Rural Public Health Agencies – Resources
Selected recent or important resources focusing on Rural Public Health Agencies.
Developing Partnerships in Rural Communities: At the Intersection of Suicide Prevention, Overdose, and Adverse Childhood Experiences
A fillable worksheet that guides the user in determining how to address suicide prevention, overdose prevention, and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) at the societal, community, relationship, and individual levels. Provides tailored information and planning for rural health departments on risk and protective factors, data sources available to them, and potential partnerships.
Sponsoring organizations: Community-Led Suicide Prevention, edc.org, National Association of County and City Health Officials
view details
A fillable worksheet that guides the user in determining how to address suicide prevention, overdose prevention, and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) at the societal, community, relationship, and individual levels. Provides tailored information and planning for rural health departments on risk and protective factors, data sources available to them, and potential partnerships.
Sponsoring organizations: Community-Led Suicide Prevention, edc.org, National Association of County and City Health Officials
view details
Risk Communicating Resources for Rural Areas: A Toolkit to Help Rural Public Health Clinics Communicate Their Message to the Community During an Emergency or Disaster.
Toolkit offering links to comprehensive, accessible, and ready-to-use materials to provide local health department staff with information to improve communication efforts. Places emphasis on challenges encountered in rural settings and targeted for use among county health department nurse managers, supervisors, and other public health staff.
Sponsoring organization: Georgia Department of Community Health
view details
Toolkit offering links to comprehensive, accessible, and ready-to-use materials to provide local health department staff with information to improve communication efforts. Places emphasis on challenges encountered in rural settings and targeted for use among county health department nurse managers, supervisors, and other public health staff.
Sponsoring organization: Georgia Department of Community Health
view details
Pathways to Equity Rural Health Roadmap
Outlines a roadmap for rural health organizations to improve health equity in their communities. Includes guidance on building trust, forming a health equity team, assessing health risks, developing strategies and collaborations, and taking action.
Sponsoring organization: Pathways to Public Health Equity
view details
Outlines a roadmap for rural health organizations to improve health equity in their communities. Includes guidance on building trust, forming a health equity team, assessing health risks, developing strategies and collaborations, and taking action.
Sponsoring organization: Pathways to Public Health Equity
view details
State Public Health Legislation Database
Identifies state legislation addressing infectious disease prevention and treatment, public health information and reporting, public health workforce, and vaccines. Updated every two weeks, with information on legislation starting in 2021. Searchable by year, state, topic or keyword.
Sponsoring organization: National Conference of State Legislatures
view details
Identifies state legislation addressing infectious disease prevention and treatment, public health information and reporting, public health workforce, and vaccines. Updated every two weeks, with information on legislation starting in 2021. Searchable by year, state, topic or keyword.
Sponsoring organization: National Conference of State Legislatures
view details
Rural and Frontier Health
Focuses on supporting local health departments (LHDs) in rural and frontier areas by building capacity and capability to serve their communities. Includes initiatives, resources, collaborations, news, and spotlights related to rural and frontier LHDs.
Sponsoring organization: National Association of County and City Health Officials
view details
Focuses on supporting local health departments (LHDs) in rural and frontier areas by building capacity and capability to serve their communities. Includes initiatives, resources, collaborations, news, and spotlights related to rural and frontier LHDs.
Sponsoring organization: National Association of County and City Health Officials
view details
Addressing the Intersection of Suicide, Overdose, and Adverse Childhood Experiences: What Is the Capacity of Local Health Departments?: Results from the National Fielding of the SPACECAT
Provides survey results from local health departments (LHDs) regarding their capacity to address suicide, overdose, and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Analyzes data from 101 LHDs that completed the Suicide, Overdose, and Adverse Childhood Experiences Prevention Capacity Assessment Tool (SPACECAT) from a sampling of small (serving 50,000 people or less), medium (serving 50,000-499,999 people), and large (serving 500,000 or more people) LHDs. Includes discussions centering around capacity issues such as networking and partnerships, strategic planning, staffing, data integration, and addressing concerns for at-risk populations.
Author(s): Katherine Palm, Lane Davis, Margaret Cunningham, Kyle Brees, Kellie Hall
Sponsoring organization: National Association of County and City Health Officials
view details
Provides survey results from local health departments (LHDs) regarding their capacity to address suicide, overdose, and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Analyzes data from 101 LHDs that completed the Suicide, Overdose, and Adverse Childhood Experiences Prevention Capacity Assessment Tool (SPACECAT) from a sampling of small (serving 50,000 people or less), medium (serving 50,000-499,999 people), and large (serving 500,000 or more people) LHDs. Includes discussions centering around capacity issues such as networking and partnerships, strategic planning, staffing, data integration, and addressing concerns for at-risk populations.
Author(s): Katherine Palm, Lane Davis, Margaret Cunningham, Kyle Brees, Kellie Hall
Sponsoring organization: National Association of County and City Health Officials
view details
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.
Sponsoring organization: Public Health Accreditation Board
view details
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.
Sponsoring organization: Public Health Accreditation Board
view details
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.
Sponsoring organization: Public Health Accreditation Board
view details
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.
Sponsoring organization: Public Health Accreditation Board
view details
Public Health Strategies to Help Cancer Survivors in Rural Communities
Resource guide that describes the National Comprehensive Cancer Control Program (NCCCP) from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, highlighting key steps to improving care for rural cancer survivors. Modules cover lessons learned regarding collaboration, tailoring program services to local needs, recruitment and education of healthcare providers, and monitoring and program evaluation.
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
view details
Resource guide that describes the National Comprehensive Cancer Control Program (NCCCP) from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, highlighting key steps to improving care for rural cancer survivors. Modules cover lessons learned regarding collaboration, tailoring program services to local needs, recruitment and education of healthcare providers, and monitoring and program evaluation.
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
view details
Tools for Service and Resource Sharing
A collection of resources to help local health departments and health centers share clinical and nonclinical services. Identifies types of shared services arrangements, factors that contribute to success, information on developing legal documents, and more.
Sponsoring organization: Public Health Accreditation Board
view details
A collection of resources to help local health departments and health centers share clinical and nonclinical services. Identifies types of shared services arrangements, factors that contribute to success, information on developing legal documents, and more.
Sponsoring organization: Public Health Accreditation Board
view details
Additional resources are available related to this guide. See the full list of resources by topic for:
Last Updated: 12/1/2025

