Research and Evaluation

The Center for Rural Health (CRH) undertakes research initiatives to support rural and tribal communities and conducts evaluation to measure the merit or worth of rural health policies, projects, programs, agencies, or systems.

Our Expertise

CRH has faculty and staff with extensive experience in program planning and evaluation for local, county, state, and federal programs. CRH is also home to many programs engaged in qualitative research, quantitative research, community based participatory research, tribal participatory research, and mixed methods. CRH recognizes the unique attributes of both evaluation and research as separate yet related disciplines, and often works on projects actively engaged in both.

What We Can Do for You: Research

In the area of research, we offer:

Policy relevant research that is relied on by congressional offices, state legislators, state associations and other key policy makers and stakeholders.
Key research findings on a wide range of topics via presentations and publications, including fact sheets, policy briefs, reports and journal articles, related to our research.
Opportunities to collaborate on research relating to rural and tribal health at the state, regional, and national level.
Community-based participatory research such as our Community Health Needs Assessments.
Tribal participatory research through the National Resource Center on Native American Aging.
Statewide healthcare workforce research and data analysis, conducted by the Healthcare Workforce Group.
Research education and mentorship through the Dakota Conference on Rural and Public Health, student internships, guest lectures, conference presentations, and faculty roles on students' thesis and dissertation committees.
Access to national rural health research publications funded by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy via the Rural Health Research Gateway.

What We Can Do for You: Evaluation

In the area of evaluation, we offer:

Technical assistance in determining the merit or worth of a policy, project, program, agency, or system.
Program evaluation services to help organizations assess the effectiveness of their efforts, improve programs, and report accomplishments to stakeholders and funders.
System evaluation services to help stakeholders define a system, assess subsystem processes, evaluate coordination between subsystems, and determine a system's effectiveness as a whole.
Evaluation planning assistance.
Evaluation capacity building to help an organization strengthen its capacity to conduct and use evaluation effectively.
Evidence-based program and policy design guidance and support.
Publications customized to your reporting needs and requirements.

Key Contacts

We are interested in all aspects of research and evaluation that relate to rural and tribal health.

Although not an exhaustive list of CRH expertise, for inquiries about specific research or evaluation topics:

Behavioral health – Rebecca Quinn, MSW, LMSW
Community Health Needs Assessments – Holly Long, MSML
Community needs assessment – Collette Adamsen, PhD
Community-based or Tribal participatory research – Collette Adamsen, PhD
Critical Access Hospitals and rural health systems – Brad Gibbens, MPA
Health equity – Collette Adamsen, PhD
Healthcare data and methodology – Mandi-Leigh Peterson, MA
Healthcare policy and reform – Brad Gibbens, MPA
Healthcare workforce – Mandi-Leigh Peterson, MA, and Stacy Kusler, BA
Native American health – Collette Adamsen, PhD
Program evaluation – Brad Gibbens, MPA