G-2005-16299

This investment supports the National Rural Health Association (NRHA) in its efforts to continue to support, facilitate, and convene the National Rural Oral Health Initiative that includes activities centered on policy, communications, education, and research. During the last presidential race, the midterm elections and the upcoming presidential race, healthcare, especially rural-based issues, continues to be a prime area for bipartisan action and support. Prior to COVID-19 and since, rural hospitals are closing at higher rates, creating huge gaps in access and barriers to care. There is a current opportunity to explore new approaches to care delivery within rural environments that includes oral health. Specifically, NRHA will maintain and convene the rural oral health interest group established in 2016, continue to leverage NRHA communication channels to disseminate information about rural oral health, design and host sessions focused on rural oral health as a part of its annual conference and the 2020 NRHA Health Equity Conference, coordinate, host and evaluate a Rural Community Health Worker Training module focused on rural oral health care; and conduct an environmental scan of research needs related to rural oral health care. These approaches would enable NRHA to further enhance support to rural communities as their work to solve their oral health care challenges and raise awareness of solutions to these challenges. $125,000 will support personnel time needed to implement the project, meeting capacity, and production and subsequent dissemination of rural oral health knowledge products.