Communities know that health care is critical to the physical and mental well-being of its citizens. But health care is also critical to economic well being. If local health care disap­peared, as much as 20 percent of the economy would go with it.

Rural people say that health services are one of the most important factors to their quality-of-life. Health care is important to seniors, young families and companies looking to relocate. But rural Americans see their health care system under fire. Hospitals are closing. Services have been cut. Doctors won't come to the area, and if they do, they don't stay. Medicare and Medicaid payments are too low.

Rural residents can revitalize their local health care system. Rural Health Works provides the tools. Local visionary leadership puts these tools to work. Rural Health Works helps communities keep their health care dollars at home.
Twenty states have already started saving their local health care. They used Rural Health Works to decide complex issues such as whether to participate in the Critical Access Hospital program, which gives hospitals a major reimbursement advantage.

Business people, elected officials and newspaper editors in rural communi­ties are increasingly aware of health care as an important economic issue, a recent study showed. Almost 90% of community leader survey said health care is important to the local economy. Armed with this information, community leaders are changing things to make health care stronger.

They have:

	Sponsored fundraisers.
	Expanded the awareness of elected officials.
	Helped recruit doctors.
	Started serving on boards.

Communities interested in Rural Health Works should contact their state Office of Rural Health to schedule a training workshop. Gerald Doeksen, an economist at Oklahoma State University, leads these “train the trainer” sessions. This one-day workshop is designed for professionals involved in health planning or economic development.

Participants will learn to conduct health care studies such as the need for primary care physicians and nursing homes. After the workshop, technical assistance is available through a Helpline. Workshops, materials and technical assistance are provided without charge by the federal Office of Rural Health Policy, a part of the Health Research and Services Administration of the Department of Health and Human Services.

To contact a state Rural Health Works program, visit the Rural Health Works State Site listings.

The workshop provides a comprehensive toolbox:

		strategic health planning materials and instructions
		health inventory document
		health survey instrument
		materials for local and statewide media outlets
		disks with templates
		video describing how communities can use health economic impact information
		video about the critical access hospital program and its link to rural healthcare economies

For further information contact:

National Rural Health Resource Center
Duluth, MN 55802
(218) 720-0700
e-mail: nrhrc@ruralcenter.org

or

Cheryl St. Clair
Gerald A. Doeksen
Oklahoma State University
(405) 744-6081
e-mail: cheryl@okstate.edu