State Office of Rural Health Frequently Asked Questions
Depending upon the program and agency, various definitions of rural exist. For grant programs from the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP), all counties that are not part of a Metropolitan Area are considered rural by definition. In Metropolitan counties, Rural-Urban Commuting Area (RUCA) Codes define the rural areas eligible for the various FORHP grant programs.
Click here to learn more about eligibility for federal grants from the FORHP.
The State Office of Rural Health (SORH) does not in any way limit our technical assistance or services to just those counties or communities that meet the FORHP’s definition of rural.
Various Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) grant opportunities fund rural health projects in communities meeting the federal definition of rural.
Rural Health Care Services Outreach Grant Program
The emphasis of this grant program is on service delivery through creative strategies requiring the grantee to work with at least two additional consortium members.
Rural Health Network Development Planning Grant Program
This grant program provides one year of funding to rural communities needing assistance in the development of an integrated health care network. Planning grants provide funding to develop a formal network with the purpose of improving the coordination of health services in rural communities and strengthening the rural healthcare system as a whole.
Rural Health Network Development Grant Program
These grants are designed to further ongoing collaborative relationships among healthcare organizations by funding rural health networks that focus on integrating clinical, informational, administrative, and financial systems across members.
Rural health-related funding opportunities can also be found on the Rural Health Information Hub.
In addition, the SORH distributes announcements of funding opportunities as they arise via the rural health listserv. To be added to this List, send your request to PCRH@odh.ohio.gov.
County Health Rankings and Roadmaps from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Ohio Department of Health (ODH) Information Warehouse
Ohio Development Services Agency County Profiles
Ohio Flex Program Regional Community Health Needs Assessment Project
U.S. Census Bureau State and County QuickFacts
U.S. Census Bureau American FactFinder
The Rural Health Information Hub also maintains a guide to assist with finding statistics and data related to rural health, including sources of county-level data.