Campus News

Juniata College Leads Effort to Improve Rural Health Through New Collaborative

(Posted November 7, 2025)

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HUNTINGDON, Pa.–Juniata College has been awarded a $100,000 grant from the Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to fund a strategic planning project, Rural Communities Collaborative: Building a Cross-Sector Health Network to Improve Health Outcomes.   

Rural Communities Collaborative is a Huntingdon County-wide project that builds upon work completed through previous AmeriCorps VISTA projects and community-engaged learning projects at Juniata.   

“We are grateful to the Department of Health and Human Services for the support they have provided for this meaningful work,” said Provost Lauren Bowen. “This grant allows us to deepen community connections by engaging students in hands-on learning experiences that address real healthcare challenges in our region.”  

Founding network partners participating in the Rural Communities Collaborative are Broad Top Area Medical Center, Mainstream Counseling, Inc., and the Central Pennsylvania Clinic. Over 15 additional community organizations and businesses have expressed interest in being a part of the strategic planning process. 

“It is in the sharing of information and precious resources and in the relationships that we have developed through many years working together collaboratively in our rural community that truly shapes the landscape of service delivery that improves the lives of our citizens,” said Lonnie Wagner Woomer, executive director of Mainstream Counseling, Inc. 

Since 2019, the College has partnered with local organizations, including Penn Highlands Huntingdon Hospital, Huntingdon Area School District, Broad Top Area Medical Center, and Huntingdon County Business and Industry, to address local barriers to health and reducing poverty as a social determinant of health through AmeriCorps VISTA projects supported by Partners for Campus-Community Engagement. AmeriCorps is a program supported by the federal government, private donors, organizations, and businesses that aims to engage adults to help others while meeting critical needs in the community through public service.   

“No one sector alone can improve the overall health of a community. In rural areas especially, the health and well-being of a community depends on collaboration among healthcare, education, business, and community partners,” said Sarah Worley, professor and director of community-engaged teaching and learning. “I am honored to work with our partners to bring those cross-sector voices together and help shape a vision and solutions that strengthen both the health and vitality of our region.” 

The rural health network is designed to strengthen healthcare access, quality, and outcomes in the county, which is facing population decline, provider shortages, transportation barriers, and an aging population. Guided by a systems-thinking approach and the social determinants of health framework, the Collaborative will coordinate cross-sector efforts among education, healthcare, government, and community organizations with the goals of aligning resources, expanding workforce development, and improving access to services.   

This HRSA planning grant will enable Juniata and its partners to design a sustainable network model that achieves efficiencies, enhances collaboration, and addresses the critical healthcare needs of this underserved rural community. 

Contact April Feagley at feaglea@juniata.edu or (814) 641-3131 for more information.