Where you live shouldn’t impact your options and opportunity to live a happy, healthy life.
About NCRHA
Membership
Resources
NCRHA advocates for health access and equity for every North Carolinian, regardless of who they are or where they live.
Better Health Begins at Home
Nearly 40 percent of North Carolinians call a rural community home. Building a healthy North Carolina can only happen when those communities have the power to drive decision-making around solutions to the most pressing needs they face. NCRHA exists to listen, learn, and help communities lead toward a healthier future for everyone, regardless of zip code.
Invested in Supporting Rural Health
NCRHA is a collaborative network of associations, organizations, and individuals representing healthcare, education, economic development, local government, and a variety of other stakeholders invested in supporting rural health. The organization and its membership are committed to amplifying the voice of North Carolina’s rural communities, helping foster a movement to improve the health and well-being of all citizens.
Who We Are
The North Carolina Rural Health Association (NCRHA) is the official state affiliate of the National Rural Health Association (NRHA), led by the Foundation for Health Leadership & Innovation (FHLI). Our extensive membership network includes organizations and individuals committed to advancing health equity and access to care by amplifying the voices of our vibrant rural communities.
NCRHA serves as a single organizer to connect, foster, share, advocate, and offer a unified voice that promotes better rural health outcomes for the people who call rural North Carolina home.
Building a healthy North Carolina can only happen when we amplify the voice of uniquely rural communities. We exist to listen, learn, and lead a movement that keeps rural health at the forefront of every conversation about our state’s health.
Our Story
FHLI was founded in 1982 by James D. Bernstein, who demonstrated a lifelong dedication to improving the health and wellness of North Carolina’s rural communities. Building on his legacy, the organization houses NCRHA, which hosts a collaborative network of associations, organizations, and individuals invested in supporting rural health.
The Community Voice Approach
NCRHA applies FHLI’s Community Voice approach, based on human-centered design principles, in our work to build a healthier North Carolina. In addition to centering and uplifting rural community voices in all our work, we advocate for system-level changes that will enable all our communities to have their own seats at their own decision-making tables.
Resources
North Carolina Rural Health Snapshot
We publish an annual North Carolina Rural Health Snapshot that compiles data on statewide rural demographics, rural health, and health care infrastructure. This comprehensive report is a resource for anyone advocating for rural communities, health equity, and access to care. It identifies opportunities for North Carolina to improve how our public health system serves our rural population by outlining differences, disparities, and strengths of underserved North Carolina communities.
Become an NCRHA Member
Neither your race nor zip code should drive your health. Join NCRHA to advocate for whole-person, whole-community rural health!
2024 Membership Drive Coming Soon
NCRHA brings together a diverse network of partners, including students, community- and faith-based organizations, statewide associations, educational institutions, government representatives, and corporations dedicated to advancing rural health through advocacy, collaboration, and education.
As an association member, you will connect and network with fellow statewide advocates to amplify your work, keep rural health at the center of the conversation, and advocate for systems-level change.
NCRHA Work Groups
NCRHA work groups foster network- and community-based collaboration to drive rural health solutions. All members have the opportunity to join any NCRHA work group.
Health Equity
Provides advice, guidance, and recommendations to advance health equity in underserved communities, including creating social and physical environments that promote good health for all in rural North Carolina.
Chair: Bridgett Luckey, MHA, Manager of Uninsured Programs, Vidant Health
Behavioral Health
Convenes individuals and organizations working in behavioral health, including substance use/addiction, focused on access, quality, affordability, co-occurrence, social stressors, and the COVID-19 Pandemic’s ongoing impact in rural communities
Chair: Open
Rural Coalition Fighting COVID-19
Examines existing data on vaccination rates and social vulnerability areas, provides input on gaps in rural health engagement regarding population health, and identifies strategies for bridging those gaps
Chair: Open
Policy and Legislation
Raises health issues affecting rural communities within the group and monitors actions of the NC General Assembly as they pertain to rural health throughout our state, including assisting staff with developing an annual legislative agenda
Chair: Open
Upcoming Events
NCRHA Joint Legislative Breakfast, 2024
NCRHA will host its annual legislative breakfast with partner programs the North Carolina Oral Health Collaborative and the Center of Excellence for Integrated Care on May 7, 2024. More details and registration can be found here.
