Rural Health Clinics: Contributors to Efficiency and Effectiveness (Guest Column) (Column‪)‬

INTRODUCTION TO OUR TEAM AND RESEARCH Our team's project on rural health clinics (RHCs) started its funding and research in August of 2008; likewise, our research will continue its productive input and output well into the next decade. To summarize, we are exploring organizational and contextual determinants regarding RHC efficiency and effectiveness. Dr. Thomas T. H. Wan, the study's Principal Investigator, tersely refers to this grant-supported research as an "evidence-based approach to improving the effectiveness and efficiency of RHCs". Our team consists of a combination of University of Central Florida (UCF) faculty, research associates, and doctoral students from the Public Affairs Doctoral Program (PAF), an integral division of the College of Health and Public Affairs at UCF. We would like to first take this opportunity introduce our readers to the individuals responsible for our research design, execution, and literature: Thomas T. H. Wan (PI), Judy Ortiz (Co-PI), Chiung-Ya Tang, Abiy Agiro, Gerald-Mark Breen, Natthani Meemon, and Seung Chun Paek. In terms of funding and grant information, our team acknowledges the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP), R04-RH10661-01-00, with the known grant title of "Rural Health Clinics: Measuring Efficiency and Effectiveness".