Center for Advancing Rural Health Equity
Making sure everyone has a fair shot at a healthy life
Rural health equity means that all people living in rural areas can live their healthiest lives. A healthy life includes living a life free from discrimination and unfair treatment. It also means having access to:
- Healthcare and social services
- Safe neighborhoods and places to live
- Reliable transportation
- Healthy foods
- Working wages that support basic needs
- Community policies that are fair to all people
Dartmouth Health launched the Center for Advancing Rural Health Equity (CARHE) in 2022 to help foster partnerships and programs to make sure everyone has a fair shot at a healthy life, no matter who they are or where they live.
Building strong relationships for the health of our rural communities
Our mission is to make sure that people in rural areas have the chance to live healthy lives. Learn about:
- The Center Read about our vision, mission and values.
- Our team Meet our Leadership Council, our Community Advisory Council, and our staff.
- Our projects Find out about our current projects.
- News and events Catch up on our latest news and events.
- How to get involved Contact us to get involved and learn more.
What is rural healthcare?
Rural healthcare is the healthcare available to people living in rural areas. Rural residents typically have to travel longer distances for emergent and specialty care and have poorer health than those living in metropolitan areas.
What causes health disparities in rural areas?
- Rural populations are older and sicker than many populations in urban areas and have higher rates of poverty.
- It can be hard for people in rural communities to socialize and build support networks.
- People of color and people who experience barriers in our society because of their identity can find it challenging to have fair access to health and healthcare in a rural area, where the number of people who share that identity may be small or widely dispersed throughout a region.
- Our rural geography makes it hard for health systems to reach everyone who needs care.
Rural Health Equity Policy Forum
September 4, 2024
4:00-6:00 pm
Auditorium H at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center
Register for the forum.
Stories of Connection
A series of stories celebrating how individuals and organizations in the Upper Valley of New Hampshire and Vermont are bringing people together
CARHE overview
Read an introduction to CARHE and an overview of our mission, vision, and values (PDF).