Rural Public Health Agencies – Resources
Selected recent or important resources focusing on Rural Public Health Agencies.
The State of Rural Public Health: Enduring Needs in a New Decade
Examines changes in rural/urban disparities over a 40-year period, including differences in life expectancy, social determinants of health, challenges facing local health departments (LHDs), and more. Discusses factors contributing to disparities and provides recommendations to support LHDs and improve public health in rural communities. Supplement contains figures depicting county-level data on life expectancy at birth as well as rural/urban differences in spending at LHDs and transfers to local governments.
Additional links: Supplement
Author(s): Jonathon Leider, Michael Meit, J. Mac McCullough, et al.
Citation: American Journal of Public Health, 110(9), 1283-1290
Date: 09/2020
view details
Examines changes in rural/urban disparities over a 40-year period, including differences in life expectancy, social determinants of health, challenges facing local health departments (LHDs), and more. Discusses factors contributing to disparities and provides recommendations to support LHDs and improve public health in rural communities. Supplement contains figures depicting county-level data on life expectancy at birth as well as rural/urban differences in spending at LHDs and transfers to local governments.
Additional links: Supplement
Author(s): Jonathon Leider, Michael Meit, J. Mac McCullough, et al.
Citation: American Journal of Public Health, 110(9), 1283-1290
Date: 09/2020
view details
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
view details
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
view details
The Growing Divide in the Composition of Public Health Delivery Systems in US Rural and Urban Communities, 2014–2018
Analyzes data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Public Health Systems to examine rural-urban differences in the scope of public health delivery system activities and organizational networks from 2014-2018. Provides geographic breakdowns on various characteristics, including poverty, unemployment, trends for public health activities, and more.
Author(s): Kelsey M. Owsley, Mika K. Hamer, Glen P. Mays
Citation: American Journal of Public Health, 110(Suppl 2), S204-S210
Date: 07/2020
view details
Analyzes data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Public Health Systems to examine rural-urban differences in the scope of public health delivery system activities and organizational networks from 2014-2018. Provides geographic breakdowns on various characteristics, including poverty, unemployment, trends for public health activities, and more.
Author(s): Kelsey M. Owsley, Mika K. Hamer, Glen P. Mays
Citation: American Journal of Public Health, 110(Suppl 2), S204-S210
Date: 07/2020
view details
It's Possible: Voluntary Accreditation for Rural Public Health Departments
Provides an overview of the public health department accreditation process. Discusses service differences between rural and urban public health departments. Offers advice for rural departments pursuing accreditation.
Author(s): Kay Miller Temple
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 12/2019
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
view details
Provides an overview of the public health department accreditation process. Discusses service differences between rural and urban public health departments. Offers advice for rural departments pursuing accreditation.
Author(s): Kay Miller Temple
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 12/2019
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
view details
Understanding Rural Health Departments: Do They Have Unique Accreditation Needs?
Discusses how governance, organizational size, and other factors impact rural local health departments' ability to pursue voluntary accreditation.
Author(s): Kay Miller Temple
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 12/2019
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
view details
Discusses how governance, organizational size, and other factors impact rural local health departments' ability to pursue voluntary accreditation.
Author(s): Kay Miller Temple
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 12/2019
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
view details
Taney County Health Department: Accreditation and Holding to a Higher Standard
Describes how Missouri's Taney County Health Department has used voluntary national and state accreditation to help meet their county's public health needs. Offers tips for other rural public health departments considering accreditation.
Author(s): Kay Miller Temple
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 12/2019
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
view details
Describes how Missouri's Taney County Health Department has used voluntary national and state accreditation to help meet their county's public health needs. Offers tips for other rural public health departments considering accreditation.
Author(s): Kay Miller Temple
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 12/2019
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
view details
A Rising Tide: Increasing Rural Local Health Department Capacity to Address the Social Determinants of Health
Describes unique challenges faced by rural local health departments (LHDs), as well as assets such as community connectivity and trusted local institutions. Explores the ways in which partnerships, leadership, community engagement, data and evaluation, and community health improvement planning function as foundational elements in addressing social determinants of health in rural communities.
Author(s): Karla Feeser, Melissa Mayer, Ashley Edmiston
Date: 07/2019
Sponsoring organization: National Association of County and City Health Officials
view details
Describes unique challenges faced by rural local health departments (LHDs), as well as assets such as community connectivity and trusted local institutions. Explores the ways in which partnerships, leadership, community engagement, data and evaluation, and community health improvement planning function as foundational elements in addressing social determinants of health in rural communities.
Author(s): Karla Feeser, Melissa Mayer, Ashley Edmiston
Date: 07/2019
Sponsoring organization: National Association of County and City Health Officials
view details
Mobilizing Community Partnerships in Rural Communities: Strategies and Techniques
Describes how rural communities can develop and maintain organizational and community partnerships with local health departments, community health centers, healthcare organizations, offices of rural health, hospitals, and nonprofit organizations. Recommendations are based on interviews with Federal Office of Rural Health Policy grantees involved in successful rural community partnership initiatives.
Author(s): Mikhaila Richards
Date: 07/2013
Sponsoring organization: National Association of County and City Health Officials
view details
Describes how rural communities can develop and maintain organizational and community partnerships with local health departments, community health centers, healthcare organizations, offices of rural health, hospitals, and nonprofit organizations. Recommendations are based on interviews with Federal Office of Rural Health Policy grantees involved in successful rural community partnership initiatives.
Author(s): Mikhaila Richards
Date: 07/2013
Sponsoring organization: National Association of County and City Health Officials
view details
Establishing and Maintaining Public Health Infrastructure in Rural Communities
Reports on the availability of public health services in rural communities. Provides recommendations for establishing and maintaining public health infrastructure and services in rural areas. Includes a case study from Maine.
Additional links: Policy Brief
Author(s): Michael Meit, Naomi Hernandez
Date: 02/2012
Sponsoring organization: NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
view details
Reports on the availability of public health services in rural communities. Provides recommendations for establishing and maintaining public health infrastructure and services in rural areas. Includes a case study from Maine.
Additional links: Policy Brief
Author(s): Michael Meit, Naomi Hernandez
Date: 02/2012
Sponsoring organization: NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
view details
NACCHO Profile Study Dashboard
Provides data on local health department (LHD) services and infrastructure from the National Association of County and City Health Officials' National Profile of Local Health Departments. Data may be filtered by rurality and size of population served for most survey topics, including leadership, workforce, services provided, and more.
Sponsoring organization: National Association of County and City Health Officials
view details
Provides data on local health department (LHD) services and infrastructure from the National Association of County and City Health Officials' National Profile of Local Health Departments. Data may be filtered by rurality and size of population served for most survey topics, including leadership, workforce, services provided, and more.
Sponsoring organization: National Association of County and City Health Officials
view details
Additional resources are available related to this guide. See the full list of resources by topic for:

