Exploring Bright Spots in Appalachian Health: Case Studies

July 2018
Nancy M. Lane, G. Mark Holmes, Thomas A. Arcury, Michael L. Schwalbe, Randy Randolph, John Frank, Sharita Thomas, Janine Latus, Jonathan Rodgers, Alexa Cohen, Kelly Ivey, William Holding, Maura Lane, Pam Silberman, Katie Gaul, Lisa Villamil, Ashli Keyser
Appalachian Regional Commission; PDA, Inc.; Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; and Burness

The third report in a series exploring health issues in Appalachia, Exploring Bright Spots in Appalachian Health: Case Studies presents in-depth studies of 10 of the 42 “Bright Spot” counties identified through the statistical analysis described in the series’ second report, Identifying Bright Spots in Appalachian Health: Statistical Analysis.

This case studies report explores local perceptions of practices that may be associated with better-than-expected health outcomes in the Bright Spot communities, and summarizes promising strategies that may be replicable in other communities.

Full Report (PDF: 20 MB)