Community Vitality and Rural Healthcare resources via the Rural Health Information Hub

Resource: From Mapping to Mobilizing: Leveraging Local Assets to Create Sustainable Solutions for Shared Challenges

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 16:09:26 -0600

Summarizes the community asset mapping process, an model for understanding community strengths and needs and supporting collaboration and informed decision-making. Provides a step-by-step approach for community asset mapping in rural areas. -- Rural Communities Opioid Response Program - Technical Assistance

News: The Rural Care Crisis Is an Economic Issue, Not Just a Public Health One

Mon, 23 Feb 2026 09:23:58 -0600

Summarizes a presentation at ViVE 2026 discussing the economic impact of the closure of rural health facilities and service lines.

Event: 2026 National Rural Assembly Everywhere

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 10:35:16 -0600

-- Rural Assembly

Resource: Reimagining Rural Health and Well-Being

Tue, 03 Feb 2026 11:24:37 -0600

Details effective practices for promoting rural health, addresses community needs, and improves access to care among organizations focused on rural funding, service delivery, and research. Discusses funding strategies, collaborations, and other rural-specific concerns relevant to philanthropic organizations, government funders, health providers, and more. Project findings are discussed in depth via a landscape analysis and summary of listening sessions conducted throughout 2025. -- Georgia Health Policy Center, Grantmakers in Health, National Rural Health Association

Funding opportunity: The Interdisciplinary Network on Rural Population Health and Aging (INRPHA) Pilot Grant

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 13:34:20 -0600

Grant funding for pilot research that enhances the understanding of the multilevel and multidimensional drivers of rural health and aging trends and disparities including focus on within-rural heterogeneity. -- The Interdisciplinary Network on Rural Population Health and Aging

Resource: What Works for Health - Strategies: Rural Health

Thu, 11 Dec 2025 08:10:31 -0600

A compilation of strategies that promote population health in rural areas. Provides evidence-based programs and policies focused on rural health infrastructure, employment, food security, education, housing, transportation, substance use support, healthcare access, and more. Allows user to filter strategies by topic. -- County Health Rankings & Roadmaps

Resource: Unlocking Local Leadership: Why Rural People Step Forward to Help Their Communities

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 16:00:50 -0600

Reports on attitudes toward and experiences of community engagement and formal leadership among people in rural areas via a poll conducted in June and July of 2025. Provides data on rural quality of life, community cohesion, community involvement, and facilitators and obstacles to leadership, with urban data comparisons for select topics.

Resource: Building Healthier Rural Communities: Economic Development Districts Address Social Determinants of Health

Fri, 22 Aug 2025 09:13:41 -0500

Report outlining social determinants of health (SDOH) in rural areas and how Economic Development Districts (EDD) address them. Highlights workforce, infrastructure, food security, health, disaster preparedness, funding, data, and public-private partnerships. Includes a case study from an EDD in North Carolina and highlights the role of hospitals in the community. -- National Association of Development Organizations

Resource: Community Development in Rural Health Toolkit

Mon, 04 Aug 2025 13:39:08 -0500

A toolkit that provides local strategies, planning resources, assessment tools, evidence-based models, templates, and case studies related to rural health community development. Focuses on 5 key theories of rural community health development: social capital, asset-based community development, appreciative inquiry, participatory development, and collective impact model. -- National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health

Resource: County Economic Status in Appalachia, FY 2026

Fri, 30 May 2025 16:01:02 -0500

Shows levels of economic distress in Appalachian counties based on unemployment rates, income, and poverty levels. Includes interactive map, downloadable maps and data files, and data report. -- Appalachian Regional Commission

Resource: As Rural Populations Grow Older, Communities Increasingly Rely on Smaller Labor Force

Wed, 21 May 2025 09:59:22 -0500

Reports on rural-urban differences in labor force availability and age dependency ratios caused by the growing demographic share of older people in the U.S. Breaks down data by county-level rurality, and discusses rural infrastructure, healthcare, and caregiving needs. -- USDA Economic Research Service

