RAC's Five Year Anniversary

For immediate release:
December 10, 2007

RELEASE – SHORT VERSION
Rural Assistance Center Celebrates 5-Year Anniversary, 1.5 Million Visits with Release of New Home Page

The Rural Assistance Center (RAC), a national information resource for rural health and human services information, is celebrating its five-year anniversary this month. As part of its celebration, RAC is launching a redesigned home page and is hosting Elizabeth Duke, the top administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). Since its launch in December 2002, RAC’s web site has received over 1.5 million visits, with over half a million coming in the last year. In addition, RAC has responded to almost 5,000 customized assistance requests from people in all 50 states and over 20 foreign countries. RAC’s services include an extensive web site that is updated daily, periodic electronic updates, and customized assistance provided by RAC’s knowledgeable and committed information specialists.

Based at the University of North Dakota Center for Rural Health, RAC is a collaboration of the University of North Dakota and the Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI). It is funded through HRSA's Office of Rural Health Policy.

The Rural Assistance Center can be accessed on the web at www.raconline.org or by calling 1-800-270-1898 or e-mailing info@raconline.org.

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Contact:
Kristine Sande, RAC project director, 701-777-6466, ksande@medicine.nodak.edu
Mary Wakefield, Center for Rural Health director, 701-777-3848, mwake@medicine.nodak.edu

An electronic version of this press release and webcast of our press conference on December 10th at 10 a.m. CST is available online at: http://www.raconline.org/anniversary/

12-10-07