
Discusses barriers rural communities face in providing developmental screenings to children. Highlights a program in Alaska that builds community coalitions to raise awareness about the importance of early childhood programs and to provide screenings and referrals. Offers recommendations for others seeking to build early childhood development coalitions.
Sponsoring organization: National Institute for Children's Healthcare Quality
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Opioid Epidemic Practical Toolkit: Helping Faith and Community Leaders Bring Hope and Healing to Our Communities
Provides practical steps that community and faith-based organizations can take to help address the opioid crisis. Includes information on awareness, prevention, and recovery support. Also covers community capacity building, collaboration, and federal resources.
Sponsoring organization: HHS Center for Faith (Faith Center)
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