Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) Models and Innovations

These stories feature model programs and successful rural projects that can serve as a source of ideas and provide lessons others have learned. Some of the projects or programs may no longer be active. Read about the criteria and evidence-base for programs included.

Safety Net Medical Home Initiative
Updated/reviewed October 2017

• Need: To help healthcare providers serving underserved and vulnerable populations become patient-centered medical homes (PCMH).
• Intervention: A 5-year project was launched to develop a replicable model for practice transformation for safety net providers, including rural practices.
• Results: Eighty-three percent of participating safety net clinics earned state or national PCMH recognition as of September, 2013.

MORE Care
Added June 2017

• Need: To improve rural residents' oral healthcare.
• Intervention: MORE Care creates interprofessional oral health networks to 1) better integrate oral health into primary healthcare and 2) coordinate oral health between primary and dental healthcare.
• Results: Operating in 3 states, MORE Care has led to increases in fluoride varnish administration, improvement in interprofessional communication, and patients' improved self-management of their daily oral health.