Community colleges serve a unique purpose in American higher education. For many students, these institutions present the best opportunity for the postsecondary credential needed to pursue a living-wage job with career potential. For others, a community college represents the gateway to a four-year institution or beyond, and potential career paths in an even wider array of disciplines. But the role of community colleges, particularly in rural areas, extends beyond the academic. Rural community colleges are often the only postsecondary institution in their community, and in that role they serve as a workforce trainer, leading employer, community convener, cultural ambassador, and change agent. In each of these capacities, community colleges are positioned to make significant contributions to the overall improvement of the community's health. The six colleges that serve the counties currently in the "Healthy Places North Carolina Initiative" (HPNC) sponsored by the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust all play these roles--and more. The analysis consisted of two main activities. First, MDC brought together representatives of the six colleges, including four college presidents, to Winston-Salem for a two-day meeting. The purpose of the meeting was to inform the colleges about the HPNC initiative and to learn more about how each of the institutions saw their role in meeting their community's broad health needs. The second phase of the research involved site visits to each of the six colleges. At the sites, MDC staff sat down with faculty, staff, and students to explore in detail their colleges' current programs and offerings aimed at addressing health needs on campus and in the community at large. The findings from those visits are presented in three main sections: (1) Overall findings from the research; (2) Recommendations for enhancing the community colleges' health-related programs; and (3) Profiles of each of the six institutions.