Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Community health workers
Opportunities to Transform Care for Rural Older Adults: Using the Rural Health Transformation Program to Create Sustainable, Age-Friendly Healthcare
Recording of a March 2026 webinar discussing opportunities for including rural age-friendly care in Rural Health Transformation Program work. Includes information on PACE and community health workers.
Additional links: Webinar Slides
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: John A. Hartford Foundation
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Recording of a March 2026 webinar discussing opportunities for including rural age-friendly care in Rural Health Transformation Program work. Includes information on PACE and community health workers.
Additional links: Webinar Slides
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: John A. Hartford Foundation
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Connected Care for Older Adults: A Pilot Intervention Engaging Community Health Workers to Advance Age-Friendly Care in Rural Oregon
Describes a pilot program implementing the 4Ms of the Age-Friendly Health System framework by embedding community health workers in rural primary care teams for 388 older adult medically frail patients. Assesses patient and clinician satisfaction and associated healthcare utilization.
Author(s): Bryanna De Lima, Lindsay Miller, Elizabeth Foster, Jodi Ready, Elizabeth Eckstrom
Citation: Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 74(3), 705-711
Date: 03/2026
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Describes a pilot program implementing the 4Ms of the Age-Friendly Health System framework by embedding community health workers in rural primary care teams for 388 older adult medically frail patients. Assesses patient and clinician satisfaction and associated healthcare utilization.
Author(s): Bryanna De Lima, Lindsay Miller, Elizabeth Foster, Jodi Ready, Elizabeth Eckstrom
Citation: Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 74(3), 705-711
Date: 03/2026
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Expanding Behavioral Health Teams in Care Deserts With Community Health Workers and Peer Support Specialists
Report explores the role community health workers can play in expanding behavioral health access to rural areas and care deserts. Highlights how community health workers can support behavioral health access through outreach activities, serving as community liaisons, screening for behavioral health concerns, and providing community education, among other measures.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Report explores the role community health workers can play in expanding behavioral health access to rural areas and care deserts. Highlights how community health workers can support behavioral health access through outreach activities, serving as community liaisons, screening for behavioral health concerns, and providing community education, among other measures.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Expanding Access to Community Health Workers in Rural Communities
Webinar recording examines community health worker (CHW) programs in Oregon, Tennessee, and Virginia that support access to essential health services in rural areas. Focuses on integrating CHWs into interdisciplinary teams within health systems, program design, CHW training and certification, and more. Transcript available below description.
Author(s): Megan Terrell, Annie Cloke, Brea Burke, et al.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Care Strategies
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Webinar recording examines community health worker (CHW) programs in Oregon, Tennessee, and Virginia that support access to essential health services in rural areas. Focuses on integrating CHWs into interdisciplinary teams within health systems, program design, CHW training and certification, and more. Transcript available below description.
Author(s): Megan Terrell, Annie Cloke, Brea Burke, et al.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Care Strategies
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Community Health Workers in Iowa – An Urban and Rural Perspective
A video that details the impact of community health workers (CHWs) on population health in Iowa and their role in removing healthcare barriers in both rural and urban communities. Transcript available below description.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Iowa Department of Health and Human Services
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A video that details the impact of community health workers (CHWs) on population health in Iowa and their role in removing healthcare barriers in both rural and urban communities. Transcript available below description.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Iowa Department of Health and Human Services
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Model Standards for Crisis Care Workers
Proposes national standards for crisis care workers responding to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline and other behavioral health hotlines. Outlines 10 different standards for crisis care workers, such as core values and competencies; education, training, and qualifications; and standards for supervision, among others. Discusses some considerations for rural communities, such as lack of transportation and workforce shortages.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Proposes national standards for crisis care workers responding to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline and other behavioral health hotlines. Outlines 10 different standards for crisis care workers, such as core values and competencies; education, training, and qualifications; and standards for supervision, among others. Discusses some considerations for rural communities, such as lack of transportation and workforce shortages.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Rural Health Transformation Program: State Focus on Community Health Workers
Describes examples of state initiatives regarding community health workers (CHWs) outlined Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) applications from Arizona, Iowa, Nebraska, and Wisconsin. Includes results of a scan of CHW proposals for each state with a publicly available RHTP application.
Author(s): Megan D'Alessandro, Sandra Wilkniss
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: National Academy for State Health Policy
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Describes examples of state initiatives regarding community health workers (CHWs) outlined Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) applications from Arizona, Iowa, Nebraska, and Wisconsin. Includes results of a scan of CHW proposals for each state with a publicly available RHTP application.
Author(s): Megan D'Alessandro, Sandra Wilkniss
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: National Academy for State Health Policy
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Leveraging Community Health Workers' Deep Community Knowledge to Address Food and Nutrition Security in Appalachia
Examines professional characteristics and knowledge of rural Appalachian community health workers in Kentucky and West Virginia, based on data from online surveys and phone interviews conducted from January to May 2019. Identifies culturally sensitive practices around food insecurity.
Author(s): Alexis Kimbro Scott, Melissa D. Olfert, Dawn Brewer, Makenzie Barr, Julie Plasencia
Citation: Journal of Appalachian Health, 7(4), 89-99
Date: 12/2025
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Examines professional characteristics and knowledge of rural Appalachian community health workers in Kentucky and West Virginia, based on data from online surveys and phone interviews conducted from January to May 2019. Identifies culturally sensitive practices around food insecurity.
Author(s): Alexis Kimbro Scott, Melissa D. Olfert, Dawn Brewer, Makenzie Barr, Julie Plasencia
Citation: Journal of Appalachian Health, 7(4), 89-99
Date: 12/2025
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Use of Return on Investment Analysis on Community Health Worker Programs
Describes ways in which a return on investment analysis helps evaluate the economic impact of community health worker programs. Includes brief descriptions of notable examples.
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organization: MHP Salud
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Describes ways in which a return on investment analysis helps evaluate the economic impact of community health worker programs. Includes brief descriptions of notable examples.
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organization: MHP Salud
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Community Health Workers and Rural Age-Friendly Care
Discusses the roles of community health workers (CHWs) in enhancing access, quality, and affordability of healthcare for older adults in rural areas. Describes challenges and opportunities for integrating CHWs into rural health systems. Offers policy and action recommendations to enable and support CHWs in improving healthcare for rural older adults.
Author(s): Elizabeth Eckstrom, Denise A. Hernadez, Lindsay Miller, Rebecca Yeboah
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Discusses the roles of community health workers (CHWs) in enhancing access, quality, and affordability of healthcare for older adults in rural areas. Describes challenges and opportunities for integrating CHWs into rural health systems. Offers policy and action recommendations to enable and support CHWs in improving healthcare for rural older adults.
Author(s): Elizabeth Eckstrom, Denise A. Hernadez, Lindsay Miller, Rebecca Yeboah
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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