New Listserv Topic for Rural Populations

Rethinking Rural Health is a vital part of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) push to transform the health care delivery system to a model that delivers high quality, affordable and accessible health care for every American. CMS has a new rural health care listserv dedicated to sharing information about programs, policies and resources to help ensure rural populations have access to quality health care. 

Subscribe here.Look for Outreach and Education, then Rural Health.

Social Determinants of Health in Rural Communities Toolkit

The Rural Health Information Hub and the NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis recently introduced the Social Determinants of Health in Rural Communities Toolkit, designed to support organizations implementing programs to address social determinants of health in rural communities. Multiple social determinants of health impact health and well-being, including racism and discrimination, income and poverty, and housing quality and affordability, to name a few.

Healthy People 2020 defines Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) as ‘conditions in the environments in which people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age that affect a wide range of health, functioning, and quality of life outcomes and risks’.


Social Determinants of Health in Rural Communities Toolkit Logo

The toolkit highlights promising approaches and resources to help rural communities address social determinants of health. Each module includes resources for planning, implementing, evaluating, sustaining and disseminating programs in rural communities. There’s also a Clearinghouse which contains information about promising rural communities.


Addressing social determinants of health in rural communities is quite challenging. With North Dakota and South Dakota both experiencing a decline in rural areas, this is an incredibly important topic. Fortunately, an emphasis on addressing these issues from community organizations, foundations and the federal government is underway. Access this toolkit for some unique approaches to housing issues, food shortages, transportation barriers and health access issues. Join the CMS listserv to stay connected and up to date on programs and resources to provide quality healthcare.