Beyond Innovation: How Philanthropy Can Strengthen Systems to Improve Rural Health Outcomes
Sometimes innovation in philanthropy is associated with breakthrough technologies or new medical discoveries. But some of the most impactful investments fund something less visible: the coordination of people, protocols, and institutions already in place so they work together seamlessly to save lives.
Reimagining Rural Health and Well-being
To inform positive change, Grantmakers in Health (GIH) and the National Rural Health Association (NRHA) are partnering to reimagine a unified vision for health and well-being in rural America. The Georgia Health Policy Center (GHPC) was engaged to conduct a landscape analysis and facilitate listening sessions with rural health stakeholders at the local, state, and national levels.
Reimagining Rural Health Listening Sessions
The Georgia Health Policy Center facilitated two listening sessions—an in-person session in May 2025 (before H.R.1) with 12 representatives from public and private funders and health systems, and a virtual session in July 2025 (post H.R.1) with 21 program implementers from health care and community-based organizations.
Reimagining Rural Health Landscape Analysis
The Georgia Health Policy Center conducted a landscape analysis and key informant interviews between February and April 2025 to capture a snapshot of effective practices of funders (public and private), program implementers (including federally funded grantees, nonprofits, and providers), and support organizations (e.g., state public health institutes, nonprofit organizations, and rural research centers) in rural areas.
Protecting Children’s Access to Health Care in Schools: The Impact of Medicaid Cuts on School Health Services
“Due to the remote area we serve, our students have little to no access to medical services otherthan those provided in schools.”—Superintendent from a rural school district in Michigan. Schools are essential places for children to access health services. An estimated 40 percent ofschool-aged children have at least one chronic health condition (National Survey of Children’sHealth, 2019). Among low-income children with special health careneeds, approximately 87percent do not receive necessary care, primarily due to financial costs and limited access (Childand Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative, 2022). Providing health care at school, where children spend most of their days, is crucial to addressing these concerns.