Module 2: Evidence-Based and Promising Strategies to Advance Health Equity in Rural Communities

This module identifies strategies rural communities can implement to incorporate equitable practices into their work and use a health equity lens when addressing any health issue. No single approach is right for every community. Rural communities have different histories and infrastructures that affect the root causes of health inequities that drive health disparities. Many communities are at different starting places with incorporating equitable practices into their work. Many will need to implement multiple strategies and adapt approaches to fit their unique culture and needs.

Models in the Social Determinants of Health Toolkit

For specific models that rural communities can implement to address the social conditions that influence health outcomes, see the Social Determinants of Health Toolkit. Rural communities can apply strategies from the Rural Health Equity Toolkit to the models in the Social Determinants of Health Toolkit to address the social determinants with a health equity lens. To learn how to identify and adapt interventions, see Developing a Rural Community Health Program in the Rural Community Health Toolkit.

Strategies in the Rural Health Equity Toolkit

This toolkit identifies numerous strategies to advance health equity. These strategies are drawn from a range of frameworks that describe strategies to advance health equity:

• Framing Health Equity
• Creating a Shared Vision and Definition for Health Equity
• Using Inclusive, Non-Stigmatizing Language to Better Communicate about Health Equity
• Understanding the Community Context and Identifying Health Equity Priorities
  • Using Data to Identify Priorities and Health Inequities
  • Engaging Community Members Affected by Health Inequities
  • Assessing the Historical and Policy Context when Addressing Health Equity
• Fostering Multi-Sector Collaboration to Advance Health Equity
• Building Organizational Capacity to Advance Health Equity
  • Educating and Training Staff on the Principles of Health Equity
  • Developing Permanent Organizational Infrastructure for Health Equity
  • Committing to Building and Retaining a Diverse and Inclusive Workforce to Improve Health Equity
  • Leveraging Position as an Economic Anchor to Improve Health Equity
• Building Community Capacity to Shape Outcomes of Health Equity Work

How to Use this Toolkit

The Rural Health Equity Toolkit seeks to support rural communities in implementing any community health program with a health equity lens. Rural communities can use the strategies described in the toolkit to incorporate more equitable practices into multiple aspects of their work. The Rural Health Equity Toolkit provides rural communities with considerations for promoting equity within organizations and examining how they design, implement, and evaluate their work. For example, rural communities may consider using a health equity lens to implement the models in other RHIhub evidence-based toolkits for rural community health:

• Care Coordination Toolkit
• Community Health Workers Toolkit
• Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Toolkit
• Services Integration Toolkit
• Telehealth Toolkit
• Transportation Toolkit