Rural Public Health Agencies resources via the Rural Health Information Hub

News: 5 Eastern Ky. Health Departments Create Collaborative to Address Chronic Disease in Region

Wed, 27 May 2026 09:11:18 -0500

5 rural eastern Kentucky county health departments have created a collaborative to work on prevention, education, access to resources, and long-term strategies for improving chronic disease outcomes in the area.

Resource: New Insights on the Rural Public Health Workforce, with Casey Balio and Betty Bekemeier

Tue, 05 May 2026 09:48:58 -0500

An episode of the Exploring Rural Health podcast featuring Casey Balio, research assistant professor at the East Tennessee State University Center for Rural Health and Research, and Betty Bekemeier, director of the Northwest Center for Public Health Practice. Focuses on new insights about the rural public health workforce from their recently published research study. -- Rural Health Information Hub

Resource: Training in Place: How a Unique Scholarship Program Is Catalyzing Innovation in Rural Health

Wed, 11 Feb 2026 09:54:16 -0600

Examines the Rural Health Innovation Scholarship Program, which provides support to midcareer clinicians and public health professionals to address population health issues in rural communities. Discusses the work of the scholarship recipients, focusing on community engagement, healthcare financing, partnerships and collaboration, rural health policy, and more. -- Commonwealth Fund

Resource: An Overview of Public Health Services Among Local Health Departments in Rural Versus Urban Jurisdictions

Tue, 20 Jan 2026 14:28:46 -0600

Examines the services provided by rural and urban public health departments. Utilizes 2022 National Profile of Local Health Departments data to examine rural versus urban local health department (LHD) clinical programs and services, population health programs and services, and workforce infrastructure and capacity.

Resource: Public Health Ethics and Stakeholder Engagement: Considerations and Practices for Local Health Departments

Wed, 07 Jan 2026 14:49:13 -0600

Toolkit providing strategies and resources on the use of stakeholder engagement to support public health ethics in local health departments. Includes action steps and case studies, and highlights ethical considerations related to community engagement and collaboration. See PDF pages 12-14 for a case study on access to care in rural areas. -- National Association of County and City Health Officials

Event: 2026 Annual American Public Health Association Meeting and Expo

Mon, 05 Jan 2026 09:14:38 -0600

San Antonio TX
November 1, 2026 -- American Public Health Association

Resource: Rural Public Health Training Plan

Fri, 19 Dec 2025 09:20:37 -0600

Training plan consisting of 6 courses for public health professionals working in rural communities. Covers an overview of rural public health systems, information on partnering with rural communities to develop, build, and disseminate public health communication strategies, leadership and conflict resolution skills, and more. Continuing education credits for this training plan are available through September 2, 2027, via CDC TRAIN. -- CDC Office of Rural Health

Resource: Small but Essential: Understanding Rural Public Health Workforce Challenges and Strengths From the 2024 Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey

Mon, 15 Dec 2025 09:52:03 -0600

Examines characteristics of the rural public health workforce. Utilizes 2024 Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey (PH WINS) data to analyze the rural versus urban local health department (LHD) workforce with breakdowns according to demographics, education, employment tenure and type, and intentions to stay.

Resource: Introduction to Rural Public Health

Thu, 11 Dec 2025 08:56:22 -0600

Training module focused on providing an overview of rural public in the U.S. Includes discussion on rural public health systems and structures; leveraging existing strengths and attributes of rural communities to address the challenges they face; and the importance of developing partnerships and collaboration to support rural public health systems and care delivery. Continuing education credits for this course are available through October 15, 2027, via CDC TRAIN. -- NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis

Resource: Advocating for Incorporating Public Veterinary Health Care Into Human Health Systems

Thu, 13 Nov 2025 13:33:01 -0600

Explores the human health impacts of a public veterinary health program in rural tribal communities in Alaska. Highlights the health concerns from stray dog populations in tribal communities and remote areas that lack veterinarian services. Details impact on rates of dog bites, rabies, and other zoonotic pathogens.

