Nevada is a land of vast open plains, sheep, cattle, spectacular deserts and magnificent mountains. It is home to more than 50 percent of the Nation's wild horses. Nevada attracted early settlers during the mining boom with the discovery of one of the largest silver lodes in the world at Comstock Mine. Mining still continues for gold, silver, copper, and other minerals and gems. Today Nevada attracts tourists from all over the world to its scenic resort areas and gambling casinos. Nevada covers 110,567 square miles, with a 2011 estimated population of 268,302 2,455,020 people – 268,302 living in rural Nevada (USDA-ERS). Carson City, the capital, is located in the western region of the state. The state’s largest cities are Las Vegas, Reno, Henderson and North Las Vegas. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 77.7% of the state’s population is white, 8.6% is African American/Black, 7.7% is Asian, 1.6% is American Indian & Alaska Native, and 27.1% is of Hispanic/Latino origin (2011).
There are 36 hospitals in Nevada (Kaiser, 2010), 13 of which are located in rural areas (North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center, Dec. 2008). The state has 11 hospitals identified by the Flex Monitoring Team as Critical Access Hospitals (March 2013). There are 9 Rural Health Clinics in Nevada (Kaiser, 2012), and 2 Federally Qualified Health Centers provide services at 32 sites in the state (Kaiser, 2010). Most Nevadans have some form of health insurance coverage, although 22.0% of its residents lack health insurance (Kaiser, 2011).
According to the Economic Research Service, the average per-capita income for Nevadans in 2009 was $37,670, although rural per-capita income lagged at $36,565. Estimates from 2010 indicate a poverty rate of 11.8% exists in rural Nevada, compared to a 15.0% level in urban areas of the state. 2010 ACS data reports that 12.1% of the rural population has not completed high school, compared to 7.9% of urban populations. The unemployment rate in rural Nevada is at 12.0%, while in urban Nevada it is at 13.7%(USDA-ERS, 2011).
For a national comparison, please see an overview of the United States.
Data Sources
U.S. Census Bureau: State & County QuickFacts; USDA Economic Research Service: State Fact Sheets; North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center; Kaiser Family Foundation State Health Facts; Flex Monitoring Team: Critical Access Hospital List
Organizations
Administration for Children and Families: Region 9 (ACF)
Federal government
Dedicated to promoting and enhancing the economic independence and social well-being of children, families, individuals, and communities. ACF Region 9 serves Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, American Samoa, the Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, the Marshall Islands, Republic of Palau, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
California/Nevada Community Action Partnership
State/regional organization
Provides services to members throughout California and Nevada including: Head Start, senior nutrition, job training, community economic development, homeless shelters, after school and other youth programs, Food Banks, community gardens and other anti-hunger programs, energy assistance and home weatherization services.
Community Services Agency (CSA)
State/regional organization
Information and resources on a variety human service issues for northern Nevada that include housing, weatherization, financial literacy, computer classes, and Head Start.
Health Information Technology Regional Extension Center: Nevada and Utah
State/regional organization
Nevada and Utah State Health Information Technology Regional Extension Center (REC) that helps health care providers become meaningful users of electronic health records by providing information and technical assistance.
HUD Community Development Block Grants: Nevada
Federal government
Contact information for the State CDBG program. Provides funding for community development projects.
National Network of Libraries of Medicine, Pacific Southwest Region (NN/LM-PSR)
State/regional organization
Supports collaboration among libraries and information centers that serve health information needs in Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, and the U.S. Territories in the Pacific Basin.
Nevada Area Health Education Center Program
State/regional organization
Works to enhance access to quality health care, particularly primary and preventive care, by improving the supply and distribution of health care professionals through community/academic educational partnerships.
Nevada Commission on Economic Development (NCED)
State/regional organization
Provides information, resources and training programs that support the economic development of Nevada.
Nevada Community Action Association
State/regional organization
A statewide group representing the needs of the CSBG entities in the 17 counties of Nevada.
Nevada Department of Education: Special Education
State government
The state agency that assists special education teachers in meeting the language, socioeconomic backgrounds and students who have disabilities.
Nevada Department of Employment, Training & Rehabilitation (DETR)
State government
Connects Nevada's businesses with a qualified workforce and ensure equal employment opportunities.
Nevada Department of Employment, Training, and Rehabilitation: Rehabilitation Division
State government
Provides services for people with disabilities to help enable them to work and live independently.
Nevada Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHS)
State government
Promotes the health and well-being of Nevadans through the delivery or facilitation of essential services to ensure families are strengthened, public health is protected, and individuals achieve their highest level of self-sufficiency.
Nevada Department of Health and Human Services: Mental Health & Developmental Services (MHDS)
State government
Working in partnership with consumers, families, advocacy groups, agencies, and diverse communities, the Division of Mental Health and Developmental Services provides responsive services and informed leadership to ensure quality outcomes. This mission includes treatment in the least restrictive environment, prevention, education, habitation, and rehabilitation for Nevadans challenged with mental illness or mental retardation.
