Rural Health Institute

College of Health Sciences

The Rural Health Institute (RHI) designs, implements, and evaluates innovative approaches to improving health outcomes for the people of Wyoming — the least populated, most rural state in the nation. We work at the intersection of research, direct program implementation, and workforce development to close persistent gaps in access to care across Wyoming’s 23 counties.

Our Mission

To improve health outcomes for rural and frontier communities in Wyoming and beyond through applied research, community-engaged program development, and health workforce training, with a particular focus on populations facing the greatest barriers to care.

Our Approach

RHI does not operate as a traditional academic research center alone. We function as a convener and implementer: piloting solutions with community partners, evaluating what works, and building the workforce pipeline needed to sustain it. Our work spans direct clinical support tools (like point-of-care ultrasound training), workforce development (like our Community Health Worker program), and systems-level initiatives (like our Maternal Health program).