Event: 2026 Annual NALBOH Conference

Tue, 14 Oct 2025 09:19:44 -0500

San Antonio TX
October 12, 2026 -- National Association of Local Boards of Health

Event: 2026 Annual NACCHO Conference

Thu, 02 Oct 2025 09:18:49 -0500

Louisville KY
July 14, 2026 -- National Association of County and City Health Officials

Resource: Introducing Public Health Vending Machines in Rural Communities: Protocol for a Study Using a Community-Based Participatory Approach

Thu, 18 Sep 2025 09:16:17 -0500

Provides a study protocol focused on creating a community-engaged approach to implementing public health vending machines (PHVMs) that distribute naloxone in rural North Carolina. Discusses the need to engage people who have experienced substance use when developing public health interventions to prevent drug overdose.

Resource: Telling the Story of Public Health Accreditation in Ohio

Mon, 09 Dec 2024 10:15:01 -0600

Examines how a high percentage of Ohio's local health departments (LHDs) have achieved Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) accreditation. Provides qualitative interview and focus group feedback as well as quantitative data on finances and LHD profiles to explain the accreditation process in Ohio. Includes reflection on the challenges of achieving PHAB equity standards in rural areas. -- Health Policy Institute of Ohio

Organization: Public Health Institute

Wed, 06 Nov 2024 11:53:29 -0600

Dedicated to promoting health, well-being, equity, and quality of life across the nation and around the world.

Resource: Promoting Equitable Access to COVID-19 Vaccinations in Rural and Underserved Arizona: Experiences From Three County Health Departments

Thu, 26 Sep 2024 08:28:46 -0500

Provides background on health disparities related to the COVID-19 outbreak in Arizona and strategies to implement local vaccine access in rural and underserved areas. Discusses how health departments collaborated to serve rural, migrant, and Native American populations.

Resource: CDC Rural Public Health Strategic Plan, FY 2024 - 2029

Thu, 12 Sep 2024 09:40:09 -0500

Outlines the CDC Office of Rural Health's strategic plan to improve health outcomes in rural communities, in collaboration with internal and external partners and federal agencies, by supporting and advancing rural public health science and practice. Identifies 4 key priorities for the next 5 years: advance results-based engagement with partners and communities to address rural public health challenges; strengthen rural public health infrastructure and workforce; advance rural public health sciences; and improve rural public health preparedness and response capacity. -- CDC Office of Rural Health

Resource: The Impact of Chronic Underfunding on America's Public Health System: Trends, Risks, and Recommendations, 2024

Wed, 21 Aug 2024 08:44:11 -0500

Provides state-by-state information on public health funding and discusses public health systems at the local, tribal, and territorial levels. Includes information on funding provided to the states by the federal government, as well as state public health budgets. Features information about federal funding for COVID-19 response actions. -- Trust for America's Health

Resource: Developing Partnerships in Rural Communities: At the Intersection of Suicide Prevention, Overdose, and Adverse Childhood Experiences

Mon, 19 Aug 2024 15:45:31 -0500

A fillable worksheet that guides the user in determining how to address suicide prevention, overdose prevention, and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) at the societal, community, relationship, and individual levels. Provides tailored information and planning for rural health departments on risk and protective factors, data sources available to them, and potential partnerships. -- National Association of County and City Health Officials

Resource: Are We Ready? Preparing for the Public Health Challenges of Climate Change

Mon, 05 Aug 2024 15:13:43 -0500

Provides information on how local health departments (LHDs) are planning for climate change. Discusses public health consequences of heat, drought, wildfires, and smoke and how public health programming and services can mitigate health issues. Utilizes 302 responses from LHDs to discuss issues such as staff capacity, funding sources, understanding of the effects of climate change, and more, with representative responses from small LHDs serving less than 50,000 people. -- National Association of County and City Health Officials

Resource: Reframing Health Disparities in Rural America: A Communications Toolkit

Mon, 05 Aug 2024 14:12:38 -0500

Provides resources and strategies for public health professionals to communicate effectively about rural health disparities with a variety of audiences. Includes sample letters and social media posts that include health equity and historical context in their messages. -- National Network of Public Health Institutes

