This resource guide reflects, largely through statistical information, the status of health care in rural New York State. It is divided into five sections: (1) Demographics, Socioeconomics, and Technology; (2) Client Needs; (3) Provider Needs; (4) Designing an Integrated Rural Health System; and (5) Developing a Rural Health System for New York State. The first section offers information on the state's population, employment, and income distributions across six types of counties categorized by the extent of urbanization from metropolitan to limited urban influence. The second section gives statistics on birth, health, and infant and other mortality rates, as well as information on health payment sources. The third section looks at availability of services, reimbursement, the education and training of health care personnel, and rural health networking. The fourth section examines the goals and criteria for designing an integrated state health system that includes both client services and the components that link them. The fifth section further discusses the mechanisms, tools, policies, and strategies for implementing a rural health framework and its components. Four appendices use national data to examine the following topics: (1) selected U.S. facts of interest to rural health; (2) rural health system components in other states; (3) system development alternatives in other states; and (4) emerging rural health system components in New York State. This document also includes a subject index and a bibliography of 40 entries. (TES)