The Rural Alabama Health Alliance (RAHA) is a non-profit organization formed in the early 1990's by representatives in three rural counties in West Alabama to strengthen the rural voice in policy-making for medical education and health care.  RAHA is now comprised of four rural West Alabama counties (Bibb, Fayette, Greene, and Pickens) and the Family Healthcare Corporation,  parent company for community health centers in nine counties. RAHA works to promote medical and health education in rural communities, to enhance rural health care, to stimulate rural community development, and to engage in fund raising related to these goals.

 
 

RAHA formed the steering committee to establish the Rural Alabama Area Health Education Center and initiated a telemedicine project to link rural hospitals and physicians with resources at the UA School of Medicine in Tuscaloosa.  RAHA has been influential in the establishment two rural pre-medical preparation programs.  The Rural Health Scholars is a five-week summer program in which rural high school students interested health-related fields live in UA dorms, take college courses for credit, and learn more about rural health careers.  The Rural Medical Scholars program gives scholastically outstanding third-year college students who have a desire to return to rural communities, the opportunity to obtain early admission to medical school.
 
 

RAHA Executive Committee Members John Brandon President  Pickens County Melissa Behringer Vice President Bibb County Harold Reed Fayette County Secretary-Treasurer