Nevada Division of Mental Health and Developmental Services
State government
Working in partnership with consumers, families, advocacy groups, agencies, and diverse communities, the Division of Mental Health and Developmental Services provides responsive services and informed leadership to ensure quality outcomes.
Nevada Elder Protective Services
State government
Provides elder protective services for persons 60 years old and older who may experience abuse, neglect, exploitation, or isolation. Elder Protective Services serves all of Nevada.
Nevada Housing Division (NHD)
State government
Assists and encourages the private sector and other government entities in the creation and maintenance of affordable housing throughout the State of Nevada.
Nevada Rural Hospital Partners (NRHP)
State/regional organization
An alliance of 14 small and rural hospitals in Nevada.
Nevada Rural Housing Authority (NRHA)
State/regional organization
A public housing authority that administers affordable housing programs across the State of Nevada.
Nevada State Health Division
State government
Promotes and protects the health of all Nevadans and visitors to the state through its leadership in public health and enforcement of laws and regulations pertaining to public health.
Nevada State Health Division: Office of Minority Health
State government
Works to improve the quality of health care services for members of minority groups; and to increase access to health care services; to seek ways to provide education, address, treat and prevent diseases and conditions that are prevalent among minority populations.
Nevada State Office of Rural Health
State government
Provides technical assistance activities to rural communities through workshops, dissemination of information, and recruitment and retention of health care practitioners. A division of the Center for Education and Health Services Outreach at the University of Nevada School of Medicine.
Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC)
Nonprofit/Foundation
Helps rural communities in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming to improve community infrastructure. Offers numerous services including loans for housing and environment.
Southwest Telehealth Resource Center (SWTRC)
State/regional organization
One of the telehealth resource centers funded by the federal Office for the Advancement of Telehealth. Assists health care organizations, health care networks, and health care providers in the implementation of cost-effective telehealth programs to serve rural and medically underserved areas and populations. Includes Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, and Nevada.
State of Nevada: Division of Welfare and Supportive Services
State government
Works to establish paternity and collect financial support for children.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development: Nevada
Federal government
Works to increase homeownership, support community development and increase access to affordable housing. The HUD state office provides information about HUD housing programs and local contacts for the state.
University of Nevada School of Medicine (UNSOM)
Academic/Research
A research-intensive, community-based, statewide medical school.
USDA Rural Development Nevada State Office
Federal government
Committed to helping improve the economy and quality of life in all of rural America. The Rural Development State Office provides information about Rural Development programs and applications for financial assistance.
Western Rural Development Center (WRDC)
State/regional organization
One of four regional development centers in the nation. Participates in rural development research and extension (outreach) projects cooperatively with universities in the West. Serves a 13 state area in the Western region and 4 U.S. Pacific Territories, which includes WA, UT, WY, NV, ID, HI, CA, AZ, AK, OR, NM, MT, and CO.
Tools
California STD/HIV Prevention Training Center
Website
Provides training courses that are designed to meet the needs of medical, health, and community professionals serving persons and communities impacted by STD and HIV. Service area includes the federal Health and Human Services Region IX: California, Arizona, Nevada, Hawaii, and the following Pacific Islands: American Samoa, the Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau.
ERS State Fact Sheet: Nevada
Website
Lists statistics on population, educational attainment, employment, income, farm characteristics, and farm financial indicators for the state.
National Healthcare Quality Report State Snapshot: Nevada
Website
Health care quality report for the state, based on the National Healthcare Quality Report.
Nevada Health Centers Research & Data
Website
Provides access to information on Federally Qualified Health Centers for the state. Includes a map of FQHC locations, as well as information on the populations served by health centers, services provided, staff, patient visits, costs of care, and use of electronic health information.
Nevada KIDS COUNT Data Center (KCDC)
Website
Provides data on child well-being for the state.
Nevada QuickFacts
Website
Basic demographic and economic statistics for the state, with links to county-level data.
Nevada Rural Hospital Partners Revenue Cycle Improvement Program
Website
Developed to enable small and rural hospitals to achieve optimal financial performance in a challenging financial and regulatory environment.
Nevada State Health Facts
Database
The latest state-level data on demographics, health, and health policy, including health coverage, access, financing, and state legislation. Individual state profiles and 50-state comparisons.
NN/LM Pacific Southwest Region: Nevada Resources
Website
Overview of the state, with links to state agencies, health associations, and other resources for Nevada.
Project ECHO Nevada
Website
A telehealth linkage connecting University-based faculty specialists to primary care providers in rural and underserved areas to extend specialty care to patients with chronic, costly and complex medical illnesses.
See also: State-by-State Resources: Tools Funding
Community Facility Loans
Loans to help create and improve essential community facilities in the rural West.
Dollar General Youth Literacy Grants
Funding to schools, public libraries, and nonprofit organizations to help students who are below grade level or experiencing difficulty reading.
Environmental Infrastructure Loans
Loans to finance water and waste facility projects in the rural West.
