LWW/FCH AS190-06 May 7, 2003 22:15 Char Count= 0 Fam Community Health Vol. 26, No. 3, pp. 230–245 c  2003 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc. Meeting the Needs of Rural Populations Through Interdisciplinary Partnerships Michael Glasser, PhD; Nancy Holt, CPA; Kelly Hall, MA; Ben Mueller, MS; Julia Norem, RN, MSN; John Pickering, MS; Kathleen Brown, MS; Karen Peters, DrPH Summary: This article describes the organization and outcomes of a Rural Health Outreach Ini- tiative (RHOI) designed to increase collaboration between the medical education and health care delivery sectors to imrove the quality of health care delivery and health outcomes in rural com- munities. Two inter-related partnership strategies were utilized in rural communities to address the health and social service needs of rural populations. The partnerships were created through the efforts of a rural health professions education program located in a community-based medical school. The two partnership models were implemented at the same time and target the same ru- ral populations. Both strategies relied upon interdisciplinary collaborations to achieve their goals and outcomes. One strategy involved the creation of partnerships among rural medical students and the projects they initiate, using the model of community oriented primary care (COPC). The second strategy involved the establishment of partnerships by a variety of rural, community-based entities that resulted from a three-year Health Resources and Services Administration Rural Health Outreach grant that supported a “mini-grant” program. This article summarizes the process and results of these innovative collaborations that occurred at two levels: (1) between health and ser- vice institutions representing multiple disciplines and (2) between academic institutions and local communities. Specific attention is given to projects that resulted from the work of the partnerships that address the needs of older adults residing in the rural communities. The two strategies are compared and implications for the success of similar efforts are discussed. Key words: commu- nity oriented primary care (COPC), health professions education, interdisciplinary, mini-grant, older adult, outreach, partnerships, rural, rural medical education (RMED) T HE CENTER FOR Rural Health Profes- sions (CRHP) is located at the University From the Center for Rural Health Professions, College of Medicine, University of Illinois-Rockford. Funding for this project was provided by the Health Resources and Services Administration, Rural Health Outreach grant #CSDR00060. The authors thank the Project Coordinating Com- mittee: Nancy Holt, Project Principal Investigator, Executive Director, Southern Seven Health Department (S7); Michael Glasser, Project Co-Principal Investi- gator, RMED Program, University of Illinois College of Medicine at Rockford (UICOM-R); Andi Battista, UICOM-R; Lucinda Beier, Applied Social Research Unit, Illinois State University (ASRU); Kathleen Brown, University of Illinois Extension (McDonough County); Lindy Wilson-Burrows, Director, Pike County Health De- partment; Julie Myers Casper, Center for Rural Health, of Illinois College of Medicine in Rockford, Illinois. CRHP was established in July 2000 and its mission is to promote interdisciplinary, Illinois Department of Public Health (CRH-IDPH); Dale Flach, UICOM-R; Kelly Hall, ASRU; Mike Han- cock, S7; Richard Londo, UICOM-R; Jeri Marxman, Extension; Ben Mueller, Extension; Sharon Mumford, S7; Julia Norem, Director of Nursing, Boone County Health Department; John Pickering, Director, Ford- Iroquois Health Department; Dana Swanson, UICOM-R; Ellen Smith, UICOM-R; Marge Stearns, UICOM-R; Janet Stierwalt, Director, Cumberland County Health Depart- ment; John van Es, Extension. Dedication: In memory of Lindy Wilson-Burrows, an advocate for rural public health and community- campus partnerships in health care. Corresponding author: Michael Glasser, PhD, Univer- sity of Illinois, College of Medicine at Rockford, 1601 Parkview Avenue, Rockford, IL 61107. 230