Improving Rural Healthcare in North Carolina
The project began in the fall of 2023 when the North Carolina General Assembly asked Rural Healthcare Initiative, Inc. (RHI), an independent nonprofit, to study “effective models of sustainable healthcare for North Carolina rural communities.”
The Rural Healthcare Sustainability Project aims to clearly highlight the challenges of rural healthcare to the General Assembly and develop care models for sustainable, long-term healthcare delivery in rural areas across the state. These models will be tailored to North Carolina’s unique communities, informed by detailed data analysis on healthcare resources, utilization and needs, rather than adopting a one-size-fits-all approach.
Led by industry leaders with North Carolina ties and backgrounds evaluating and addressing every aspect of the rural healthcare experience – from strategy to facility development to communications – the project includes input from rural communities and healthcare leaders, along with extensive quantitative and qualitative research.
A Project Driven by Collaboration
Our Goal
Ultimately, the project will result in a plan for the North Carolina General Assembly that incorporates the expertise, passion, and resources of healthcare providers and community leaders across the state.
The plan will be:
Driven by the experiences and insights of residents living and working in rural communities.
Developed through partnership and thoughtful conversation with healthcare providers and community leaders across the state.
Additive and complementary to existing healthcare and social resources provided by local organizations, associations and institutions that support rural communities.
Anchored in the diverse healthcare needs of rural residents, both now and in the future, that have been forecasted based on existing workforce and facilities.
Based on large-scale data analyses to understand the patterns, trends, and relationships of a dynamic rural healthcare environment.
Flexible and customizable for different communities– not a one-size-fits-all approach.
The plan will examine issues that impact every aspect of rural health, including:
Access to primary, emergency, specialty and mental health care
Community partnerships between state and local agencies, healthcare providers and community organizations
Gaps in transportation and technology
Existing and innovative solutions that address these issues and any gaps in solutions
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