A Closer Look at Rural Health During Public Health Awareness Week
Public Health Awareness Week is a powerful reminder that improving health outcomes requires more than delivering care. It requires prevention, early detection, and access to meaningful, community level data. For many rural Colorado providers, getting a full picture of local health needs has been difficult. The Rural Connectivity Program is here to help.
We’re giving rural clinics and hospitals the tools, insights, and support needed to strengthen community health.
Public Health Signals Emerging Across Rural Colorado
Cancer remains the second leading cause of death in rural Colorado, underscoring the need for strong prevention and early detection efforts.
Rural Colorado sees higher death rates in several of the state’s most lethal cancers, including lung and colorectal cancers.
Rural adults experience higher rates of high cholesterol and high blood pressure than urban residents, even though screening and medication rates look nearly the same.
While 88% of Colorado kindergartners are protected against MMR, 24 rural and frontier counties fall below that benchmark — highlighting ongoing immunization gaps.
These trends paint a consistent picture:
Rural communities face disproportionate health risks despite similar care seeking behavior. Access to actionable data is essential.
How the Rural Connectivity Program Helps
The RCP provides rural providers with NO-COST access to:
Eligible organizations also receive:
- $100,000 annually for Critical Access Hospitals
- $20,000 annually for certified Rural Health Clinics
These tools help your teams:
- Visualize local health trends
- Identify chronic disease and cancer screening gaps
- Strengthen immunization outreach
- Improve followup and care coordination
- Make more informed clinical and financial decisions
Better data means better health. The Rural Connectivity Program can help make that possible.
Already Participating? Let’s Go Further.
If your facility is enrolled and would like:
- A personalized demonstration
- Support from our Quality Improvement Specialists
We’re here to help! Contact Us Here
