Pennsylvania is the birthplace of independence and the Constitution. Pennsylvania covers 44,817 square miles, with a 2008 estimated population of 12,448,279 people – with 1,980,386 people living in rural Pennsylvania (USDA-ERS). Harrisburg is the state capital. The state’s largest cities are Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Allentown. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 85.6% of the state’s population is white, 10.8% is Black/African-American, and 4.5% is of Hispanic/Latino origin (2007).
There are 170 hospitals in Pennsylvania, 47 of which are located in rural areas (North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center, Dec. 2008). The state has 13 hospitals currently identified by the Flex Monitoring Team as Critical Access Hospitals (April, 2009). There are 55 Rural Health Clinics in Pennsylvania (CMS, 2009), and 32 Federally Qualified Health Centers provide services at 189 sites in the state (Kaiser, 2007). 9.8% of Pennsylvania residents lack any health insurance (Kaiser, 2006-2007).
According to the USDA Economic Research Service, the average per-capita income for all Pennsylvania residents in 2007 was $38,793, although rural per-capita income lagged at $28,883. Estimates from 2007 indicate a poverty rate of 12.4% in rural Pennsylvania and 11.5% in urban areas of the state. Regarding education levels, 2000 data reports 20.3% of the rural population has not completed high school, while 17.7% of the urban population lacks a high school diploma. The unemployment rate in rural Pennsylvania is 5.9%, while in urban Pennsylvania it is 5.3% (USDA-ERS, 2008).
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
Center for Rural Pennsylvania
State government
Works to maximize resources and strategies that can better serve the needs of Pennsylvania's rural residents.
Community Action Association of Pennsylvania (CAAP)
State/regional organization
Is a statewide association representing and assisting the 43 Community Action Agencies as they work to empower people, giving them the opportunity to gain the skills and confidence they need to succeed. CAAP is dedicated to helping people help themselves and each other as they move from poverty to self-sufficiency.
Governor's Advisory Council on Rural Affairs
State government
The Council will provide leadership and the framework through which the collective resources of all it's partners will be used to identify and address rural need and opportunities.
Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania
State/regional organization
Is a statewide membership services organization that advocates for nearly 250 Pennsylvania acute and specialty care, primary care, subacute care, long-term care, home health, and hospice providers, as well as the patients and communities they serve.
HUD Community Development Block Grants: Pennsylvania
Federal government
Contact information for the State CDBG program. Provides funding for community development projects.
National Network of Libraries of Medicine, Middle Atlantic Region (NN/LM-MAR)
State/regional organization
Supports collaboration among libraries and information centers that serve health information needs in Delaware, New Jersey , New York and Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers
State/regional organization
Is the state primary care association representing Federally Qualified Health Centers and other like-mission providers located in underserved areas throughout the Commonwealth.
Pennsylvania Child Support Program
State government
The Department of Public Welfare, Bureau of Child Support Enforcement (BCSE), administers Pennsylvania's Child Support Enforcement Program through Cooperative Agreements with the 67 county Courts of Common Pleas.
Pennsylvania Department of Health
State government
The Department's mission is to promote healthy lifestyles, prevent injury and disease, and to assure the safe delivery of quality health care for all Commonwealth citizens.
Pennsylvania Department of Health: Office of Health Equity (OHE)
State government
Works with policy makers, insurers, health care providers and communities to implement policies and programs that result in a measurable and sustained improvement in the health status of underserved and disparate populations.
Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare
State government
Mission is to promote, improve and sustain the quality of family life; break the cycle of dependency; promote respect for employees;
protect and serve Pennsylvania's most vulnerable citizens; and manage our resources effectively.
Pennsylvania Nurses Association
Nonprofit/Foundation
Its vision is to be a strong and effective voice for all registered nurses in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania Office of Rural Health
State/regional organization
Works to improve the health of rural communities and their residents by compiling, analyzing, and disseminating information to policy makers. Also works to encourage partnerships and identify opportunities for collaboration and cooperation.
Pennsylvania Public Health Association
State/regional organization
Is a membership alliance working to promote the health of Pennsylvania residents through the advancement of sound public health policies and practice.
Pennsylvania Rural Health Association
State/regional organization
Serves as a collective voice for rural health issues and a conduit for information and resources.
Pennsylvania State University Cooperative Extension
Academic/Research
Provides outreach educational opportunities to individuals, families, businesses, and communities throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania/Delaware Area Health Education Center Program
Nonprofit/Foundation
Is committed to improving the healthcare needs of underserved communities in Pennsylvania and Delaware.
