Resources

The following is a list of organizations and resources related to rural health research and policy:

Florida

Florida Shortage Area Maps

Maps of Florida indicating federally designated health provider shortage areas (HPSA), medically underserved areas (MUA), and medically underserved populations  (MUP).

Florida Rural Maps

ArcGIS maps with layers for 4 different definitions of rural (Census, OMB, RUCA 2000, Florida State), and rural providers.

Florida Office of Rural Health

All 50 states have a State Office of Rural Health (SORH). These offices vary in size, scope, organization, and in services and resources they provide. Most are organized within the state health departments, but some are located in universities or not-for-profit organizations. 

The general purpose of each SORH is to help their individual rural communities build health care delivery systems. While funding levels and sources also vary, every state receives a portion of their funding from the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy through the SORH Grant program, begun in 1991. With this grant a SORH is expected to:

• Collect and disseminate information
• Coordinate rural health resources and activities state-wide
• Provide technical assistance
• Encourage recruitment and retention of health professionals
• Strengthen state, local, and federal partnerships  

Florida Rural Health Association

The Florida Rural Health Association is a non-profit membership association whose mission is to: Advocate for initiatives that promote improved health status and strong health systems in rural Florida.

North Florida Rural Health Workforce Development Leadership Post Summit Report

A summary of the Summit held on October of 2010.

Rural Health Network

Network of providers, educators, AHECs, and others dedicated to training, recruiting and retaining a quality health care workforce in six North Florida rural counties (Hamilton, Jefferson, Lafayette, Madison, Suwannee, and Taylor).

National

Rural Assistance Center

The Rural Assistance Center (RAC) is a national rural health and human services information portal. RAC helps rural communities and other rural stakeholders access the full range of available programs, funding, and research that can enable them to provide quality health and human services to rural residents. A product of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Rural Initiative, the Rural Assistance Center was established in December 2002.

National Rural Health Association

The National Rural Health Association (NRHA) is a national nonprofit membership organization with more than 20,000 members. The association’s mission is to provide leadership on rural health issues. NRHA membership consists of a diverse collection of individuals and organizations, all of whom share the common bond of an interest in rural health.

Rural Health Resource Center

The National Rural Health Resource Center is a nonprofit organization dedicated to sustaining and improving health care in rural communities. As the nation’s leading technical assistance and knowledge center in rural health, The Center focuses on five core areas:

• Performance Improvement
• Health Information Technology
• Recruitment & Retention
• Community Health Assessments
• Networking