Pennsylvania Models and Innovations

Evidence-Based Examples

keepin' it REAL Rural

Updated/reviewed March 2024

• Need: A drug and alcohol prevention program for middle school students that is specific to rural culture.
• Intervention: An adaptation of the evidence-based keepin' it REAL curriculum was customized for rural middle school students.
• Results: Students showed a reduction in all substance use and less personal acceptability of substance use.

Thomas Jefferson University's Physician Shortage Area Program

Added March 2023

• Need: More rural doctors were needed in Pennsylvania, where nearly half of the state's physicians practice in just three large metropolitan counties.
• Intervention: Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University established the Physician Shortage Area Program (PSAP) in 1974 to recruit and support students who are from rural backgrounds and who wish to practice in rural communities.
• Results: Approximately 80% of PSAP alumni have remained in rural family medicine for at least 20 to 25 years after graduation.

Helping Kids PROSPER

Updated/reviewed January 2023

• Need: An approach to support sustained, quality delivery of evidence-based programs for youth and families in rural communities.
• Intervention: PROSPER, a program delivery system, guides communities in implementing evidence-based programs that build youth competencies, improve family functioning, and prevent risky behaviors, particularly substance use.
• Results: Youth in PROSPER communities reported delayed initiation of a variety of substances, lower levels of other behavioral problems, and improvements in family functioning and other life skills.

Effective Examples

Regional Oral Health Pathway

Updated/reviewed August 2023

• Need: To address the oral health needs of low-income uninsured and underinsured residents in rural Appalachia.
• Intervention: An oral health education program was implemented in Appalachian Maryland, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.
• Results: This program increased oral health visits in the area and provided residents with valuable information on oral health resources and services.

Promising Examples

Nurse Navigator and Recovery Specialist Outreach Program

Updated/reviewed November 2022

• Need: To properly address and treat patients who have concurrent substance use and chronic healthcare issues.
• Intervention: A referral system utilizes community health workers (CHWs) in a drug and alcohol treatment setting. A registered nurse helps with providers' medication-assisted treatment programs.
• Results: This program has reduced hospital emergency visits and hospital readmissions for patients since its inception.

Other Project Examples

Angel Flight East's Rural & Rare Reach Program

Updated/reviewed October 2023

• Need: Free, non-emergency air travel for children and adults in need of medical treatment far from home who live in rural areas of the Northeast.
• Intervention: Angel Flight East, a free medical flight service, has expanded their focus to include more patients from rural areas, as well as those with rare medical conditions.
• Results: Since adding the Rural & Rare Reach program, Angel Flight East has made contact with over 100 Critical Access Hospitals and more than 300 FQHCs for referrals. Ongoing promotional efforts with rural health organizations are helping to increase the awareness of flight services to rural locations.

Healthy Adams County

Updated/reviewed August 2023

• Need: Health initiatives in rural Pennsylvania communities to address locally-identified health disparities.
• Intervention: Healthy Adams County was created by its rural community members to promote community-wide health.
• Results: Community task forces have been formed to address breast cancer prevention, food policies, behavioral health, health literacy, oral health, tobacco prevention, and other rural, community-identified needs.

CAPABLE (Community Aging in Place—Advancing Better Living for Elders)

Updated/reviewed July 2023

• Need: To help older adults age in place.
• Intervention: For five months, CAPABLE participants receive home visits from a registered nurse, occupational therapist, and home repair services.
• Results: There are currently over 35 CAPABLE sites across the country, 11 of which are located in rural communities.

Clinic for Special Children

Updated/reviewed July 2023

• Need: To provide healthcare for the genetically vulnerable children and adults of the rural, uninsured Amish and Mennonite communities in southern Pennsylvania.
• Intervention: A clinic that serves as a comprehensive medical practice for children and adults (primarily from the Amish and Mennonite communities) with rare, inherited, or complex disorders.
• Results: In 2022, about 1,400 active patients with more than 400 unique genetic mutations were treated at the Clinic for Special Children.

Addiction Recovery Mobile Outreach Team (ARMOT)

Updated/reviewed January 2023

• Need: To reduce the number of overdoses and overdose-related deaths from opioids in rural Pennsylvania.
• Intervention: ARMOT provides 1) case management and recovery support services to individuals with substance use disorders and 2) education and support to rural hospital staff, patients, and their loved ones.
• Results: Since 2015, ARMOT has received over 2,956 referrals.

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