Michael Glasser, PhD¹, Karen Peters, DrPH², Benjamin Mueller², Howard Zeitz², Martin MacDowell, MA, DrPH¹, Ian Hentall, PhD¹, Thomas Prohaska, PhD³, Eric Henley, MD, MPH⁴, and Neil J. Nusbaum, JD, MD⁵. (1) Rural Health Professions, University of Illinois College of Medicine at Rockford, 1601 Parkview Ave, Rockford, IL 61107, 815-395-5848, michaelg@uic.edu, (2) Rural Health Professions, University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine, 1601 Parkview, Rockford, IL 61107, (3) Center for Research on Health and Aging, University of Illinois at Chicago, 850 W. Jackson (M/C 275), Suite 400, Chicago, IL 60607, (4) Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Illinois College of Medicine at Rockford, 1601 Parkview Ave, Rockford, IL 61107, (5) Department of Medicine, University of Illinois College of Medicine at Rockford, 1601 Parkview, Rockford, IL 61107

The Project EXPORT Center for Excellence in Rural Health seeks to recruit and train health professionals and health service and medical investigators to reduce health disparities in rural settings. A target population is the medically underserved and underrepresented minority populations in rural communities. The objectives of the EXPORT Center are to: (1) Conduct research on topics related to chronic medical conditions exhibiting disparities; (2) serve as a resource for providing background knowledge and skill development for enhancing the capacity of rural, community-based populations to identify and solve their own problems; (3) sponsor grant competitions encouraging investigators to address health needs and reduce disparities in local populations through local expertise and community-based interventions; (4) offer training opportunities in rural health professions and research careers previously unavailable to rural youth; and, (5) educate health professions students, practitioners, and policy makers on the extent and seriousness of health disparities and prevalence in rural communities. The EXPORT Center was established using the following strategies: (1) Formation of an interdisciplinary collaboration between four organizations - Center for Rural Health Professions, University of Illinois Extension, Illinois Area Health Education Centers, Health Research and Policy Centers; (2) development of an infrastructure consisting of basic “cores” in administration, research, community outreach/information dissemination, health professions training, health disparities education; and, (3) convening an advisory committee of national and international experts on rural health disparities. The project convenes multiple agencies and individuals with expertise in numerous areas in an interdisciplinary network to define disparity issues and work toward their resolution.

Learning Objectives:

• Discuss the need for reducing health disparities in rural communities
• Recognize the importance of conducting research, providing training and educational opportunities and implementing community outreach and dissemination strategies in partnership with rural communities
• Identify appropriate community-based strategies for development, implementation and evaluation of a Center based health disparities reduction initiative

Related Web page: rhp.rockford.uic.edu/rhp

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.