Resource: Building Resilience: How Recent Federal Policy Is Laying the Groundwork for Improved Climate Adaptation

Tue, 23 Jul 2024 10:10:25 -0500

Examines the intersection of public health, climate change, and equity and details federal policy that focuses on climate adaptation and resilience strategies for underserved, rural, and/or tribal communities. Provides resources and collaborative opportunities for public health departments to address climate change issues in their local areas. Includes data on global surface temperature by year and state-by-state infrastructure funding to improve environmental health. -- Trust for America's Health

Resource: Beyond Borders: Benefits and Challenges of Leading a Multi-County Health Department

Fri, 21 Jun 2024 10:29:14 -0500

Discusses the impact of consolidating small jurisdictions of local health departments to create multi-county health departments that serve at least 50,000 people, in effort to build economies of scale and better improve population health. Includes an interview with Becky Johnson, administrator of the SEK Multi-County Health Department (SEKMCHD) in southeast Kansas, that provides insight on the benefits of multi-county health departments and strategies to overcome obstacles and sustain services. -- Kansas Health Institute

Resource: Risk Communicating Resources for Rural Areas: A Toolkit to Help Rural Public Health Clinics Communicate Their Message to the Community During an Emergency or Disaster.

Wed, 12 Jun 2024 10:08:58 -0500

Toolkit offering links to comprehensive, accessible, and ready-to-use materials to provide local health department staff with information to improve communication efforts. Places emphasis on challenges encountered in rural settings and targeted for use among county health department nurse managers, supervisors, and other public health staff. -- Georgia Department of Community Health

Resource: Service & Resource Sharing in Rural Settings: A Perspective Report - Overcoming Common Barriers Faced by Rural Local Health Departments

Fri, 17 May 2024 09:29:00 -0500

Discusses the challenges of small and rural local health departments (LHDs) regarding limited resources and capacity. Analyzes 12 examples of service and resource sharing arrangements (SRSAs) that allow LHDs to improve the quality of their services, advance health equity, and provide better healthcare access to local populations. -- East Tennessee State University Center for Rural Health Research, Kansas Health Institute, Public Health Accreditation Board

Resource: Ready or Not 2024: Protecting the Public's Health from Diseases, Disasters, and Bioterrorism

Mon, 18 Mar 2024 09:25:50 -0500

Report explores the readiness of state public health systems to respond to emergencies, such as diseases, disasters, and bioterrorism. Focuses on measures such as hospital safety scores, vaccination rates, and water system maintenance, among others. Includes rural considerations throughout. -- Trust for America's Health

Resource: 2022 National Profile of Local Health Departments

Wed, 21 Feb 2024 10:56:23 -0600

Provides a study of local health department infrastructure and practice. Discusses topics including leadership, workforce, emergency preparedness and response, public health policy, information technology, financing, and more. Includes analysis by degree of urbanization throughout. -- National Association of County and City Health Officials

Resource: Supporting Resilience in Rural Areas Through Cross-Sector Partnerships

Tue, 19 Dec 2023 16:20:20 -0600

Discusses the importance of working across multiple agencies and organizations to address social, economic, and environmental determinants of health. Describes the Health in All Policies (HiAP) approach that uses cross-sector strategies to build health infrastructure and sustainability, with examples from rural communities. -- Association of State and Territorial Health Officials

Resource: Pathways to Equity Rural Health Roadmap

Wed, 29 Nov 2023 08:51:02 -0600

Outlines a roadmap for rural health organizations to improve health equity in their communities. Includes guidance on building trust, forming a health equity team, assessing health risks, developing strategies and collaborations, and taking action.

Resource: CDC Office of Rural Health At-a-Glance

Wed, 29 Nov 2023 08:35:04 -0600

An information sheet that describes the role of rural public health, rural health disparities, and strategies the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Office of Rural Health is developing to address inequities in rural health. -- CDC Office of Rural Health