Organizations
Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC)
Federal government
Supports economic and social development in all of West Virginia and parts of twelve other states: Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.
Center for Rural Pennsylvania
State government
Works to maximize resources and strategies that can better serve the needs of Pennsylvania's rural residents.
Center on Rural Education and Communities (CREC)
Academic/Research
Located at Pennsylvania's State University's College of Education and works to conduct and support both research and outreach activities that address rural education and community-related issues in Pennsylvania.
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.
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.
Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development (NERCRD)
State/regional organization
One of four regional rural development centers in the nation. Focuses on rural issues including community and economic development, food systems, natural resources, and entrepreneurship. Serves a 12 state area in the Northeast region which includes CT, DE, MA, NJ, NY, RI, PA, WV, NH, ME, MD, VT.
Pennsylvania Area Health Education Center (AHEC)
State/regional organization
Increases access to primary health care services through a training model of community-based health professions education.
Pennsylvania Area Health Education Center (AHEC)
State/regional organization
Helps meet the health care needs of underserved communities by improving the supply and distribution of the health professions workforce.
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 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 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.
Quality Insights of Pennsylvania (Eastern and Western)
State/regional organization
Pennsylvania 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.
Resources for Communities and People Solutions
State/regional organization
Works with communities of all sizes to address a broad range of needs.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development: Pennsylvania (HUD)
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.
Documents, Reports and Other Publications
2008 Attitudinal Survey of Pennsylvania Rural Residents
Author(s): Fern K. Willits, A.E. Luloff, Michael W-P Fortunato
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
Reports that in 2008, rural Pennsylvania respondents were more likely than urban respondents to be dissatisfied with their current situation and more pessimistic about improvements in the state’s economy.
Date: 11 / 2010
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
Analyses of Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Data for Rural Health Outcomes
Author(s): Kimberly Y.Z. Forrest, Yi Lin
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
Addresses the health conditions and risk factors of and the use of preventive services by Pennsylvania’s rural population.
Date: 05 / 2010
Analysis of Rural and Urban Pennsylvania Adults Taking, Completing and Passing the GED
Author(s): Barbara L. Van Horn, Cathy Kassab
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
Addresses the success of rural and urban Pennsylvania residents in obtaining a General Educational Development (GED) credential and identifies programs to serve the educational needs of these students.
Date: 01 / 2011
Analysis of Sexual Assault Data
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
Analyses data collected by the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape from 2009 to 2011 to better understand the extent of reported sexual assaults in rural counties in Pennsylvania.
Date: 09 / 2012
Around the Country: Phones Enable Smart Wound Care in Rural Areas
Author(s): Candi Helseth
Sponsoring organization: Rural Assistance Center
Features nurses in rural Pennsylvania, who can use their smart phones to send images for diagnosis without the patients having to leave their homes. Features Center of Excellence for Remote and Medically Under-Served Areas (CERMUSA) in Loretto, PA, and Home Nursing Agency (HNA) in Altoona, PA.
Journal citation: Rural Monitor Volume 2012 Issue Summer
Date: 08 / 2012
Case Studies on Transit and Livable Communities in Rural and Small Town America
Author(s): Sean Barry
Sponsoring organization: Transportation for America
Collection of 12 case studies providing examples of how small cities, towns, and rural regions across the country are transforming themselves into more livable communities.
Date: 09 / 2010
Challenges and Opportunities for Community Banks in Rural Pennsylvania
Author(s): Victoria Geyfman, Jonathan Scott
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
Discusses the issues for community banks in Pennsylvania. Community banks have a unique perspective on their local economies because of their heavy involvement in community development projects and local businesses.
Date: 01 / 2010
Collaborative Leadership: Partnerships Between Regional Development Organizations and Community Foundations
Author(s): Parrish Bergquist, Kathy Nothstine, Anju Chopra
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Development Organizations
Explores the strategies and rewards behind
eight partnerships between community foundations and
RDOs (Rural Development Organizations) in Alabama, Iowa, Minnesota, North Carolina, Virginia, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Texas.
