The mission of Project EXPORT is to identify, reduce, and eliminate health disparities in rural and underserved populations through research, education, and community service.

Project EXPORT has five goals:

1. Conduct research on conditions and diseases reflecting disparities in health and health care among rural and underserved populations
2. Cultivate the capacity of rural, community-based groups to identify and solve their own health-related problems
3. Develop and support a health care workforce to meet rural health needs
4. Offer educational and training opportunities in rural health professions and research careers to rural and other underserved people
5. Provide reliable and relevant information and educational material to health professions faculty and students, health care practitioners, policy makers, and others reflecting the extent and impact of disparities in health and health care on rural communities

History

In 2000, Congress designated the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NCMHD) to lead, coordinate, support, and assess the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) research effort to reduce and ultimately eliminate health disparities as they affect racial and ethnic communities and medically underserved individuals. In 2002, the NIH NCMHD established the EXPORT Center for Excellence in Rural Health at the University of Illinois-Rockford. Project EXPORT in Rockford is one of a growing national network of NIH NCMHD-funded Centers of Excellence in Partnerships for Community Outreach and Research on Disparities in Health and Training (EXPORT).

Project EXPORT supports the advancement of health disparities research and training through a $6.4 million grant from NIH NCMHD. EXPORT’s mandate is to provide unique opportunities for health professionals, researchers, and students, in collaborative partnerships with communities, to address health disparities in rural settings through research, education, and service.

Organizational Structure

Five “core” committees guide EXPORT’s efforts in the areas of:

The EXPORT National Advisory Board, a body of national and international experts on health disparities advises EXPORT on planning, productivity, and policies. EXPORT’s primary collaborating partners include:

Project EXPORT is supported by the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities, National Institutes of Health (grant #5 P20 M00524). The contents of this web site are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of NIH.

Contact Us

EXPORT welcomes opportunities to partner with health professionals, researchers, educators, and communities. Please contact us to discuss these and other approaches to promoting the health of rural communities.

Project EXPORT
National Center for Rural Health Professions
University of Illinois
1601 Parkview Avenue
Rockford, Illinois 61107-1897
(815) 395-5921

 

 

 

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