said.“ There is definitely work to be done.”
But the RuLE trip also revealed something else about the county and its people – resilience. Like so many rural communities across the country, Gadsden has layers of interconnecting social networks that form a framework for getting things done despite a paucity of resources.
“ The demand for health care is always going to outstrip availability. You have to use what resources you have – navigators, community workers, civic organizations and churches – and engage the communities whose needs you’ re trying to meet,” she said.“ We have to meet people where they are and accept them as they are, so they will accept us as partners in improving their health.”
Spring came to Florida State University in late 2024 from Northwestern University’ s Feinberg School of Medicine in downtown Chicago. Although most of her research has focused on urban populations, she spent the past five years also collaborating with Professor Nancy Schoenberg, Ph. D., a University of Kentucky behavioral health researcher who focuses on Appalachia.
Schoenberg adapted one of Spring’ s urban research models for use in a rural population. With Spring as co-principal investigator, Schoenberg was awarded a $ 2.5 million grant from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, for a clinical trial on stress and sleep in which participants logged their daily food intake and physical activity.
The Appalachian experience changed Spring’ s career trajectory.
“ It was amazing,” she said.“ Rural people tend to rely on social media more because they are spread out. Clinical trial participants were using Facebook to share which Dollar Stores had fresh vegetables on any given day.”
One woman who participated initially reported that she had no stress, but she came to realize that she had a very high level of stress because of chronic health problems including kidney disease, hypertension and obesity. She not only changed her diet and added daily walks, but her success also influenced people around her to do the same.
“ It’ s that network of relationships that builds trust and brings about change,” Spring said.“ Her family and friends were skeptical at first, but as they saw her health improve, they took notice. When she took a healthier version of potato salad, one with a lot more vegetables in it, to a family reunion, it set off a chain reaction.”
Professor George Rust, M. D., a colleague and a public health expert at the College of Medicine, captured the difference between urban and rural health communication when he said,“ In rural areas, it’ s a very relational culture.”
“ In urban areas, it’ s a very informational culture. If people want to find out about a new doctor, they go to his office, pick up a brochure and leave,” Spring said.“ In rural areas, you ask friends and family, and if the pastor’ s wife says she had a nice conversation with him, it carries weight.”
Given the FSU College of Medicine’ s mission, in part, to serve the underserved, with particular emphasis on rural communities, joining the team was a perfect fit for Spring.
She hired Keri Gladhill, Ph. D., last December to be the center’ s program manager. Gladhill had just completed a post-doctoral fellowship in FSU’ s Department of Psychology, and she brings two key strengths to the team. Her doctoral studies focused on cognitive neuroscience, which can help give insight to what maintains risky behaviors and why people continue to engage in them. She also grew up in a rural area of Pennsylvania and has what Spring calls“ lived experience” with rural health issues.
“ Community engagement is so important for the work we’ re doing,” Gladhill said.“ We’ re participating in a community health fair in Wakulla County in October so we can start getting the word out about the Center and what resources we can offer.”
That event, under the umbrella of FSU Health, has become the lead-off event of Discovery Days, FSU’ s third annual showcase of research, creativity and discovery to be held Oct. 18-25.
“ We are fortunate to have attracted such a highly regarded and well-funded researcher as Dr. Bonnie Spring,” College of Medicine Dean Alma Littles, M. D., said.“ Her knowledge of rural health issues
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