Building Community Capacity to Support Rural Older Adult Health: An Accountable Community of Health Pilot Program

Abstract

This article discusses the importance of building community capacity through collaborative partnerships, especially in rural areas. Community Health Organization Improving Care and Equity (CHOICE) is an accountable community of health piloting the Improving Senior Healthcare Access in Rural Environments (I-SHARE) program. I-SHARE’s goal, to improve health for rural older adults (aged 65 years and older) by increasing their ability to access primary care in-person and through telehealth, led to the collaboration between CHOICE, a federally qualified health center, a community-based organization, and the regional library system. This collaboration strengthened community capacity by more effectively utilizing limited resources, increasing program visibility and reach, and providing a template for future partnerships, all of which are especially important in resource-scarce rural areas. The organizations’ differing backgrounds and expertise enriched the program’s creation and implementation while the strength of the partnership and the organizations’ commitment to serving area older adults propelled the team when faced with implementation barriers. Lessons learned in collaboration include working within recognized social networks and establishing commonalities in shared values and foundational knowledge. Building collaborative partnerships is a vital practice in rural areas to maximize resource utilization and deepen trust between community members and service providers.