Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health Information Hub
Name	Rural Health Information Hub
Abbreviation	RHIH
Formation	2003
Type	Information Clearinghouse
Headquarters	North Dakota
Region served	United States
Parent organization	University of North Dakota

Rural Health Information Hub

The Rural Health Information Hub is a national online clearinghouse that provides resources on rural health issues, serving stakeholders such as United States Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Indian Health Service, and National Institutes of Health. It aggregates evidence, toolkits, and best practices to support State Medicaid Programs, Community Health Centers, Tribal Health Programs, Critical Access Hospitals, and rural public health departments across North Dakota, Montana, South Dakota, Wyoming, and other states. The Hub collaborates with academic institutions like the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences and national organizations including the National Rural Health Association, American Hospital Association, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Kaiser Family Foundation, and The Commonwealth Fund.

Overview

The Hub functions as an online repository linking policy briefs, issue briefs, and program profiles to entities such as Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Office of Rural Health Policy, and Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Its audience includes rural hospitals, primary care clinics, behavioral health providers, telehealth vendors, pharmacists, and public health agencies in jurisdictions like California, Texas, Florida, Alaska, and Hawaii. Content spans topics referenced by stakeholders including Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, Institute of Medicine, National Academy of Medicine, and World Health Organization guidelines, and links to models from Federally Qualified Health Centers, Accountable Care Organizations, Rural Health Clinics (RHCs), and Patient-Centered Medical Homes. The Hub indexes resources from foundations and funders such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Ford Foundation, Carnegie Corporation, Annie E. Casey Foundation, and MacArthur Foundation.

History and Development

Established in 2003 through collaboration with the University of North Dakota and supported by the Office of Rural Health Policy, the Hub evolved alongside federal initiatives like the Affordable Care Act and programs by Health Resources and Services Administration. Early partnerships included National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health, Rural Assistance Center, and Association of State and Territorial Health Officials. Over time the Hub incorporated content from research centers such as Rural Health Research Centers, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholars Program, and university programs at University of Minnesota, University of Washington, Johns Hopkins University, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and University of Michigan. The Hub’s development paralleled policy shifts involving Medicaid Expansion, Children’s Health Insurance Program, and federal rural health grant programs administered by HRSA and CDC initiatives.

Services and Resources

The Hub maintains searchable collections of toolkits, webinars, and data briefs used by state health departments, county commissioners, Tribal leaders, rural clinicians, and nonprofit organizations such as National Association of Community Health Centers and Partners In Health. Resources cover telemedicine implementations with vendors and standards referenced by American Telemedicine Association, HIPAA compliance overseen through Office for Civil Rights, and broadband funding programs like Federal Communications Commission initiatives and BroadbandUSA. It aggregates workforce strategies tied to National Health Service Corps, Teaching Health Centers, Area Health Education Centers, and Graduate Medical Education models. The Hub curates materials addressing behavioral health linked to SAMHSA programs, substance use responses shaped by Drug Enforcement Administration policies, and maternal health informed by March of Dimes and American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists guidance.

Programs and Initiatives

The Hub highlights initiatives such as rural telehealth expansion aligned with HRSA Telehealth Network Grant Program, opioid response collaborations paired with CDC Opioid Overdose Prevention Programs and State Opioid Response grants, and maternal health projects related to Maternal and Child Health Bureau efforts. It documents broadband and connectivity work tied to Rural Utilities Service, Federal Communications Commission funding, and pilot models like Project ECHO, Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes, and community paramedicine programs connected to National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians. The Hub showcases capacity-building models referencing Community Catalyst, Local Initiatives Support Corporation, Rural LISC, and demonstration projects funded by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation.

Partnerships and Funding

Funding and partnerships for the Hub span federal, philanthropic, and academic sources, including Office of Rural Health Policy, Health Resources and Services Administration, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Kaiser Family Foundation, and university partners like University of North Dakota and University of Michigan. The Hub coordinates with national organizations such as National Rural Health Association, Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, National Association of County and City Health Officials, and American Hospital Association to disseminate best practices. Collaborative grant-making often involves agencies like Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and private funders including Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and regional health systems such as Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, and Penn Medicine.

Impact and Evaluations

Evaluations of the Hub reference metrics used by Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and research cited in journals like Health Affairs, The New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA, American Journal of Public Health, and Rural and Remote Health. Impact assessments link Hub resources to capacity increases among Critical Access Hospitals and Federally Qualified Health Centers, workforce recruitment outcomes involving National Health Service Corps, and telehealth adoption aligned with American Telemedicine Association standards. Independent research from institutions including RAND Corporation, Urban Institute, Kaiser Family Foundation, Pew Charitable Trusts, and Brookings Institution has cited Hub materials in analyses of rural health policy, broadband access, and healthcare workforce shortages. Ongoing program evaluations draw on data sources like Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, National Health Interview Survey, Area Health Resources Files, and Medicare Provider Utilization and Payment Data to measure rural health improvements.

Category:Health information organizations