Resource: An Evaluation of the Telehealth Broadband Pilot Program (2021–2024)

Fri, 04 Apr 2025 15:12:20 -0500

Provides an overview of the Telehealth Broadband Pilot (TBP) Program, which aimed to address gaps in broadband service that limited access to telehealth services in rural and underserved communities in Alaska, Michigan, Texas, and West Virginia. Details the development and implementation of devices that measured broadband data in the communities over time and the results of those devices. Summarizes discussions with TBP Program staff regarding the implementation and effectiveness of the program, as well as interviews with healthcare stakeholders, consumers, and technical assistance providers in TBP Program communities. Offers factors for consideration in the development of future programs to measure broadband implementation in rural communities and improve user experience. Includes summary reports by state. -- Rural Telehealth Evaluation Center, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Regional Campuses

Resource: An Examination of the Implementation and Effectiveness of the Telehealth Broadband Pilot Program in the United States

Thu, 03 Apr 2025 15:06:53 -0500

Provides a brief overview of the Telehealth Broadband Pilot (TBP) Program, which aimed to address gaps in broadband service that limited access to telehealth services in rural and underserved communities in Alaska, Michigan, Texas, and West Virginia. Describes the development and implementation of pods that measured broadband data in the communities over time. Summarizes discussions with TBP Program staff regarding the implementation and effectiveness of the program. Includes factors for consideration in the development of future programs to measure broadband in rural communities. -- Rural Telehealth Evaluation Center, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Regional Campuses

Resource: Telehealth Broadband Project

Thu, 03 Apr 2025 14:03:03 -0500

Provides information and data on rural broadband access and its impact on healthcare. Profiles rural community partnerships in four states - Alaska, Michigan, Texas, and West Virginia - designed to better understand connectivity issues. -- Rural Telehealth Evaluation Center

Resource: USDOT Resources for Rural Communities

Thu, 03 Apr 2025 11:11:56 -0500

Provides an overview of the U.S. Department of Transportation's (USDOT) resources to help rural communities improve transportation safety and infrastructure, including details on funding and technical assistance programs.

Resource: Federal Assistance and Rural Hospital Closings: The Impact of the USDA Community Facilities Program

Thu, 23 Jan 2025 11:48:31 -0600

Examines how the USDA Rural Development Community Facilities (CF) Program's effects on rural hospital closures. Includes data on rural hospital closures and CF investments by region, and analyzes facility survival probability of hospitals which did or did not receive CF funding. -- USDA Economic Research Service

Resource: Finding Your Way Through USDA Rural Health's New Resources

Thu, 12 Dec 2024 12:52:37 -0600

Webinar recording highlighting U.S. Department of Agriculture tools and resources related to rural health, accomplishments, and future plans. Discusses the USDA Rural Health Program Index Tool, the Rural Development Innovation Center, the USDA Rural Health website, and the Rural Data Gateway. -- USDA Rural Development

Resource: Network Commons: Native Self-Determination and Community Investment

Tue, 26 Nov 2024 12:22:28 -0600

Webinar on community development, investment, and multi-sector partnerships between healthcare organizations, tribal governments, and Native-led community organizations as a means to improve health, well-being, and self-determination in Native communities. Features speakers representing the Sault Ste Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, Mackinac Straits Health System, and American Indian and Alaska Natives Community-Led Housing Collaborative. See description for transcript. -- Build Healthy Places Network

Event: 2026 Annual National Association of Development Organizations Training Conference

Mon, 04 Nov 2024 08:41:36 -0600

Reno NV
October 26, 2026 -- National Association of Development Organizations

Resource: Policy Innovations that Strengthen Rural Capacity to Access Investment

Tue, 15 Oct 2024 10:54:21 -0500

Podcast episode discussing challenges rural areas face in attracting investment and implementing community and economic development projects, and suggests state-level policies to address these issues and promote rural quality of life. Features perspectives from rural development experts and state and federal leaders. Transcript available below recording.

