This nation is rapidly becoming an urbanized society and the rate of producing trained physicians is not increasing rapidly enough to keep up with the population explosion. This creates a problem for rural areas because, despite the many innovative efforts to entice physicians to establish a rural practice, new physicians are concentrated in the…

An experienced community health worker describes her experiences in the field as a basis for recommended guidelines for the role, philosophy, aims, and goals of community health workers. The role of the community health worker as a member of the health care team is explored, and the problem of recognition for community health workers is considered…

Describes step-by-step procedure for creating a 20-minute public relations slide/tape show for a large community mental health and home health agency in rural Maine. Emphasizes importance of face-to-face contact, identifying and addressing the potential audience, creating a neighbor-to-neighbor atmosphere, and imaginatively using graphics to…

A study of the use of dental hygienists to teach periodontics, preventive dentistry, community dentistry, and public health courses looked at employment patterns and practices and the qualifications of the teachers. (MSE)

Third World countries have used community health advisors (CHAs) for many years to deliver health services, health education, and linkages to isolated and underserved communities. In 1998 the National Community Health Advisor Study estimated there were at least 600 such programs in the United States using about 12,500 CHAs. Program activities and…

In 1994, the University of Denver received a grant to develop and operate the Frontier Mental Health Services Resource Network (FMHSRN). FMHSRN's principal aim was to improve delivery of mental health services in sparsely populated "frontier" areas by providing technical assistance to frontier and rural audiences. Traditional…

This paper discusses some of the factors that lead to the success of a health information library, including: (1) the mission statement; (2) practical matters such as location, equipment, furniture, and layout; (3) considerations in writing the procedure and policy manual; (4) confidentiality; (5) staff and volunteer training; (6) sources of…

This essay is based on a series of roundtables convened through the Knight Collaborative National Medical Education Roundtable. It reports that the challenges and transformations experienced in recent years by community-based medical schools and clinical campuses offer a lens to the whole higher education enterprise, and asks the fundamental…

Summarizes conference proceedings and provides an overview of the nature and key issues of cut-back management in community mental health services. Discusses leadership and management, leadership strategies and values, the management of organizational resource reduction applied to human services, the process of reorganization, and…

Although delivery of health and mental health services to American Indian communities is improved by use of community-based paraprofessionals, these workers face conflicts related to kinship obligations. Discusses the role of family networks in Coast Salish community dynamics, and consequent influences on counselor effectiveness and the access of…

Interview results provide details on condom use in youth at highest risk for AIDS. Condom use increased with time and age because of positive beliefs concerning condoms and increased awareness of HIV transmission. High-risk youths proved no more likely than lower risk youths to increase their condom use. (RJM)

Delivery of primary health care (PHC) programs is critical to rural African health care. The paper explores the school's role in PHC delivery and indicates ways that professional health personnel and teacher educators can cooperate in preparing teachers with necessary knowledge and skills to participate meaningfully in PHC delivery. (SM)

Although Blacks face a higher risk of hypertension than other Americans, a comparison between Blacks and Whites participating in a hypertension education series showed no significant differences. The program reduced by 68 percent the number of participants with high blood pressure. Proposes marketing and adherence strategies to attract and retain…

The Bureau of Primary Health Care (BPHC) was developed to increase access to comprehensive primary and preventive health care, to improve the health status of medically underserved populations, and to assist communities to identify populations at risk. The needs of women of racial and ethnic minority populations are BPHC's newest initiative;…

Preparation for rural medical practice is adequate in the areas of clinical knowledge and procedural skills, but to increase the retention of rural physicians, more curricular emphasis is needed in the areas of sensitivity to rural social issues, counseling, networking, and fostering self-confidence to function effectively in an environment with…