The Bassett Research Institute’s Center for Rural Community Health recently received approval for a multi-year grant from the National Institute of Nursing Research, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to study improving rural access to preventive services. The Rural Innovative Multi-sectoral Preventive Approaches Community Trial for Population Health Improvement (Rural IMPACT for Population Health Improvement) will consider how a community-driven model may improve population-level diabetes health outcomes better than traditional approaches in rural areas. 

“Initially this research will impact communities in Chenango, Madison, Herkimer and Delaware Counties,” explains Kristin Pullyblank, PhD, RN, the Bassett research scientist overseeing this project. “That’s where we’ll be conducting the study. However, if our hypothesis is supported, this could be the first step to creating a model that will serve rural areas across the country.”

NIH has greenlit Rural IMPACT’s first, observational phase with a $1.2 million grant paid over two years. If phase one is successful, it will release an additional $4.19 million over five years for Pullyblank’s team and community partners to test the approach in a community-randomized trial.

This work is part of a larger national learning collaborative run by Penn State University College of Medicine. Bassett Research Institute is one of six organizations in the Multi-Sectoral Preventive Interventions (MSPI) Research Network, each of which has received a related NIH grant. To learn more about this broader collaborative, read this story from Penn State Health.

“One thing that stands out about this research is that it is completely community-driven,” explains Pullyblank. “Decisions on how to provide resources for diabetes prevention will be made by local communities and clinics, rather than by the Department of Health or even our hospitals. This is exactly what we mean when we say Bassett ‘fosters healthy rural communities.’”