Date: 07 / 2012
Comparison of Regulated Child Care in Rural and Urban Pennsylvania
Author(s): Elizabeth E. Manlove, Margaret S. Benson, Martha J. Strickland, Richard J. Fiene
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
Provides a comparison of regulated child care in rural and urban counties in Pennsylvania.
Date: 05 / 2011
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
Direct Care Worker Training for Aging Clients with Developmental Disabilities
Author(s): J. Beth Mabry, M. Elizabeth Kemeny, Ashley Chateau, Loni Yatsko
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
Reports that Pennsylvania policies governing direct care workers' training for aging and mental retardation/developmental disabilities services are inconsistent across provider facility types, even though the populations and their needs are often similar.
Date: 07 / 2010
Evaluation of Strategies and Finances of the Rural Tourism Industry
Author(s): Paula A. Duda Holoviak
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
Discusses the rural tourism industry and how tax dollars are spent to promote tourism in Pennsylvania.
Date: 04 / 2012
Examination of Mobile Homes in Rural Pennsylvania
Author(s): Brent Yarnal, Destiny Aman
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
Reports that rural Pennsylvania’s mobile home residents may face issues of land tenure,
financing and ownership, spatially restrictive institutional barriers, and increased
vulnerability to hazards not experienced by traditional site-built homeowners.
Date: 11 / 2009
Examination of Pennsylvania Rural County Jails
Author(s): Gary Zajac, Lindsay Kowalski
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
Examines the operation of Pennsylvania’s 44 rural county jails.
Date: 12 / 2012
Examination of Rural County Veterans Affairs Offices
Author(s): Michael Behney, Auden Thomas, Stephanie Wehnau, et al.
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
Examines how rural County Veterans Affairs Offices (CVAOs) in Pennsylvania are meeting the needs of veterans in that state.
Date: 07 / 2012
Examination of Small Business Owners in Rural Pennsylvania
Author(s): Prashanth N. Bharadwaj, Stephen W. Osborne, Eric D. Palmer, Ramesh G. Soni, Joette M. Wisnieski
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
Provides a profile of rural Pennsylvania small businesses, including a profile of the typical rural small business owner, their use of publicly available service providers and their satisfaction with these service providers.
Date: 04 / 2010
Examination of Transportation Services Available to Rural Military Veterans for Medical Services
Author(s): Marianne M. Hillemeier, Lisa Davis, Christopher Calkins, Barbara Kinne, Ann Myatt James
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
Reports on the services available to veterans in Pennsylvania and found that rural veterans have ongoing needs for healthcare and sometimes face significant challenges in accessing care.
Date: 01 / 2012
Food Assistance Program Outreach During the Recession
Author(s): Suzanne McDevitt
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
Assesses four major food assistance programs for their impact during the recession of December 2007 to June 2009.
Date: 12 / 2012
GED Preparation Through Distance Learning in Rural Pennsylvania
Author(s): Esther Prins, Brendaly Drayton, Ramazan Gungor, Cathy Kassab
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
Identifies the types and use of GED distance education in rural Pennsylvania; describes the demographic characteristics and participation patterns of rural GED students in distance learning and face-to-face classes; determines the effectiveness of distance learning in preparing rural students to pass the GED tests; assesses the cost of distance learning provision; and examines the advantages and disadvantages of distance learning for GED study.
Date: 05 / 2011
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
Information Systems Security Readiness Assessment for Municipalities in Rural Pennsylvania
Author(s): Jungwoo Ryoo, Tulay Girard, Charlotte E. McConn
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
Assessed the information systems security readiness of municipalities in rural Pennsylvania.
Date: 11 / 2009
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
Pennsylvania County Property Reassessment: Impact on Local Government Finances and the Local Economy
Author(s): Jeffrey A. Weber, Lauren Scott, Carol Andersen, Michele Dakouri
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
Examines the relationships between the frequency of countywide reassessments and local tax revenues, tax equity, personal income, unemployment rates, and median home values in Pennsylvania.
Date: 11 / 2010
Pennsylvania Firefighters: Fire Company Capacity, 2001 and 2012
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
Reports that Pennsylvania fire companies are continuing to meet the needs of their communities.
