Rural Public Health Agencies – Resources

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
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Strengthening Public Health in Rural Ohio Through a Council of Governments
Describes the process 7 county health departments in rural Ohio took to share resources and increase capacity while seeking accreditation from the Public Health Accreditation Board. Discusses the development of a council of governments and the results of strategic planning.
Date: 11/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Center for Sharing Public Health Services
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Merging to Overcome Challenges in Colorado
Details the merging of 2 frontier county health departments located in the Colorado Rockies. Discusses the benefits of the merger in terms of resources and services, funding, staff sharing, peer support, and more.
Date: 09/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Center for Sharing Public Health Services
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Improving the Health and Well-Being of Rural Communities Through Collaboration
Webinar recording discusses the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy's report on care coordination between hospitals, health centers, and public health agencies. Features presentations from representatives from the Health Care Collaborative of Rural Missouri and the Sakakawea Medical Center.
Additional links: Audio Recording, PowerPoint Handout, Webinar Transcript
Date: 08/2019
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Working Together to Improve Environmental Health in Colorado
Discusses the process of 3 rural and 3 frontier counties in Colorado partnering to provide environmental health services for their local areas. Features the results of the collaboration as well as strategies to create successful partnerships and governance.
Date: 07/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Center for Sharing Public Health Services
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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
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Association of County and City Health Officials
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Local Health Department Approaches to Opioid Use Prevention and Response: An Environmental Scan
Summarizes the results of an environmental scan of 198 local health departments (LHDs) regarding their local opioid overdose prevention and response activities. Reports and compares statistics by governance and the size of the population the LHD serves. Discusses efforts and activities related to workforce, clinical and programmatic services, policy, communication, partnership, and data collection. Includes LHD stories from the field.
Author(s): Kamya Raja, Francis Higgins
Date: 07/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Association of County and City Health Officials
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Working Together to Improve Local Public Health Capacity in West Central Minnesota
Discusses the consolidation process of health services among 5 counties in West Central Minnesota in order to develop a service model that recognized the communal identity of the area. Details the governance structure and the related impacts and successes of the consolidation.
Date: 06/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Center for Sharing Public Health Services
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Bringing Counties Together to Create Stronger Health Departments at a Lesser Cost in Rural Western New York
Discusses how 2 rural public health departments in New York collaborated to leverage resources and utilize shared staffing. Features impacts of collaboration and provides strategies on how to make similar public health department collaborations successful.
Date: 06/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Center for Sharing Public Health Services
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Member Spotlight Interview: Health Director Emily Brown Discusses the Importance of Rural Health Representation
Interview with the health director for Rio Grande County Public Health, serving 6 rural counties in Colorado. Highlights the importance of rural health representation at all levels of government and explores how the Rio Grande County health department addresses inequities in health as related to poverty.
Citation: NACCHO Voice
Date: 06/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Association of County and City Health Officials
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