Through a new and vibrant partnership with the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, the Arkansas Rural Health Partnership (ARHP) looks to shape the rural health landscape through a new focus on health equity and diversity. Funds aim to assist ARHP with engaging experts and thought leaders in health equity and diversity best practices to inform organizational transformation. Efforts will shape current and future ARHP initiatives, inform strategic planning and fund development and share effective best-practices with students, emerging leaders, healthcare providers, staff, administrators, task force groups and board members.
Advocacy. One of the greatest obstacles to progress in rural health is lack of knowledge. Often, much-needed, quality programs and services exist in rural regions, yet residents are unaware. The general public, key stakeholders, organizational leaders, and legislative representatives need a greater awareness of the need and potential solutions to building a local health workforce that reflects the population served.
Strategic Planning. Local, regional, and statewide strategic plans related to rural health must consider how health workforce gaps are addressed. This begins by ensuring that key stakeholders and community members reflect the rural populations served and shape the design of relevant plans. Leaders should consider how and when to effectively engage agencies, organizations, businesses, and educational institutions representing minority and special populations.
Staff Training. There is a significant need to train existing healthcare staff in best-practice methods proven to increase equity and diversity. This could take on a variety of methods, including in-person and online group education (with continuing education credits), presentations, conference sessions, and breakout groups at ARHP roundtable and task force meetings. All staff would benefit from training regardless of experience and/or position.
Board Education. Regardless of non-profit or for-profit status, rural hospitals and health centers are overseen by a board of directors. Oftentimes, the only real diversity of rural board members is the range of professional backgrounds. Education is needed for the highest level of leaders to understand the needs, challenges, and potential strategies to bring greater diversity and equity to hiring practices, training, and service delivery.
Program Alignment. Numerous initiatives positively impact rural residents throughout Arkansas, yet few set out to impact health equity and diversity directly. With the proper direction, rural program staff could incorporate meaningful elements to existing programs (as well as those in development) to better reflect and impact health equity and diversity needs.
Fund Development. Healthcare organizations serving rural Arkansans need to leverage government and philanthropic funding to support efforts that strategically improve rural residents’ health equity and promote a diverse health workforce. Applicants should seek to specifically address health equity and diversity needs within their rural regions and propose practical methods to accomplish intended outcomes.
