Bridging the Urban-Rural Divide in Chronic Disease Through Community Engagement in Health Program Delivery

Abstract

The urban-rural divide in chronic disease contributes to persistent geographic disparities in life expectancy in North Carolina. Policies and programs in resource-constrained rural areas should be designed to increase health equity and reduce this continuing divide by including greater community engagement and decision-making for meaningful, sustainable change.

Achieving Healthy NC 2030 Goals: Physical Environment

“…Lori Carter-Edwards, former professor of public health and health behavior at the University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health and current assistant dean for community engagement at Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine, makes three primary recommendations for improving health care access in rural areas. She calls for a concerted effort to map and assess all community organizations in rural areas that could work with local experts; inclusion of community organizations and experts in public health decision-making and systems changes; and more involvement of community organizations in delivery of services [5].…”