C E N TE R FOR RURAL HE A LTH
G AT E WAY T O
RURAL HEALTH RESEARCH
The Rural Health Research Gateway offers up current, federally-funded research focusing on rural health care.
share the work of the FORHP-funded Rural Health Research Centers,” explained Ostmo, program director of Gateway. “These research centers study national rural health issues. Gateway houses the work of these research centers in one place, and we notify anyone interested as soon as we have a new research publication. We do this outreach through social media posts, through our email alert system, and with webinars so that research results are shared efficiently and effectively with diverse audiences.” Originally funded in 2006, the Gateway program was developed quickly and the website launched in February of 2007. The need for providing rural healthbased research meant first identifying the differences between rural and urban communities. In June 2021, Gateway was re-awarded funding to continue its work for another five years beginning July 1, 2021, through June 30, 2026.
“Gateway is a place I can refer students,
Giving users free access to research dating
colleagues, legislators, clinicians,
from 1996 to today, all in one convenient
“Rural and urban areas are quite different
community leaders, and others who
location, the Gateway website is an online
when it comes to social determinants of
need to access high-quality rural health
library of research and expertise.
health, health care access, and prevalence
research to inform their work,” said Katy Backes Kozhimannil, Ph.D., M.P.A. “It is an incredibly valuable resource.”
The repository’s easy-to-use website offers policymakers, educators, public health employees, hospital staff, rural leaders,
and incidence of chronic diseases and conditions,” added Ostmo. “This means that health care solutions utilized in urban areas may be a poor fit for rural areas.”
A Distinguished McKnight University
academic researchers, and the news
Professor with the University of Minnesota
media a vetted place to find data they can
As Ostmo explained, the research
Rural Health Research Center, Backes
use to address community health needs.
conducted by the Rural Health Research
Kozhimannil should know.
Need for Rural Health Research
She is one of the researchers working
Health care is vitally important to
with the Rural Health Research
communities throughout the country, and
Gateway (Gateway).
unique characteristics surround rural health
An online resource that includes information on research centers, publications, projects, email alerts, and a dissemination toolkit, Gateway is a Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP)-funded project
care, compared to its urban counterparts. Making decisions regarding health care in
highlight these rural/urban disparities so that policymakers, health care practitioners, administrators, educators, and other stakeholders are better-informed to care for rural populations. “If you live in a rural area,” Ostmo explained,
health departments, and schools requires
“you’ve probably experienced barriers to
data and evidence-based research.
health care first-hand. Facilities are often
This is where Gateway comes in, said
research conducted by the Rural Health
Per Ostmo.
North Dakota Medicine Spring 2022
Centers and disseminated through Gateway
communities for hospitals, clinics, public
that provides easy and timely access to Research Centers (RHRCs).
26
“The primary purpose of Gateway is to
under-resourced. It may be difficult to schedule an appointment with a health care provider. Individuals may need to travel more than an hour to see a specialist.”
