Project overview
A state health department approached CoHealth with an urgent need to validate the necessity of a $12 million spending initiative aimed at establishing new rural mental health clinics. While anecdotal evidence suggested a severe lack of service availability, the department lacked the clear, defensible statistical evidence required to push the budget allocation through the state legislature. Our primary objective was to quantify the spatial and systemic gaps in care.
Methodology and Findings
CoHealth designed and executed a large-scale, geographically stratified polling effort. Using a blend of random-digit dialing and community outreach, we surveyed over 5,000 residents across the state’s 22 most remote counties. Our key methodology involved calculating the average travel time and distance to the nearest qualifying mental health provider.
The research conclusively revealed that:
- 65% of all rural residents were more than a one-hour drive or 50 miles away from the nearest in-person mental health facility.
- 78% of low-income respondents reported cost, not proximity, as a primary barrier, pointing to a need for subsidized services.
- The data showed a significant correlation between service distance and self-reported depressive symptoms.
Outcome and Impact
The resulting CoHealth report, titled "Bridging the Distance," provided the health department with the irrefutable statistical evidence they needed. The clear data visualizations and policy-ready recommendations convinced key swing legislators, leading to the full approval of the $12 million initiative. Our metrics are now being used as a benchmark for evaluating the effectiveness of the new clinic locations over the next five years.