Center for Rural Health and Social Service Development

Welcome

At the Center for Rural Health and Social Service Development (CRHSSD), we partner with area agencies to address the most pressing health and social service concerns affecting our communities. As part of SIU School of Medicine, our aim is to reduce health disparities in the 66 urban and rural counties across central and southern Illinois.

We support and empower residents from 66 counties through research, program evaluations, needs assessments, advocacy work and policy recommendations. We’re regularly testing new models of health care delivery to promote meaningful change in our neighbors’ lives and ensure at-risk communities receive the quality health care they deserve.  

We value more than anything else service to our communities, to our professions, and stakeholders. We value our motivated, professional, and productive staff, along with honesty, integrity, mutual respect, creative thinking, and excellence.
 

 

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Rural Land with Road and Fields

Center services

The CRHSSD is in place to help address health care and social service issues impacting the lives and productivity of those in our state and nation. We do this through grant and project development, research and evaluation, training and workforce development, and community engagement and outreach.

Rural Field with Sunset

Latest articles

Farm family

March events to provide valuable support to farmers and their families

SIU's Farm Family Resource Initiative will host a webinar series for women in agriculture and a community forum on succession planning in March.
couple hand-holding

Suicide support group to meet this fall

With suicide on the rise within the agriculture community, the Farm Family Resource Initiative is launching an open support group for farmers and farm family members 18 years and older who have lost a
Rural Health

Summit to address rural program, policy needs Oct. 27

Rural communities require rural-specific, innovative programs and policies to reverse disparities in access to basic resources, education and educational opportunity. An upcoming event is designed to