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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Community engagement and volunteerism

Social Cohesion and Social Engagement among Older Adults Aging in Place: Rural/Urban Differences
Results of a study examining rural/urban differences in social cohesion and social engagement for older adults aging in place, and within-rural differences by race and ethnicity. Uses survey data collected in 2019 from 3,343 Medicare beneficiaries age 65 and older.
Author(s): Carrie Henning-Smith, Megan Lahr, Hannah MacDougall, John Mulcahy
Date: 01/2022
Type: Document
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Civic Engagement and Civic Infrastructure to Advance Health Equity
Presents discussions from a workshop on civic engagement and civic infrastructure held by the Roundtable on Population Health Improvement. Topics include participation in democratic processes, civic inclusion and engagement, and the public health impacts of civic participation, including for tribal communities.
Additional links: Read Online
Author(s): Board on Population Health and Public Health Practice
Date: 2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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2021 Wisconsin Population Health and Equity Report Card
Reports on overall health of citizens in Wisconsin in 2021 with a focus on improving equity and eliminating health disparities. Discusses access to quality healthcare, safe and affordable housing, economic resources for children and families, broadband infrastructure, civic engagement, and more. Includes data broken down by education, race and ethnicity, and community type from large metro to rural.
Date: 2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute
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At the Heart of Community-Engaged Research in Halifax County, N.C.
Describes a research project through North Carolina Central University (NCCU) that examines health disparities in rural Halifax County, NC and that places emphasis on building trust between researchers and the community. Discusses community-engaged research methodologies and the process of training researchers to conduct such research.
Date: 11/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities
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Technical Assistance Helps Community #SilencetheShameTN
Features behavioral and mental health programming offered by Henry County Medical Center and the community of Paris, Tennessee. Describes technical assistance and resources provided by the Delta Region Community Health Systems Development program to support this effort.
Author(s): Tami Lichtenberg
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 11/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Rural Development and Rural Health Practices: Trends and Opportunities for Alignment
Issue brief examining the fields of rural economic development and rural public health and healthcare, highlighting positive changes brought about by collaborations between these fields and potentials for rural prosperity. Discusses community asset-based rural development, organized efforts to respond to health challenges, data-driven decision making, and more.
Author(s): Brian Dabson, Victoria Faust
Date: 11/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Aspen Institute
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Rural Communities Leading the Way: Introducing Local Foods to Meal Service
Discusses how 3 rural communities utilize local food procurement strategies to provide for school meals. Includes approaches to overcome food insecurity, invest in local food economies, and provide educational opportunities for students related to agriculture and science.
Date: 10/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: No Kid Hungry
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Sustainable Rural EMS: Navigating Change
Designed to help rural communities navigate a change from unsustainable volunteer emergency medical services (EMS) and ambulance service models to those that are sustainable. Intended to direct community leaders through change based on a stepped process that has been used in rural communities throughout the U.S. Includes information on how to assess whether a community has an EMS problem, ingredients needed to change, and a process to implement change to a more sustainable model of rural EMS.
Date: 09/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Resource Center
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Keeping the Doors Open: Vulnerable Rural Hospitals Benefit from Federally Funded Technical Assistance
Features the work of Texas A&M's Center for Optimizing Rural Health (CORH), which provides technical assistance through a federally funded program for vulnerable hospitals. Highlights the experiences of a participating Oklahoma hospital.
Author(s): Kay Miller Temple
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 09/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Federal Agencies' Investment in Rural Cancer Control Fosters Partnerships between Researchers and Rural Communities
Highlights how researchers and rural communities are working together to address rural cancer prevention and control, with support from federal funding. Discusses projects that address health behaviors, cancer screening, vaccination, and rural participation in clinical trials.
Author(s): Mary Charlton, Whitney Zahnd, Jennifer Patterson, Kimberly Merchant
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 07/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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