Utilizing cooperative extension services to meet rural health needs.

Professionals concerned with rural health issues sometimes overlook the possibilities that the Cooperative Extension Services (CES) hold for addressing rural health problems. Joint venturing between health care and CES professionals can help address the growing rural health care concerns associated with cost containment strategies and the federal deficit, as well as the traditional problems associated with the scarcity of health care resources in rural areas. Cooperative extension, a 75-year-old national, community-based system can provide the structural and program delivery capacity to help shape health care delivery in rural areas through community organization and education. The structure and functions of the CES, brief examples of successful CES programs, and some helpful hints provide insights into the potential for successful cooperation and collaboration. This collaboration can represent a cost-effective strategy to address problems in the changing health care climate.