Rural Health Research Core: New CAB Members and Advances in Healthcare Technology

4 days ago | Jasmine Souers | @jasminesouers

The Mayo Clinic Center for Clinical and Translational Science Rural Health Research (RHR) Core works alongside people who know rural life best to make research meaningful and improve health for everyone in rural communities. By partnering with our Midwest Rural Health Research (MWRHR) Community Advisory Board (CAB) members, researchers, and RHR Core Faculty, the people involved in community-engaged research aim to ensure that studies reflect real needs and find ways technology can contribute to improved health outcomes in rural communities.

Midwest Rural Health Research (MWRHR) Community Advisory Board (CAB) Welcomes New Members

Since 2023, the MWRHR CAB has worked to amplify the voices of rural community members. CAB members are local leaders, neighbors, and representatives from rural organizations involved in health needs in the community. They are selected to reflect the communities where they live and work, bringing a wide range of perspectives and lived experience.

We are excited to welcome three new members to the MWRHR CAB in 2026:

Caleb Colon Rivera, Program Manager, University of Wisconsin, La Crosse

Robert Daniels, Medical School Student, Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine

Bree Maki, Executive Director, Office of Broadband Development, Department of Employment and Economic Development, State of Minnesota

Each of the CAB members, past and present, shares a commitment to improving health research on topics that address needs in the community.

RHRC Faculty Member Featured on Mayo Clinic News Network

Andrea Cheville, M.D., a member of the Rural Health Research Core faculty and the lead investigator on Enhanced EHR-Facilitated Cancer Symptom Control Trial (E2C2 ), was recently featured in the Mayo Clinic News Network. Her expertise is in digital health access and enablement in healthcare delivery, electronic patient reported outcomes (ePROMs), telecare, and assessment and management of disability and pain in vulnerable populations. Her work with the RHR Core focuses on the development and validation of digitally enabled supportive care delivery approaches that neutralize geographical and financial access barriers, including enhanced assessment and management of disablement and adverse symptoms.

Data-driven Health in the Mayo Clinic Health System

In October 2025, Mayo Clinic Health System (MCHS) and University of Wisconsin - La Crosse Research Lunch and Learn featured Chung Wi, M.D., co-director of the AI Validation and Stewardship Program at MCHS Research. His presentation, “Enhancing Rural Preventive Health Through Data-Driven Mobile Health Unit Deployment and Community Engagement,” highlighted how data analytics and community partnerships can improve access to preventive care in rural areas through the use of mobile health units.

Dr. Wi also toured the St. Clare Health Mission Mobile Clinic and discussed future opportunities to integrate research-driven approaches with community-based care. The event emphasized innovation and collaboration in advancing healthcare for rural populations.

Your Voice Matters: Get Involved

Rural communities have been underrepresented in healthcare research. Input from people who grew up, live or work in small towns, farming communities, or remote areas helps research teams understand rural life, revealing unique strengths and challenges that shape these communities. Insights are used to improve translational research at all phases and lead to better outcomes in the community. So, who can share input?

Anyone who identifies as rural because of first-hand experience growing up, living or working in a small town, farm country, frontier setting, reservation or other remote community.

Community members from Mayo Clinic Health System areas (southern Minnesota, western Wisconsin, and northern Iowa) – these are considered rural for purposes of the Rural Health Research Core.

Patients from other healthcare systems can still participate in community-engaged research with the Rural Health Research Core.

Rural is defined in various ways for specific grants and funding sources therefore the criteria can change. In the United States, there are three federal agencies that provide commonly used definitions of rural:

Want to check if your address is considered rural? The Am I rural? tool from the Rural Health Information Hub is a resource to determine if your address is considered rural.

To find out more about how you can get involved, email RuralHealthCore@mayo.edu.