GRRO partners with the Rural Health Equity Hub at Duke University to advance health equity in rural communities.

GRRO staff speaks with members of the Vance County community during a Rural Health Fair event.

The Green Rural Redevelopment Organization (GRRO) is partnering with Duke University's Interdisciplinary Hub for Rural Health Equity, a growing convergence of research expertise in nursing, engineering, divinity, and the social sciences to tackle chronic disease and expand access to healthcare in rural communities. 

This new partnership marks a significant milestone in GRRO’s mission to foster thriving and healthy rural communities in the central piedmont and eastern parts of North Carolina. GRROs work in 15 rural counties that have long experienced persistent poverty and limited access to quality healthcare showcase a continuous need to invest time, effort and resources in the region. As a grassroots organization with deep ties to rural Tier 1 counties like Vance, Bertie, Halifax, Hertford, and Edgecombe—GRRO has spent years connecting families to fresh, healthy food, working alongside local healthcare providers, insurers and institutional partners  to build opportunities from the ground up.

The Rural Health Equity Hub, a provost funded,  first center of its kind at Duke University and brings together experts in community engagement, health equity, technology, and ethics to advance solutions that address chronic illness, healthcare access, and the social determinants of health. Through this partnership, GRRO will partner with Duke Rural Health Equity Hub researchers to  deepen its impact in the communities it serves.

GRRO Executive Director, Henry Crews gives a tour of their new health and wellness rooms in their new Vance County headquarters.

“This partnership with Duke’s Rural Health Equity Hub is not just a recognition of GRRO’s work, it's a game changer, it’s an investment in the health and future of rural communities that have too often been overlooked,” said Henry Crews, Executive Director of GRRO. “We are honored to be a partner of the Hub and look forward to scaling up our efforts to address food insecurity and chronic disease where the need is greatest.”

Through the Hub, GRRO will work with Duke to pilot new models of rural health intervention, promote community-led solutions, and strengthen care networks that serve vulnerable populations.

“GRRO has a strong track record of addressing health inequities through food access, local partnerships, and innovative grassroots work,” said Dr. Devon Noonan, Co- Lead of the Rural Health Equity Hub and Associate Dean for Community Engagement Science and Director of Rural Health Equity at Duke School of Nursing. “We are excited to continue to collaborate with GRRO as a Rural Health Equity Hub partner and support their continued leadership in driving positive health outcomes in eastern North Carolina.”

The partnership will help GRRO to innovate and expand its on-the-ground programs, including fresh food prescription initiatives, farm-to-clinic partnerships, and mobile food markets, while aligning with Duke’s research and engagement strategies to create lasting health improvements in rural communities. 

This is just another way GRRO is partnering to create thriving rural communities. 

Learn more about the Rural Health Equity Hub at Duke University