Rural Assistance Center Announces New State Information Resource

Aug 15, 2006

GRAND FORKS, N.D. -- The Rural Assistance Center (RAC), a national resource for rural health and human services information, has launched State Resources on its Web site allowing easy access to continuously updated demographics and statistics, documents and resources, contacts and success stories for all 50 states.

“People using our services are often looking for state-level contacts, resources or information that can help them to maintain and improve services in their local communities,” said Kristine Sande, RAC’s director. “The new part of the RAC Web site has been developed in response to these information needs.”

The new State Recourses, located at http://www.raconline.org/states, feature an overview of each state and its rural health and human services environment. In addition, the pages include:

• State-level contacts and organizations relevant to rural health and human services;
• Tools, such as web sites with demographic and statistical information for the state;
• Possible funding sources for rural health and human service projects;
• Documents, articles and journals written about the state;
• Success stories from the state that can serve as model projects in rural communities; and
• News and upcoming events from the rural community.

“The new State Resources help rural communities find information and resources that can assist them in important activities such as locating and competing for funding opportunities and networking within their state,” said Sande. “We are working with state-level partners, such as the State Offices of Rural Health, to ensure that these pages remain current and feature the best information available for each state.”

“In small towns, health care providers and human services representatives juggle many responsibilities,” explained Mary Wakefield, director of the Center for Rural Health which houses the Rural Assistance Center. “The federally-funded Rural Assistance Center’s State Resources is a one stop shop to help these individuals quickly find local resources and information. It’s about helping them to do their jobs more efficiently and serve their rural communities even better.”

About RAC
The Rural Assistance Center (RAC) serves as a rural health and human services information portal which helps rural communities access the full range of available programs, funding, and research that can enable them to provide quality health and human services. RAC is a collaboration of the University of North Dakota Center for Rural Health and the Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI). It is funded through HRSA's Office of Rural Health Policy.

Since its launch in December 2002, RAC’s web site has received over 680,000 visits, with over 335,000 of those visits coming in the last year. In addition, RAC has responded to nearly 3,600 customized assistance requests from people in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and several foreign countries.

RAC's other web-based services, available at www.raconline.org, include an online clearinghouse of news, documents, maps, and success stories; a calendar of events; a directory of rural contacts and organizations; and a searchable database of funding opportunities. Also available on the web site are Information Guides, which provide in-depth information focusing on rural aspects of an issue or topic. RAC’s electronic updates on rural health and human services keep subscribers abreast of new happenings and resources available. RAC also provides free customized assistance on topics related to rural health or human services. Contact RAC at 1-800-270-1898 or info@raconline.org to request customized assistance from RAC's information specialists.