Central Michigan University Rural Health Equity Institute
The Central Michigan University Rural Health Equity Institute focuses on the health priorities of our rural communities. The RHEI seeks to improve access to services, expand telehealth capacity and deliver the education and training necessary to respond to local needs. The RHEI also provides an innovation and collaboration hub where health care providers and community leaders can come together and forge solutions that improve health and wellness in our rural communities.
Mission
The CMU Rural Health Equity Institute will ally with rural communities to advance health and improve quality of life.
Vision
All people living in rural areas can live their healthiest life possible.
We envision rural communities across Michigan and America as diverse communities of healthy people, places, and providers, who access world-class care and human services. Healthy rural communities capitalize on a wealth of local strengths and assets, resourceful innovation, building alliances, rural values, and culture – local places where every person in the community has power, allies, and agency to make decisions for improving their own health and for advancing the well-being of their community.
Values
- Culture of Collaboration - creating collaborative partnerships that reflect the unique infrastructure and the underlying social and situational challenges for each rural community.
- Equity - the fair and just allocation of public resources that provides an equal opportunity for all rural people and places to innovate, grow and thrive.
- Diversity - both an acknowledgment and an understanding that each rural person is unique and welcome regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, age, physical ability, politics, religion or other belief characteristics.
- Determination - the opportunity for rural people and communities to direct their future.
- Access - the timely availability of personal health and human services to pursue the best health outcomes.
Core pillars
Bridging innovation and impact to improve the health and well-being of rural communities.
Improve Care Access
Improving care access and rural health outcomes by:
- Removing obstacles that interfere with patients’ care and access to health services for rural and marginalized populations.
- Addressing rural health disparities (geriatric, mental health, chronic conditions) and social and structural drivers of health.
Community Partnership Outreach
Engaging communities by strengthening community action and building alliances with coalitions, organizations, and those who have experienced marginalization to promote well-being, quality of life, and improve the health status of residents.
- AHEC Network.
- Academic Partnerships.
- FQHC’s, Rural Hospitals, Clinics.
- Rural Health Districts/Network.
- State and National Partners.
Advance Rural Health Equity Data
Advancing rural health equity data and solutions by collaborating with partners to fill gaps in existing data and tools to:
- Collect data elements in more interoperable ways.
- Expand telehealth capacity and standardized data for sociodemographic elements.
Education and Training
Building capacity by linking partners for workforce development to:
- Accelerate professional education for health service providers and workers.
- Develop a resilient workforce and health careers pipeline for sustained care access in isolated communities.
About us
The staff of the RHEI are dedicated to improving health care access and health outcomes in medically underserved, rural communities.
Partners
The Rural Health Equity Institute partners and collaborates with University programs, community coalitions, local organizations, regional and statewide programs and other rural-focused initiatives.
- Mid Central Area Health Education Center.
- Children Trust Michigan.
- Everyday Lives, LLC
- Great Lakes Bay Regional Alliance.
- Interdisciplinary Center for Community Health and Wellness.
- MI LEO MIHI
- Michigan Center for Rural Health.
- Michigan Department of Education.
- Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
- Michigan Health Improvement Alliance.
- Michigan Public Health Institute.
- Michigan Works!
- Northern Michigan Community Health Innovation Regions.
- Suicide Resource & Response Network.
- Traverse Connect.
Projects and programs
The RHEI is involved in several projects and programs that improve access to health care and increase positive health outcomes in our rural communities.
- ACEs: Michigan Adverse Childhood Experiences.
- CMU SAMHSA GLS campus-wide suicide prevention grant.
- Michigan Inclusive Training, Technology and Equity Network (MITTEN) program.
Michigan Inclusive Training Technology and Equity Network (MITTEN) serving communities in Region 5: Arenac, Bay, Clare, Gladwin, Gratiot, Isabella, Midland and Saginaw Counties. Led by the Michigan High-Speed Internet Office and funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Digital Equity Act, this initiative advances the Michigan Digital Equity Plan and promotes digital inclusion statewide through regional coordination, digital training and support for underserved communities. Alongside regional partnerships with Mid Central AHEC, GLBRA, Michigan Works!, MIHIA, and Everyday Lives, LLC., this initiative supports the Michigan Digital Equity Plan by advancing digital inclusion across the state.
- NEMT | Non-Emergency Medical Transportation for Vulnerable Aging Residents of Iosco County, Michigan.
- PACE D2A: Preventing Adverse Childhood Experiences.
- Podcasts
- PRiSMM: Preventing Suicide in Michigan Men provider SP toolkit.
- SAMHSA Garrett Lee Smith Suicide Prevention grant.
Education and research
The RHEI focuses on regionally relevant public health research and delivers education and training to address local needs.
- Bridging Divides for Better Health: Closing the Broadband Health Equity Gap flyer 2025.
- Trainer and program request form.
Rural health resources
The RHEI works with federal, state and local organizations to position services to optimize engagement with rural communities and leverage resources to improve the health and well-being of rural residents.
- Aging in Place.
- Area Agencies on Aging Association of Michigan.
- Behavioral Health Equity | SAMHSA.
- Behavioral Health interns in northwest Michigan.
- Building Healthy Places Network.
- Central Michigan Health Department.
- CDC guidance on data and security.
- CDC social determinants of health.
- Community Health Innovation Regions of northern Michigan.
- Digital Health Navigators.
- Ford resource and engagement centers Michigan.
- Healthy People 2030.
- HOPE Health Outcomes of Positive Experiences.
- HRSA - Center for Maternal and Child Health Medicaid Partnerships.
- HRSA – Data Warehouse.
- Injury Prevention Center.
- Listening Ear.
- MDHHS Social Determinants of Health Strategy 2022-2024.
- MI Care Coordination Network - Promoting Care Coordination in Northwest Michigan.
- Michigan 2-1-1 Community Support.
- Michigan Center for Rural Health.
- Michigan Community Health Worker Association MiCHWA.
- Michigan Health Improvement Alliance.
- Michigan Office of Rural Prosperity.
- Midland Area Wellbeing Coalition.
- MiThrive - Strategy Guide and Community Assessment Data Reports.
- National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health.
- National Rural Health Association.
- National Rural Health Day.
- Northern Michigan Community Health Innovation Region.
- Pace Central.
- Pace Michigan.
- Pace North.
- Rural Health Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
- Rural Health Information Hub.
- Rural Substance Use Disorder Resources.
- Surgeon General's 5-for-5 Connection Challenge.
- Women's Health Partnership Campaign.
Podcasts, videos and PSAs
Telehealth resources
- CMU Telehealth Initiatives.
- National Consortium of Telehealth Resource Centers.
- Northeast Telehealth Resource Center.
- Rural Health Equity Institute supports school-based telehealth services.
- School Community Health Alliance of Michigan.
- SCTRC Telehealth Etiquette Video Series.
- Telehealth.HHS.gov | Community health workers help patients use.
- Telehealth.HHS.gov | Expanding dental care to children through telehealth.
- Telehealth.HHS.gov | What happens after my telehealth visit?
- Upper Midwest Telehealth Resource Center.