Date: 12 / 2012
Pennsylvania Firefighters: Recruitment and Retention, 2001 and 2012
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
Identifies patterns in recruitment and retention of firefighters across Pennsylvania and measures the capacity of fire companies to meet their communities’ emergency needs.
Date: 11 / 2012
Pennsylvanians’ Attitudes Toward Renewable Energy
Author(s): Clare Hinrichs, Richard Ready, John Eshleman, James Yoo
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
Reports that Pennsylvanians highly rate hydropower, solar electricity and wind power, followed by nuclear power and natural gas, for electricity generation.
Date: 07 / 2012
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
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
Receipt of Preventive Counseling Among Reproductive-aged Women in Rural and Urban Communities
Author(s): Jennifer McCall-Hosenfeld, Carol Weisman
Investigates the association between rurality and receiving preventive counseling among women in Central Pennsylvania.
Journal citation: Rural and Remote Health Volume 11 Issue Online Pages: 1617
Date: 01 / 2011
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 Hospital Financial Conditions: Evaluating Financial Distress in Rural Pennsylvania Hospitals & An Analysis of Rural Hospital Financial Conditions
Author(s): John M. Trussel, Patricia A. Patrick, Jami DelliFraine, Lisa Davis, Harry Holt, Larry Baronner
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
Over the study period of 1997 to 2006, the financial health of Pennsylvania rural hospitals was tenuous; and critical access hospitals were among the worst performing. Trends also indicated that increased competition, physician recruitment and retention, and providing care for patients who are elderly, underinsured or uninsured are negatively impacting rural hospital finances.
Date: 03 / 2010
Rural Leaders and Leadership Development in Pennsylvania
Author(s): Lee L. Williams, Maria Julietta Lindsey
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
Discusses rural leaders in Pennsylvania and how they developed their skills to address the challenges that impact their communities.
Date: 01 / 2011
Rural Pennsylvania and the 2010 Census
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
Reports that Pennsylvania’s rural population grew during the last decade, and that its population is now older and more diverse than it was in 2000.
Date: 09 / 2011
Rural Pennsylvania Minority Population
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
Indicates that rural Pennsylvania is becoming more racially and ethnically diverse, as the number of rural minorities increased 62 percent from 2000 to 2010.
Date: 05 / 2012
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 Youth Education Project: Third Wave
Author(s): Diane K. McLaughlin, Mary Ann Demi, Anastasia R. Snyder
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
Contains the third wave of a longitudinal study that is examining the educational and career aspirations and future residential plans of rural Pennsylvania school students.
Date: 08 / 2010
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 Development Center Use in Pennsylvania
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
Includes a client profile of Pennsylvania Small Business Development Centers (SBDC). Includes demographic variables such as gender, race, ethnicity, veteran status, and handicapped status. Also profiles rural and urban clients and compares their use of SBDC services.
Date: 09 / 2011
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: 2 / 2013
Specialty Courts in Rural Pennsylvania: Establishment, Practice and Effectiveness
Author(s): Martha A. Troxell, Erika Frenzel
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
Explores specialty courts, including adult drug courts, juvenile drug courts, family drug courts, mental health courts, and driving under the influence courts, in rural Pennsylvania counties.
Date: 07 / 2011
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
Survey of Emergency Management and Preparedness Agencies in Pennsylvania's Rural Counties
Author(s): Thomas R. Mueller, Jamie D. Mitchem
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
Includes an analysis of Pennsylvania emergency preparedness policies and budgets, an online survey of county and regional emergency preparedness practitioners, and interviews with state emergency preparedness officials.
Date: 07 / 2010
Sustainability of Rural Community Health Service Providers
Author(s): Linda K. Kanzleiter, Myron R. Schwartz, Hleziphi Naomie Nyanungo
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
Describes the role that health centers play within the health care delivery system in Pennsylvania.
Date: 01 / 2010
Unemployment in Pennsylvania, 2003-2010
Author(s): Simon Condliffe
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
Examines the pattern of unemployment in rural
and urban counties in Pennsylvania from 2003 to 2010.
Date: 09 / 2012
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: State-by-State Resources: Documents
