Project
Supporting Health Advances for Rural Employees (SHARE I and SHARE II)
Funder: USDA Rural Development
Project Timeline: October 10, 2021 - September 30, 2024
Country: United States
Program Area: U.S. Programs
Contacts: Michelle Perez, michelle.perez@winrock.org and Jordyn Schneider, Jordyn.Williams@winrock.org
Productivity is highest when employees are healthy. Increased sick time, disability, and employee turnover are all costly to employers. In rural areas, access to healthcare is limited, while rates of chronic disease are often much higher than in urban areas. For rural employers, this means that employees are more likely to have health concerns and less likely to have the resources to improve their health. The USDA-funded SHARE project implemented by Winrock International aims to increase rural employers’ capacity to improve their employees’ overall health and well-being in Chicot, Crittenden, Mississippi, Phillips, St. Francis and Woodruff counties in Arkansas. To accomplish this, Winrock and project partners will provide targeted assistance to employees, employers, clinical staff, nurses and community health workers in the target area. These groups represent a network that can improve the health of the rural workforce when coordinated.
The SHARE project will implement activities in five categories: worksite assessment; curriculum development and training; worksite wellness screenings; employee follow-up support; and worksite systems change, comprising a comprehensive workplace health promotion program. Winrock will deliver the following services at no cost to participating employers: comprehensive worksite health assessments; employee health screenings and education; follow-up support for health and social services for employees; worksite health consultations; and ready-to-use health promotion materials and tools for employers.