Resources for Communities and People Solutions
State/regional organization
Helps support rural community infrastructure in the northeastern United States.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development: Pennsylvania
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 Pittsburgh Center for Rural Health Practice
Academic/Research
Identifies and articulates health issues relevant to rural America. Works with all University of Pittsburgh campuses and schools, and with the UPMC Health System, providing access to many of the nation's top health researchers.
USDA Rural Development Pennsylvania 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.
Tools
AgrAbility for Pennsylvanians
Web site
AgrAbility for Pennsylvanians is a project combining the talents of Penn State Cooperative Extension, Easter Seals Central Pennsylvania and PA Assistive Technology Foundation. Our main funding source is the US Department of Agriculture. Under the umbrella of the National AgrAbility Project, we bring information and service to farmers and farm family members affected by disability in rural areas of the Commonwealth.
ERS State Fact Sheet: Pennsylvania
Web site
Lists statistics on population, educational attainment, employment, income, farm characteristics, and farm financial indicators for the state.
National Healthcare Quality Report State Snapshot: Pennsylvania
Web site
Health care quality report for the state, based on the National Healthcare Quality Report.
Pennsylvania QuickFacts
Web site
Basic demographic and economic statistics for the state, with links to county-level data.
Pennsylvania Health Centers Data
Web site
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.
Pennsylvania Health Workforce: Highlights from the Health Workforce Profile
Web site
Highlights compile 2000 data on levels of employment, projected growth and key environmental factors that affect demand for health care. Details for medicine, nursing, dentistry, pharmacy, mental health and aides.
Pennsylvania KIDS COUNT Data Center (KCDC)
Web site
Provides data on child well-being for the state.
Pennsylvania 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.
State Profiles- Pennsylvania: Health Information Technology (HIT)
Web site
Profiles the state’s health information technology (HIT) issues. Contains sections on demographics, HIT legislation, telemedicine, Health Information Exchanges (HIE) & Regional Health Information Organizations (RHIO), grant funded HIT projects, and HIT survey information.
Wind Turbine Economic Feasibility Calculator Protocol and Household Electricity Use Estimation Sheet
Tutorial
Was developed so that homeowners, local officials, and others located in rural communities could evaluate the feasibility of installing wind energy in their home, business or community, and determine its cost-effectiveness.
See also: Resources for All States: Tools Funding
BJ’s Charitable Foundation
Funding for safety, security and well-being of children and families, education and health programs, community service opportunities, and hunger and disaster relief.
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
Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drug Use Among Youth in Rural Pennsylvania
Author(s): Keith R. Aronson, Mark E. Feinberg, Lynn Kozlowski
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
Examines alcohol, tobacco and other drug use
among Pennsylvania’s rural youth. Identifies differences in rural versus urban drug use that
might impact policy decisions.
Date: 05 / 2009
Broadband Internet Use in Rural Pennsylvania
Author(s): Amy K. Glasmeier, Chris Benner, Chandrani Ohdedar
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
Uses case studies to provide a description of how healthcare, local government, education and business, in rural Pennsylvania are using broadband Internet technology.
Date: 05 / 2008
Comparison of Rural and Urban Middle-Income Households
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
Compares Pennsylvania’s rural and urban middle-income households, which are defined as those with yearly incomes of $37,501 to $57,000.
Date: 2007
Demographic and Economic Profile: Pennsylvania
Author(s): Kathleen K. Miller
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute
Discusses demographic and economic data including population, race, education, age, poverty, income, and more. Includes maps and graphics.
Date: 12 / 2008
Drug and Alcohol Treatment in Rural Pennsylvania
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
Discusses trends in drug and alcohol use and treatment such as the demographics of users and their drugs of choice and state police data for insight into related arrests and convictions.
Date: 05 / 2006
Farm to School Programs in Pennsylvania
Author(s): Clare Hinrichs, Kai Schafft
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
Discusses Farm to School programs in Pennsylvania which aim to increase the supply of fresh, locally grown farm products served for meals and snacks in K-12 school environments.
Date: 11 / 2008
Health Care Degree Programs: Their Role in Serving Pennsylvania’s Rural Health Care Workforce
Author(s): Myron R. Schwartz, Linda J. Kanzleiter, John George, Jeannie Nye
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
Examines the educational capacity of Pennsylvania’s degree granting programs in the health care disciplines and what this capacity implies for maintaining an adequate
health care workforce in the state.
Date: 07 / 2008
Is Bigger Better?: A Comparison of Rural School Districts
Author(s): Wenfan Yan
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
Results of a study which examined rural PA
countywide school districts, rural non-countywide school districts and mixed rural-urban school districts.
