Rural Resources

How to Become a CMS Rural Health Clinic

National Rural Health Resource Center
The National Rural Health Resource Center provides technical assistance, information, tools and resources for the improvement of rural health care. It serves as a national rural health knowledge center and strives to build state and local capacity. The Center focuses on five core areas: 

• Transition to Value and Population Health
• Collaboration and Partnership
• Performance Improvement
• Health Information Technology
• Workforce

HRSA Federal Office of Rural Health
FORHP administers grant programs designed to build health care capacity at both the local and state levels. For states, these grants provide funds to improve quality and stability for rural hospitals, and they support State Offices of Rural Health (SORH) in their efforts to enhance and coordinate rural health initiatives statewide. At the local level, FORHP programs encourage an evidence-based approach to population health that can be replicated from one community to the next, and the development of collaborative networks among rural health care providers to achieve project goals.

Rural Health Research Gateway
The Rural Health Research Gateway provides easy and timely access to research conducted by the Rural Health Research Centers, funded by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy. Gateway efficiently puts new findings and information in the hands of our subscribers, including policymakers, educators, public health employees, hospital staff, and more. 

• Gateway flyer
• Popular rural health products and topics, 2022-2023
• Learn more

NC Rural Center
The NC Rural Center’s mission is to develop, promote, and implement sound economic strategies to improve the quality of life of rural North Carolinians. We serve the state’s 78 rural counties, with a special focus on individuals with low to moderate incomes and communities with limited resources.

Foundation for Health Leadership and Innovation
The Foundation for Health Leadership and Innovation is a nonprofit organization that envisions healthy communities across North Carolina where everyone can flourish. FHLI develops and supports innovative partnerships that build a healthier North Carolina through collaboration and respect.

Rural Health Information Hub
The Rural Health Information Hub, formerly the Rural Assistance Center, is funded by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy to be a national clearinghouse on rural health issues. We are committed to supporting healthcare and population health in rural communities. 

The RHIhub is your guide to improving health for rural residents—we provide access to current and reliable resources and tools to help you learn about rural health needs and work to address them.  

National Rural Health Association
The National Rural Health Association has been serving rural communities by advancing and publicizing rural health issues and seeking to solve rural health care challenges. NRHA is the only national organization with a clear mission to: 

• Improve the delivery of health services in rural areas through its many members and staff 

• Help rural citizens build, maintain, and improve the institutions that can meet their health care needs by providing research, education, leadership, and informational support 

National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health
The National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health (NOSORH) was established in 1995 to assist State Offices of Rural Health (SORH) in their efforts to improve access to, and the quality of, health care for 57 million rural Americans. NOSORH enhances the capacity of SORH to do this by supporting the development of state and community rural health leaders; creating and facilitating state, regional and national partnerships that foster information sharing and spur rural health-related programs/activities; and enhancing access to quality healthcare services in rural communities. The NOSORH mission is to promote the capacity of State Offices of Rural Health and their stakeholders to improve health in rural America through leadership development, advocacy, education, and partnerships.

NC Community Health Center Association
The North Carolina Community Health Center Association (NCCHCA) was formed in 1978 by the leadership of community health centers, NCCHCA is comprised of membership from 39 health center grantees (including one migrant voucher program) and 4 Look-Alike organizations. NCCHCA is singularly focused on the success of health centers.

NCCHCA is the HRSA funded state Primary Care Association (PCA) and Health Center Controlled Network (HCCN). The non-profit, consumer-governed Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) we represent provide integrated medical, dental, pharmacy, behavioral health, and enabling services to over one-half million patients in North Carolina. FQHCs receive federal assistance for sliding-fee discounts to assure no one is denied access to care. NCCHCA represents FQHCs to state and federal officials and provides training and technical assistance on clinical, operational, financial, administrative, and governance issues.

North Carolina AHEC
The North Carolina Area Health Education Centers (NC AHEC) Program began in 1972 to address national and state concerns with the supply, distribution, and retention of health care professionals. In 1974, the State of North Carolina’s General Assembly supported a plan to create a statewide network. Today, thanks to federal and state legislative support, NC AHEC consists of the NC AHEC Program Office, a network of nine regional AHECs, and the Duke AHEC program.

NC AHEC’s mission is to provide and support educational activities and services with a focus on primary care in rural communities and those with less access to resources to recruit, train, and retain the workforce needed to create a healthy North Carolina. We envision a state where every North Carolinian is healthy and supported by an appropriate and well-trained health workforce that reflects the communities it serves.