Jonesboro, AR – Jonesboro Right Now – Driven by multiple challenges to the nation’s rural health and healthcare, ORAU (Oak Ridge Associated Universities) is taking steps to engage its member institutions in a collective search for solutions.
ORAU is bringing together 35 members of its University Consortium, including Arkansas State University, with the goal of finding solutions to these challenges by way of ORAU’s newly formed rural health Research Innovation Cluster (RIC). RIC is focused on four priority areas: workforce, access to care, women’s health, and preparedness and resilience.
“We are bringing interested members of our University Consortium together to share expertise, build partnerships, and engage in collaborative research efforts to look at solutions that can be applied both locally and nationally,” said Casey Thomas, strategic partnerships and engagement manager in the ORAU Research and University Partnerships Office.
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ORAU will host a workshop to kick off the rural health RIC on Thursday, Aug. 6. “The rural health RIC is a way to harness the power of our consortium, with a focus on translating research into practical application,” Thomas added.
Dr. Amanda Carpenter, assistant dean for research, associate professor and program director of public health, College of Nursing and Health Professions, will represent Arkansas State University in this inaugural workshop.
“This is a critical time to invest in rural health issues, and develop data-driven, evidence-based approaches. Rural communities make up nearly one-fifth of the country’s population, yet major gaps still drive rural health disparities in healthcare access, maternal and child health, mental health, chronic diseases, and healthcare workforce,” Carpenter said. “As the only research institution located in the Arkansas Delta region, and through our Institute for Rural Initiatives, A-State will continue our meaningful and impactful rural health work.”
The RIC initiative is a way to bring together members of ORAU’s University Consortium for initial conversation, idea generation and priority setting, and then expand to include other entities, including subject matter experts, healthcare providers, government agencies and community non-profits.
The RIC’s aim is to focus on solving complex problems that impact rural health and resilience across the country. For details about the rural health RIC, one may visit ORAU’s blog.
The ORAU consortium, with more than 170 educational institutions, is a recognized leader when the priorities of federal, state, local and commercial customers require innovative solutions. ORAU manages the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). For more information, visit https://www.orau.org/.
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