Date: 09 / 2006
Migration for Housing: Urban Families in Rural Living
Author(s): Sherri Lawson Clark
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
Examines the movement of low-income families from urban areas to rural Pennsylvania to find
available, affordable quality housing.
Date: 06 / 2008
Modeling Potential Wildlife-Wind Energy Conflict Areas
Author(s): Brian W. Okey, Michael J. Kuzemchak
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
Develops an approach to highlight areas in Pennsylvania where competing demands of wind development and wildlife protection are likely to emerge.
Date: 05 / 2009
Prisons and Rural Communities: Exploring Impact and Community Satisfaction
Author(s): Kevin E. Courtright, Michael J. Hannan, Susan H. Packard, Edward T. Brennan
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
Examines the relationship between rural communities and State Correctional Institutions in four rural communities in Pennsylvania.
Date: 05 / 2007
Profile of Rural Pennsylvania Elderly Women
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
Looks at the population of elderly women who are 65 years old and older living in rural Pennsylvania.
Protocol for Determining the Feasibility of Installing Dedicated Wind Energy in Pennsylvania Rural Communities
Author(s): Robert Weissbach, James Sonnenmeier
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
Discusses wind energy and is intended to be a first step in determining whether installation of a wind energy system is suitable for a particular site.
Date: 05 / 2008
Rural by the Numbers 2008: A Look at Pennsylvania’s Rural Population
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
Focuses on rural and urban similarities and differences among Pennsylvania demographic characteristics, income, health insurance, education, employment, and housing.
Date: 07 / 2008
Rural Exports: A Baseline Study
Author(s): Constantinos Christofides, Todd Behr, Pattabiraman Neelakantan
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
Examines the export industry in Pennsylvania to determine the characteristics, spatial distribution and economic significance of rural exporters.
Date: 05 / 2009
Rural School District Enrollment and Building Capacity: Projections for the Next 10 Years
Author(s): Wenfan Yan
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
Analyzes enrollment trends for rural school districts in Pennsylvania over the next 10 years, develops a statistical model to examine future building capacity needs, and determines whether school districts will be at risk of under- or over-capacity.
Date: 09 / 2009
Rural-Urban Analysis and Comparison of Health Insurance Benefits Offered by Small Businesses
Author(s): Martin Shields, Lisa Davis, Jennifer Halvorson, Jessica Sheer, Jennifer Hessert
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
Discusses business-sponsored healthcare and the challenges facing small businesses, which are those that employ less than 50 workers, to provide healthcare benefits for employees and their dependents.
Date: 05 / 2007
School Nurses on the Front Line: Challenges in Meeting the Diverse Health Needs of Rural Pennsylvania School Children
Author(s): Marianne M. Hillemeier, Lisa A. Davis, Carol A. Smith
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
School nurses are the health professionals most consistently involved with the health needs of children, particularly in rural areas where primary care providers are less likely to be located.
Date: 09 / 2007
Small Business Profile: Pennsylvania
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: 2008
Statewide Investigation into Meeting the Mandates of No Child Left Behind
Author(s): Patricia Smeaton, Faith Waters
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
Provides a comprehensive picture of the progress Pennsylvania’s rural and urban schools are making in meeting the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) mandates and offers considerations for additional program support for all schools.
Date: 02 / 2008
Studies on Unemployment and Underemployment in Rural Pennsylvania
Author(s): Jill L. Findeis, Martin Shields, Sundar Shrestha
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
Shows that unemployment was found to be a widespread problem across all rural Pennsylvania counties.
Date: 03 / 2009
Substance Abuse in Rural Pennsylvania: Present and Future
Author(s): Laurie Roehrich, William Meil, Jennifer Simansky, William Davis, Jr., Ryan Dunne
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
Reports on the current status and trends in substance use and treatment in rural Pennsylvania.
Date: 11 / 2007
Survey and Analysis of Alternative Education Programs II
Author(s): Nathaniel S. Hosley, Jessica Hosley, Myint Thein
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
Indicates that administrators and teachers believe that alternative education programs in Pennsylvania
are effective.
Date: 09 / 2009
Volunteer Firefighter Recruitment and Retention in Rural Pennsylvania
Author(s): Robert S. D'Intino
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
Identifies and evaluates the most effective strategies for increasing recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters. Includes a literature review, interviews, and published and unpublished reports.
Date: 05 / 2006
Your Agritourism Business in Pennsylvania: A Resource Handbook: Get Started and Keep Going in Agritourism
Author(s): Susan D. Ryan, Sean A. Hayes
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
Provides examples and worksheets to help people in Pennsylvania get started in agritourism which is a combination of agriculture and tourism.
Date: 07 / 2009
See also: Resources for All States: Documents |
