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Alesia Frerichs, president and CEO of Lutheran Services in America, issued the following statement after Congress passed its budget reconciliation bill.

“With today’s vote, lawmakers have chosen flawed policy and politics over people. This bill’s passage will deepen the strain on caregivers, overwhelm service providers, and force states into impossible decisions about what — and whom — they can afford to support.

“We’ve seen versions of this policy play out in states across the country, and the evidence is clear: it leads to fewer people with health coverage, fewer services, not better outcomes. It pushes women and other family members, who make up the majority of family caregivers, into greater economic uncertainty. Puts further strain on already deep workforce gaps. And it leaves faith-based organizations like ours scrambling to make up the difference.

“Our organization is grounded in faith and committed to service. That won’t change. But the work will get harder, and the consequences will be real. We urge federal, state and local leaders to work with nonprofit partners to find practical, people-centered solutions. Public-private partnerships will be essential as we navigate these devastating cuts.

“Lutheran Services in America and its members will keep showing up for the people and communities who need us most. As a Lutheran organization, we are called to walk alongside the vulnerable, to serve with humility and courage, and to be a steadfast presence in times of fear and uncertainty. That calling has never felt more urgent than it does today.”

WASHINGTON — Lutheran Services in America announces a new partnership with the NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis to support the evaluation and advance sustainability planning efforts of the Rural Aging Action Networks (RAAN), its innovative and recognized national collaborative dedicated to expanding sustainable services and supports for underserved older adults in rural communities. RAAN’s innovation and impact has been recognized by the National Council on Aging, Grantmakers in Aging, and American Society on Aging.

The Rural Aging Action Network is a collaborative learning model created in 2022 to strengthen the capacity of rural leaders through facilitated peer exchange, training, new partnerships, leveraging shared resources, and learning and evaluation. The RAAN model led by Lutheran Services in America brings investment and added visibility to the challenges and opportunities that older adults face when aging in rural communities. The Rural Aging Action Network is currently active in rural communities in Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota.

“Our partnership with the NORC Walsh Center helps to ensure the continued effectiveness of our Rural Aging Action Networks and their impact in rural communities long-term,” said Alesia Frerichs, President and CEO of Lutheran Services in America. “Our collaboration with this well-recognized leader in rural aging will help us evaluate what makes these networks effective and how they can be sustained and replicated across the country so that more older adults and family caregivers in rural communities have access to the care and support they need.”

The NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis, part of NORC at the University of Chicago, will determine the Rural Aging Action Networks’ effectiveness, sustainability, and impact on the lives of older adults and family caregivers. This includes analysis of client- and community-level data, qualitative interviews, and customized support for sustainability planning.

The evaluation will focus on three core research questions:

1. the effectiveness of the Rural Aging Action Networks in reducing care gaps
2. the enabling conditions for success, and
3. the model’s limitations and areas for improvement.

In addition, the NORC Walsh Center will provide sustainability support through community-specific landscape analyses, opportunity roadmaps, and one-on-one coaching for each Rural Aging Action Network and Lutheran Services in America, aimed at diversifying funding and reinforcing long-term organizational resilience.

“Our team of researchers is committed to advancing community-driven solutions that leverage the strengths and assets of rural communities. We are excited to continue our collaboration with Lutheran Services in America to understand what it truly takes to sustainably deliver care for older adults and support family caregivers in rural areas where access to services is often limited. What we learn from this work can inform strategies for other rural communities facing similar challenges,” said Alana D. Knudson, director of the NORC Walsh Center.

The partnership with the NORC Walsh Center builds on previous Lutheran Services in America evaluation research conducted by LTSS Center @UMass Boston, completed last fall that highlights the effectiveness of the Rural Aging Action Network model in improving access to care and fostering community-based solutions.

About Lutheran Services in America
Lutheran Services in America is one of the nation’s largest national networks of health and human service providers with a mission to cultivate caring communities that advance health and opportunity for all Americans. With 300 nonprofit organizations across 1,400 U.S. communities, the Lutheran Services in America network works to improve outcomes for children, youth and families, improves independence and choice for older adults, champions meaningful services and support for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and strengthens stability and purpose for veterans and others. Formed in 1997, Lutheran Services in America brings together a network of leaders, partners and funders to catalyze innovation, strengthen organizational capacity and advance public policy.