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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Public Health Agencies – Resources

Selected recent or important resources focusing on Rural Public Health Agencies.

Reimagining and Reinvesting in Rural Hospital Markets
Commentary examining the hospital infrastructure needed in rural areas and how rural hospitals can be financed. Discusses current issues related to rural hospital services and how public health policy and infrastructure can impact the health of rural citizens.
Author(s): Caitlin Carroll, Arrianna Planey, Katy B. Kozhimannil
Citation: Health Services Research, 57(5), 1001-1005
Date: 10/2022
Type: Document
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2020 Forces of Change: The COVID-19 Edition
Reports on capacity, preparedness, and response of local health departments (LHDs) during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Utilizes survey data from 583 LHDs and includes information such as job losses, budget changes, COVID-19 response timeline, workforce changes, experiences related to harassment, available services, recovery efforts, and more. Data includes information from small, medium, and large LHDs.
Date: 08/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Association of County and City Health Officials
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Rural Local Health Department Partnership in Healthcare Associated Infections (HAI), Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) and Antimicrobial Stewardship (AMS): In-Depth Interviews Report
Reports on an assessment of rural, frontier, and small local health departments (LHDs) and their engagement with Healthcare Associated Infections (HAI), Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), and Antimicrobial Stewardship (AMS) initiatives. Provides performance information on LHDs engaged in initiatives to address HAI, AMR, and AMS, barriers preventing LHDs from engaging in initiatives, and overall workforce development and capacity of LHDs. Discusses the May 2022 interviews of 11 LHD representatives and 2 non-local health departments and includes results and recommendations.
Additional links: Infographic
Date: 07/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Health Communications Consultants, Inc., National Association of County and City Health Officials
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A Playbook for New Rural Healthcare Partnership Models of Investment
Provides information for healthcare organizations looking to collaborate with local community and economic stakeholders to improve the health of their citizens. Includes case studies of multisector partnerships in rural areas that focus on upstream interventions, such as strengthening economic support, supporting local control, strengthening infrastructure to support healthcare access, and increasing resources.
Author(s): Ruth Thomas-Squance, Ashley Hernandez, Colleen Flynn, et al.
Date: 05/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Build Healthy Places Network
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Rural Local Health Department Partnership in Healthcare Associated Infections (HAI), Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) and Antimicrobial Stewardship (AMS): Exploratory Survey Report
Provides results from an exploratory survey to identify and evaluate rural, frontier, and small local health departments (LHDs) engaged in Healthcare Associated Infections (HAI), Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) and Antimicrobial Stewardship (AMS) initiatives. Presents results from a March 2022 survey related to staff training and competency; barriers to engaging in HAI, AMR, and AMS initiatives; and collaborations used when engaging in initiatives.
Additional links: Infographic
Author(s): Sarah D. Matthews, Sandra Ruzycki
Date: 04/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Health Communications Consultants, Inc., National Association of County and City Health Officials
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Public Health's Role in Telehealth
A podcast that discusses how telehealth became more accessible during COVID-19 and how this may impact public healthcare delivery long-term. Focuses on how the future of telehealth impacts under-resourced communities, including rural.
Date: 04/2022
Type: Audio
Sponsoring organization: Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
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Rural Public Health: Improving the Health and Well-being of Rural Populations
Policy position paper focused on public health activities in rural areas and the rural public health infrastructure. Offers policy recommendations that could improve rural public health outcomes.
Author(s): Brady Beecham, Vicki Brooks, Alanti McGill
Date: 02/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Guidance on PFAS Exposure, Testing, and Clinical Follow-Up
Report examining the effects of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which are common in well water in rural areas and have been linked to adverse health effects including cancer, thyroid dysfunction, changes in cholesterol, and reductions in birth weight. Recommends that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and public health departments support clinicians in communities where PFAS contamination has been identified, by creating educational materials on PFAS exposure, potential health effects, the limitations of testing, and the benefits and harms of testing.
Additional links: Read Online
Author(s): Board on Population Health and Public Health Practice
Date: 2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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Rural Public Health and Health Care: A Scan of Field Practice and Trends
Offers a historical overview of rural healthcare and rural public health theories and practice methods and describes newer theories, such as value-based care, personalized medicine, social determinants of health, and health in all policies. Outlines trends in public health and healthcare, including community engagement, evidence-based decision making, and delivery integration, discussing rural implications of these trends.
Date: 09/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Aspen Institute
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Medicaid and Housing Partnerships: A Resource for Local Health Departments
Explores how local health departments (LHDs) in rural areas can utilize Medicaid managed care levers to address homelessness and housing security issues. Summarizes results from a gap analysis and readiness assessment which identified key opportunities to help prepare three LHDs in rural North Carolina counties for the transition to Medicaid-managed care. Identifies action steps for these counties to strengthen housing supports that can also inform similar initiatives in other states.
Author(s): Matthew Ralls, Kathy Moses, Rob Houston
Date: 07/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Care Strategies
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Additional resources are available related to this guide. See the full list of resources by topic for:


Last Updated: 4/12/2024