Rural Public Health Agencies – Resources
Selected recent or important resources focusing on Rural Public Health Agencies.
Data, Capacity-Building, and Training Needs to Address Rural Health Inequities in the Northwest United States: A Qualitative Study
Describes the results of 28 interviews with rural local health department staff in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington to examine their training needs and capacity to access and use data to better understand public health issues and allocate resources. Includes interview subjects' employment information and quotes highlighting the challenges to accessing or using data to monitor rural health issues.
Author(s): Betty Bekemeier, Seungeun Park, Uba Backonja, India Ornelas, Anne M. Turner
Citation: Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 26(8-9), 825-834
Date: 04/2019
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Describes the results of 28 interviews with rural local health department staff in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington to examine their training needs and capacity to access and use data to better understand public health issues and allocate resources. Includes interview subjects' employment information and quotes highlighting the challenges to accessing or using data to monitor rural health issues.
Author(s): Betty Bekemeier, Seungeun Park, Uba Backonja, India Ornelas, Anne M. Turner
Citation: Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 26(8-9), 825-834
Date: 04/2019
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Strengthening Rural States' Capacity to Prepare for and Respond to Emerging Infectious Diseases, 2013-2015
Provides information for clinicians working in rural areas to effectively identify and respond to infectious disease. Highlights how state and local public health agencies from states having a high percentage of populations in rural areas, with support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), have successfully strengthened their ability to respond to the growing threat of infectious diseases.
Author(s): Scott Santibañez, Kimberly Spencer Bellis, Allison Bay, et al.
Citation: Southern Medical Journal, 112(2), 101-105
Date: 02/2019
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Provides information for clinicians working in rural areas to effectively identify and respond to infectious disease. Highlights how state and local public health agencies from states having a high percentage of populations in rural areas, with support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), have successfully strengthened their ability to respond to the growing threat of infectious diseases.
Author(s): Scott Santibañez, Kimberly Spencer Bellis, Allison Bay, et al.
Citation: Southern Medical Journal, 112(2), 101-105
Date: 02/2019
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Survey Development: Community Involvement in the Design and Implementation Process
Highlights how the Rocky Mountain Tribal Leaders Council Epidemiology Center (RMTEC) worked with one tribal community to develop a health priorities survey. Describes the importance of community involvement in public health activities and planning for American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) populations. Includes practice and policy implications.
Author(s): Allyson Kelley, Christopher Piccione, Aryn Fisher, et al.
Citation: Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, 25(suppl 5), S77-S83
Date: 2019
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Highlights how the Rocky Mountain Tribal Leaders Council Epidemiology Center (RMTEC) worked with one tribal community to develop a health priorities survey. Describes the importance of community involvement in public health activities and planning for American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) populations. Includes practice and policy implications.
Author(s): Allyson Kelley, Christopher Piccione, Aryn Fisher, et al.
Citation: Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, 25(suppl 5), S77-S83
Date: 2019
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Population Health in Rural Communities
Policy paper discussing the concept of population health in rural communities with a focus on providing better care, improving health, and lowering costs.
Author(s): Sally Buck, Patricia A. Crawford, John Gale, Deborah Holzmark, Michelle Mills
Date: 04/2015
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Policy paper discussing the concept of population health in rural communities with a focus on providing better care, improving health, and lowering costs.
Author(s): Sally Buck, Patricia A. Crawford, John Gale, Deborah Holzmark, Michelle Mills
Date: 04/2015
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Rural Healthy People 2020: A Companion Document to Healthy People 2020, Volume 2
Provides a rural focus for the Healthy People 2020 priorities with an overview for each of the top health priorities ranked 11 through 20 identified by rural stakeholders. (Volume 1 discussed the top 10 priorities.) Topics include: cancer, health education, oral health, immunizations and infectious disease, public health, sexual health and family planning, injury and violence prevention, and social determinants of health. Includes reviews of the relevant literature and model programs appropriate for rural communities. Document is available for free download, after providing brief information about intended use.
Author(s): Jane N. Bolin, Gail Bellamy, Alva O. Ferdinand, Bita Kash, Janet W. Helduser
Date: 2015
Sponsoring organization: Southwest Rural Health Research Center
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Provides a rural focus for the Healthy People 2020 priorities with an overview for each of the top health priorities ranked 11 through 20 identified by rural stakeholders. (Volume 1 discussed the top 10 priorities.) Topics include: cancer, health education, oral health, immunizations and infectious disease, public health, sexual health and family planning, injury and violence prevention, and social determinants of health. Includes reviews of the relevant literature and model programs appropriate for rural communities. Document is available for free download, after providing brief information about intended use.
Author(s): Jane N. Bolin, Gail Bellamy, Alva O. Ferdinand, Bita Kash, Janet W. Helduser
Date: 2015
Sponsoring organization: Southwest Rural Health Research Center
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Rural Healthy People 2020: A Companion Document to Healthy People 2020, Volume 1
Provides a rural focus for the Healthy People 2020 priorities. Includes overviews of the top 10 rural health priority areas identified by rural stakeholders. (Volume 2 discusses priorities 11-20.) Topics addressed include: health insurance, primary care, emergency services, nutrition and weight status, diabetes, mental health, substance abuse, heart disease and stroke, physical activity, older adults, maternal and child health, and tobacco use. Each overview includes reviews of the relevant literature and models that rural communities can use to address the issues. Document is available for free download, after providing brief information about intended use.
Author(s): Jane N. Bolin, Gail Bellamy, Alva O. Ferdinand, Bita Kash, Janet W. Helduser
Date: 2015
Sponsoring organization: Southwest Rural Health Research Center
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Provides a rural focus for the Healthy People 2020 priorities. Includes overviews of the top 10 rural health priority areas identified by rural stakeholders. (Volume 2 discusses priorities 11-20.) Topics addressed include: health insurance, primary care, emergency services, nutrition and weight status, diabetes, mental health, substance abuse, heart disease and stroke, physical activity, older adults, maternal and child health, and tobacco use. Each overview includes reviews of the relevant literature and models that rural communities can use to address the issues. Document is available for free download, after providing brief information about intended use.
Author(s): Jane N. Bolin, Gail Bellamy, Alva O. Ferdinand, Bita Kash, Janet W. Helduser
Date: 2015
Sponsoring organization: Southwest Rural Health Research Center
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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 non-profit 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
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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 non-profit 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
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The Utility of Rural and Underserved Designations in Geospatial Assessments of Distance Traveled to Healthcare Services: Implications for Public Health Research and Practice
Reviews different definitions and designations of rurality in relation to resident characteristics in a sample of 8 central Texas counties. Discusses the impact that rural definitions can have on research findings and health policy.
Author(s): Matthew Lee Smith, Justin B. Dickerson, Monica L. Wendel, et al.
Citation: Journal of Environmental and Public Health, 2013, 960157
Date: 06/2013
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Reviews different definitions and designations of rurality in relation to resident characteristics in a sample of 8 central Texas counties. Discusses the impact that rural definitions can have on research findings and health policy.
Author(s): Matthew Lee Smith, Justin B. Dickerson, Monica L. Wendel, et al.
Citation: Journal of Environmental and Public Health, 2013, 960157
Date: 06/2013
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Additional resources are available related to this guide. See the full list of resources by topic for:
Last Updated: 12/5/2025