Rural Assistance Center Adds “State Pages” to Website

The HRSA -supported Rural Assistance Center (RAC) has recently added state-specific information on rural research and health and human services programs to the resources it offers on its website ( www.raconline.org ).

The new “State Pages” feature an overview of each state and give users access to a directory of rural contacts and organizations and a searchable database of funding opportunities. Users also can find demographic data and statistical comparisons of state health data to the national average, articles from current rural documents and journals, news on upcoming local events, and model “success stories” drawn from each state's experience serving rural communities.

Launched in December 2002 in response to a recommendation from the HHS Rural Task Force, the RAC is supported by a cooperative agreement from HRSA 's Office of Rural Health Policy with the University of North Dakota Center for Rural Health in Grand Forks and the Rural Policy Research Institute at the University of Southern Maine . The RAC serves policymakers, researchers, government officials and anyone interested in the hundreds of HHS programs in rural areas.

Besides making material available on the web, the Center also refers inquiries to federal and state agencies, conducts customized Internet and database searches, and maintains a toll-free phone line: 1-800-270-1898.

Since its launch, the RAC site has received more than 630,000 “visits,” with more than 335,000 visits coming in the last year. Center staff has responded to nearly 3,400 requests for assistance from all 50 states, Puerto Rico , and several foreign countries.

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