Resource: Beyond Connectivity: The Role of Broadband in Rural Economic Growth and Resilience

Wed, 02 Oct 2024 10:17:36 -0500

Reports on the economic value of broadband infrastructure for rural areas. Provides a variety of data on broadband and economic growth in rural communities and compares rural and urban gaps in broadband access. Features a broadband development case study for Beltrami County, Minnesota, which includes discussion of broadband's value for telehealth and other aspects of healthcare delivery and availability. -- Center on Rural Innovation

Resource: Building Capacity in Rural & Indigenous Communities

Sun, 22 Sep 2024 10:42:47 -0500

Blog post discussing technical assistance and organizational capacity to support rural and tribal economic and community development based on insights from the Thrive Rural Open Field session. Covers strategies related to building community trust, developing community-centered strategies for capacity building, and technical assistance that includes collaboration with communities. Offers links to additional information and funding resources. -- Aspen Institute

Resource: USDA Rural Health

Fri, 06 Sep 2024 15:34:09 -0500

Provides U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development resources supporting health and the development of healthy communities. Includes programs, funding, and tools dedicated to broadband access, infrastructure development, housing, medical facilities, mental health and substance use treatment, and more. -- USDA Rural Development

Resource: Rural Active Living Measurement Tools

Thu, 05 Sep 2024 14:46:59 -0500

Provides information on and access to the Rural Active Living Assessment (RALA) Tools and the Rural Active Living Perceived Environmental Support Scale (RALPESS) which are designed to collect data on physical environment features and amenities, town characteristics, community programs, and policies that impact wellness and physical activity of rural citizens.

Resource: A Guide to Working with Rural Philanthropy

Thu, 29 Aug 2024 13:59:42 -0500

Strategies for rural communities and organizations to help build and sustain partnerships with philanthropies. Includes background information on rural philanthropy and identifies actions and characteristics that may make a program successful in seeking funding from a philanthropy that wants to invest in rural health. -- NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis, Rural Health Information Hub

Resource: A New Philanthropic Approach to Supporting the Health and Capacity of Rural Communities

Thu, 29 Aug 2024 13:57:48 -0500

Discusses the Imperial Valley Wellness Foundation's efforts to support community development and health equity through its implementation of the Rural Development Hub (RDH) model. Discusses RDHs as facilitators of partnership, cooperation, and philanthropic investment in rural, underserved communities. -- Grantmakers in Health

Resource: Resilience Analysis and Planning Tool (RAPT)

Tue, 20 Aug 2024 09:36:04 -0500

Dataset and online tool to help illustrate the communities most at risk for 18 natural hazards. Uses source data for natural hazard and community risk factors to develop a baseline relative risk measurement for each United States county and census tract. -- Federal Emergency Management Agency

Resource: Eradicating Rural Poverty: The Power of Cooperation

Wed, 24 Jul 2024 08:57:20 -0500

Series of articles describing how community development financial institutions (CDFIs) and other community development organizations have addressed persistent poverty and disinvestment in rural areas, including the Black Belt, tribal nations, and Appalachia. Discusses philanthropy, housing, availability of federal and private funding, and more.

Resource: Collaboration, Not Competition: Thrive Allen County's Capacity Building Initiatives

Wed, 15 May 2024 13:14:35 -0500

Features the work of a Kansas nonprofit, Thrive Allen County, that brings grant funding to the county for its own projects and also helps build the area's capacity through grant writing, technical assistance, and other services. -- Rural Health Information Hub

Resource: Promoting Rural Financial Well-Being and Inclusion: Aligning Strategies with Community Needs

Wed, 15 May 2024 10:06:09 -0500

Provides measures for financial well-being and defines assets across rural county types, such as high-employment agricultural areas, centers of wealth and health, recreational and cultural areas, and more, and includes economic indicators like income and home ownership rate for each county type. Discusses challenges to financial well-being, strategies to improve economies, and policy considerations. -- Urban Institute