A community-focused rural academic health department model in North Carolina: elevating community engagement, rural public health practice and research
Carmen D. Samuel-Hodge, Lisa Macon Harrison, Wendy Smith, Karl T. Johnson, Anna Feng, Devon Noonan · 2026
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Description
Carmen Samuel-Hodge and five co-authors describe a decade of building a rural academic health department in North Carolina, in a 2026 case study. Rural departments often have fewer resources and greater needs. The model pairs a district health department with universities. Community engagement grounds the partnership at each stage.
Three frameworks guided the work: logic models, staged development, and organizational change. Over ten years, the partnership drew more than twenty-two million dollars in grants. Evidence-based programs multiplied in the district. Staff capacity grew, and formal faculty collaborations expanded. Shared focus on community voice is named the thread of success. Research moved into practice through the partnership. The authors offer the model to other rural regions with decentralized systems.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Carmen D. Samuel-Hodge, Lisa Macon Harrison, Wendy Smith, Karl T. Johnson, Anna Feng, Devon Noonan |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2026 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 33 KB |
| VERSION | 1.0 |
| LICENSE | CC BY 4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |