Network Engagement Directory

Mission Statement

The Rural Health Institute of New York (RHI) works to measurably improve public health through facilitation of targeted community driven initiatives.

Vision and Impact

Based in Cortland, New York, RHI is a public health institute committed to helping rural communities across the state improve population-level health through use of data, collaboration, and communication. These aren’t unrelated areas of expertise, but all feed into each other. We use data to drive our collaborative action planning and to inform our health communications campaigns with locally relevant information; we use our partnerships to identify key issues and disseminate evidence-based information to multiple audiences; we use our design and marketing skills to effectively share local data with relevant partners and help build data literacy. Collaborating with communities and stakeholders, RHI works to support equitable health outcomes for individuals and families by identifying and addressing risk and protective factors. The primary focus lies in reducing health disparities, comprehending their causes, and implementing evidence-based solutions. RHI fosters community collaboration, implements and scales up initiatives, develops data infrastructure, and coordinates health communications to build healthier communities throughout rural New York, while also addressing social determinants of health.