Gannett Foundation Community Action Grants
Supports local organizations with funding priority given to programs that focus on education and neighborhood improvement, economic development, youth development, community problem-solving, assistance to disadvantaged people, environmental conservation, and cultural enrichment.
Rural Community Assistance Corporation Housing Loans
Offers loans to create, improve, or expand the supply of affordable housing for communities in the rural West.
Wells Fargo Corporate Giving Programs
Funding for nonprofit organizations in the areas of community development, education, human services, arts and culture, civic responsibility, and environmental consciousness.
Inactive Funding
Inactive Funding Opportunities -
Lists additional funding programs for this state that are not currently accepting applications. Programs that are inactive may be offered again in the future.
Documents, Reports and Other Publications
2012 WICHE Workplan: It's All About Outcomes
Sponsoring organization: Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education
Discusses WICHE's focus in 2012 which includes finance, access and success, workforce and society, technology and innovation, and accountability. Highlights students exchange programs in rural and underserved areas, rural healthcare initiatives, and rural primary care clinics.
Date: 09 / 2011
Around the Country: Mobile EMS Lab Improves Critical Care in Nevada's High Desert
Author(s): Candi Helseth
Sponsoring organization: Rural Assistance Center
Highlights Humboldt General Hospital Emergency Medical Services, in Nevada, which is taking ultrasound and lab out in the field to improve patient outcomes.
Journal citation: Rural Monitor Volume 2011 Issue Fall
Date: 11 / 2011
Changing West: A Regional Overview
Author(s): Don E. Albrecht
Sponsoring organization: Western Rural Development Center
Provides baseline data for identifying population changes in the western states for use in advancing rural development.
Date: 2008
College Access Challenge Grant (CACG) Program
Sponsoring organization: Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education
Describes practices and lessons learned in Alaska, Nevada, North Dakota, and Washington during the second year of the federal College Access Challenge Grant program. Includes rural locations.
Date: 02 / 2011
Demographic and Economic Profile: Nevada
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute
Presents demographics, economics, and research on Nevada. Includes statistics, data, maps, charts, and graphs.
Date: 10 / 2008
Education: A Regional Overview
Author(s): Don E. Albrecht
Sponsoring organization: Western Rural Development Center
Explores education characteristics in the western states and examines how it impacts rural development.
Date: 2008
Employment, Income and Poverty: A Regional Overview
Author(s): Don E. Albrecht
Sponsoring organization: Western Rural Development Center
Examines and compares employment and income in western states with both rural and urban data.
Date: 2008
Health and Longevity: A Regional Overview
Author(s): Don E. Albrecht
Sponsoring organization: Western Rural Development Center
Examines health and longevity for states in the western region.
Date: 2008
Health Care Careers in Nevada: 2011-2012
Sponsoring organization: Nevada Area Health Education Center Program
Contain information on health care occupations in Nevada, including job requirements, employment outlook, and average salary data. Also, provides a detailed inventory of educational certificate and degree programs in Nevada for each health care occupation. Targeted to middle and high school students, and others interested in health careers.
Date: 2010
Land Use and Resources: A Regional Overview
Author(s): Don E. Albrecht
Sponsoring organization: Western Rural Development Center
Examines land use and resources in the western states.
Date: 2008
Nevada Rural and Frontier Health Data Book 2013
Author(s): Tabor Griswold, John Packham, Laima Etchegoyhen, Christopher Marchand, Brian Lee
Sponsoring organization: Nevada State Office of Rural Health
Contains data on demographics, social and economic characteristics, population health status and insurance coverage, and health care workforce for the state of Nevada. Tables display data by region and distinguish between rural, frontier, and urban regions.
Date: 2013
Oral Health: Preventing Cavities, Gum Disease, and Tooth Loss Success Stories, 2010
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Describes successful oral health programs in Arkansas, Nevada, and Wisconsin.
Date: 2010
Recruiting Local People to Fill Health Care Needs
Author(s): Candi Helseth
Sponsoring organization: Rural Assistance Center
Discusses how frontier and rural health care providers looking for innovative ways to solve increasing workforce shortages, are recruiting and training local people to be health care professionals in their communities. Highlights programs in Nevada, Maryland, and Alaska.
Journal citation: Rural Monitor Volume 2007 Issue Summer
Date: 08 / 2007
Small Business Profile: Nevada
Sponsoring organization: Small Business Administration
Profile of the state's economy, covering the number of firms, industry composition, small business income, banking, women and minority business ownership, and employment.
Date: 2 / 2013
State of Nevada: Population Brief
Author(s): Don E. Albrecht
Sponsoring organization: Western Rural Development Center
Access baseline information for the advancement of rural development that examines population changes and characteristics within Nevada. Files are available for each county or as a statewide overview.
Date: 2008
Workforce Development for Rural Mental Health
Sponsoring organization: National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health
A summary of key findings from a NOSORH project in partnership with the Nevada Office of Rural Health and the National Center for Frontier Communities (NCFC) that focused on workforce development for rural mental health in Kansas, Nevada, and Virginia.
Date: 09 / 2009
See also: State-by-State Resources: Documents |
