Rural Public Health Agencies – Resources

A Roadmap to Develop Sharing Initiatives in Public Health
A guidebook to help local and county governments learn how they might share public health services regionally for more effective and efficient operations. The guide is based on a national public health learning community that includes rural public health organizations.
Additional links: Expedited Version
Date: 04/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Center for Sharing Public Health Services
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An Emergent Network for the Diffusion of Innovations Among Local Health Departments at the Onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Study examining communication networks among 329 local health departments as a way to assess the impacts of communication networks on community health innovation. Analyzes data from surveys of local health department leadership, comparing responses from leaders in urban and rural areas. Discusses the sharing of information about new public health initiatives, policies, and evidence-based practices.
Author(s): Minwoong Chung, Debra Dekker, Chelsea Gridley-Smith, James W. Dearing
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 18, 200536
Date: 03/2021
Type: Document
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Capacity of Rural Counties to Address an HIV or Hepatitis C Outbreak
Examines data from 20 states potentially at risk of a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or hepatitis C virus (HCV) outbreak to determine which services local health departments (LHDs) provide to help identify or address HIV or HCV. Examples of relevant services include HIV testing, substance use services, and infectious disease surveillance, among others. Includes rural/urban differences in LHD services and staff, LHD partnerships and collaboration, and demographic characteristics of at-risk counties.
Author(s): Jennifer Lenardson, Jaclyn Janis, Amanda Burgess, Karen Pearson, Martha Elbaum
Date: 02/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center
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Dialogue About the Workforce for Population Health Improvement: Proceedings of a Workshop
Presentations from a workshop facilitating a population health perspective among public health and healthcare leaders and professionals; framing the work of personnel such as community health workers, health navigators, and peer-to-peer chronic disease management educators within the context of population health; and leveraging the competencies of public- and private-sector workforces that are working to include a well-being orientation in their activities.
Author(s): Roundtable on Population Health Improvement
Date: 2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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The Public Health Associates Program: Opportunities for Rural Host Sites
Webinar recording discusses the Public Health Associates Program (PHAP), a two-year training program for gaining experience working in public health agencies. Features presentations from a representative of the Public Health Associates Program (PHAP).
Additional links: Audio Recording, PowerPoint Handout
Date: 12/2020
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Synergistic Disparities and Public Health Mitigation of COVID-19 in the Rural United States
Describes how public health responses to the COVID-19 pandemic emphasize racial, economic, and geographic disparities, especially among rural and poor populations. Covers public health mitigation measures, including disease surveillance, physical distancing, hand and respiratory hygiene, and public health communication. Discusses the ethical demands of public health practice during and following a public health emergency.
Author(s): Kata Chillag, Lisa Lee
Citation: Journal of Bioethical Inquiry, 17(4), 649-656
Date: 11/2020
Type: Document
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A Century Later: Rural Public Health's Enduring Challenges and Opportunities
Discusses rural health disparities that have persisted over the past century, with information on infectious disease, access to healthcare, maternal and child health, and racial health disparities in the United States. Discusses public health challenges and solutions for rural communities.
Author(s): Erika Ziller, Carly Milkowski
Citation: American Journal of Public Health, e1-e9
Date: 09/2020
Type: Document
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Contact Tracing: Training New Workers and Connecting with Rural Residents
Discusses the role contact tracing plays in preventing further spread of the coronavirus in rural communities. Highlights an IHS hospital in Arizona and its in-person contact tracing initiative. Also covers contact tracing training strategies, featuring the work of Alaska's AHEC program, a center for public health in Washington, and a national public health foundation.
Author(s): Allee Mead
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 09/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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COVID-19 Reveals Emerging Opportunities for Rural Public Health
Explores potential and existing public health innovations that rural communities can implement to address challenges brought on or exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic, including lack of funding for local health departments, insufficient broadband, and more. Describes the expansion of telehealth services, discusses rural/urban disparities, and offers recommendations for improvement.
Author(s): Angela Dearinger
Citation: American Journal of Public Health, 110(9), 1277-1278
Date: 09/2020
Type: Document
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A Public Health Lens on Rural Health
Presents an overview of an American Journal of Public Health issue that explores rural health matters within the framework of public health. Summarizes topics covered in the articles, including rural/urban disparities, shifts in funding sources for local health departments, implementation of telemedicine and mobile clinics, opioid use disorder, and more.
Author(s): Paul Erwin, Wendy Braund
Citation: American Journal of Public Health, 110(9), 1275-1276
Date: 09/2020
Type: Document
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