Rural Public Health Agencies – Resources
Selected recent or important resources focusing on Rural Public Health Agencies.
2024 Forces of Change Survey
Presents results from a 2024 survey of 667 local health departments (LHDs). Provides data on LHD staffing and budgets, governance, fellowship and training programs, public health nursing, evaluation capacity, and harm reduction activities. Includes data comparisons between rural and urban LHDs, and LHDs serving small, medium, and large populations.
Author(s): Krishna Patel, Gwen Davis, Kellie Perkins, Timothy C. McCall
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Association of County and City Health Officials
view details
Presents results from a 2024 survey of 667 local health departments (LHDs). Provides data on LHD staffing and budgets, governance, fellowship and training programs, public health nursing, evaluation capacity, and harm reduction activities. Includes data comparisons between rural and urban LHDs, and LHDs serving small, medium, and large populations.
Author(s): Krishna Patel, Gwen Davis, Kellie Perkins, Timothy C. McCall
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Association of County and City Health Officials
view details
Data Sharing Lessons from Alaska: Improving a State's Process for Disclosing Data for Public Health Purposes to Tribal Public Health Organizations
Discusses data sharing agreements between Tribal-Serving Organizations and other state or local public health agencies. Examines the process of collaboration between the Alaska Division of Public Health (DPH) and the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC), with a focus on overcoming barriers, working through legal considerations, and lessons learned.
Author(s): Chris Alibrandi O'Connor
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
view details
Discusses data sharing agreements between Tribal-Serving Organizations and other state or local public health agencies. Examines the process of collaboration between the Alaska Division of Public Health (DPH) and the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC), with a focus on overcoming barriers, working through legal considerations, and lessons learned.
Author(s): Chris Alibrandi O'Connor
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
view details
Exploring Strategies for Small Local & Tribal Health Departments to Succeed in Accreditation
A recorded webinar that discusses challenges small and tribal health departments face when preparing for the accreditation process. Provides guidance and strategies to help accelerate and achieve accreditation. Transcript available below description.
Additional links: Slides
Author(s): Peg Allen, Matthew Fifolt, Amy Belflower Thomas, Jennifer Clarke-Lofters
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Public Health Accreditation Board
view details
A recorded webinar that discusses challenges small and tribal health departments face when preparing for the accreditation process. Provides guidance and strategies to help accelerate and achieve accreditation. Transcript available below description.
Additional links: Slides
Author(s): Peg Allen, Matthew Fifolt, Amy Belflower Thomas, Jennifer Clarke-Lofters
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Public Health Accreditation Board
view details
Assessing the Understandability and Actionability of Education Materials for Agricultural Workers' Health
Presents a study aiming to identify and evaluate the health education resources available to educators working with farmworkers. Evaluates resources by understandability and actionability.
Author(s): Julianna Nieuwsma, Joseph G. L. Lee, Jamie E. Bloss, et al.
Citation: Journal of Agromedicine, 30(3), 480-495
Date: 03/2025
view details
Presents a study aiming to identify and evaluate the health education resources available to educators working with farmworkers. Evaluates resources by understandability and actionability.
Author(s): Julianna Nieuwsma, Joseph G. L. Lee, Jamie E. Bloss, et al.
Citation: Journal of Agromedicine, 30(3), 480-495
Date: 03/2025
view details
2024 National Preparedness Report
Summarizes progress made and challenges that remain in building and sustaining capabilities needed to prevent and recover from threats and incidents that pose the greatest risk to the nation. Covers calendar year 2023 and places particular emphasis on mass care services, public information and warning, infrastructure systems, and cybersecurity. Mentions rural throughout, and discusses rural hospital closures and rural residents' unreliable access to medical care during disasters.
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: Federal Emergency Management Agency
view details
Summarizes progress made and challenges that remain in building and sustaining capabilities needed to prevent and recover from threats and incidents that pose the greatest risk to the nation. Covers calendar year 2023 and places particular emphasis on mass care services, public information and warning, infrastructure systems, and cybersecurity. Mentions rural throughout, and discusses rural hospital closures and rural residents' unreliable access to medical care during disasters.
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: Federal Emergency Management Agency
view details
Promoting Equitable Access to COVID-19 Vaccinations in Rural and Underserved Arizona: Experiences From Three County Health Departments
Provides background on health disparities related to the COVID-19 outbreak in Arizona and strategies to implement local vaccine access in rural and underserved areas. Discusses how health departments collaborated to serve rural, migrant, and Native American populations.
Author(s): Bryna Koch, Mona Arora, Brianna Rooney, et al.
Citation: American Journal of Public Health, 114(S7), S546-S550
Date: 10/2024
view details
Provides background on health disparities related to the COVID-19 outbreak in Arizona and strategies to implement local vaccine access in rural and underserved areas. Discusses how health departments collaborated to serve rural, migrant, and Native American populations.
Author(s): Bryna Koch, Mona Arora, Brianna Rooney, et al.
Citation: American Journal of Public Health, 114(S7), S546-S550
Date: 10/2024
view details
CDC Rural Public Health Strategic Plan, FY 2024 - 2029
Outlines the CDC Office of Rural Health's strategic plan to improve health outcomes in rural communities, in collaboration with internal and external partners and federal agencies, by supporting and advancing rural public health science and practice. Identifies 4 key priorities for the next 5 years: advance results-based engagement with partners and communities to address rural public health challenges; strengthen rural public health infrastructure and workforce; advance rural public health sciences; and improve rural public health preparedness and response capacity.
Date: 09/2024
Sponsoring organization: CDC Office of Rural Health
view details
Outlines the CDC Office of Rural Health's strategic plan to improve health outcomes in rural communities, in collaboration with internal and external partners and federal agencies, by supporting and advancing rural public health science and practice. Identifies 4 key priorities for the next 5 years: advance results-based engagement with partners and communities to address rural public health challenges; strengthen rural public health infrastructure and workforce; advance rural public health sciences; and improve rural public health preparedness and response capacity.
Date: 09/2024
Sponsoring organization: CDC Office of Rural Health
view details
Telling the Story of Public Health Accreditation in Ohio
Examines how a high percentage of Ohio's local health departments (LHDs) have achieved Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) accreditation. Provides qualitative interview and focus group feedback as well as quantitative data on finances and LHD profiles to explain the accreditation process in Ohio. Includes reflection on the challenges of achieving PHAB equity standards in rural areas.
Author(s): Amy Bush Stevens, Tonni Oberly, Simone Singh, et al.
Date: 08/2024
Sponsoring organization: Health Policy Institute of Ohio
view details
Examines how a high percentage of Ohio's local health departments (LHDs) have achieved Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) accreditation. Provides qualitative interview and focus group feedback as well as quantitative data on finances and LHD profiles to explain the accreditation process in Ohio. Includes reflection on the challenges of achieving PHAB equity standards in rural areas.
Author(s): Amy Bush Stevens, Tonni Oberly, Simone Singh, et al.
Date: 08/2024
Sponsoring organization: Health Policy Institute of Ohio
view details
The Impact of Chronic Underfunding on America's Public Health System: Trends, Risks, and Recommendations, 2024
Provides state-by-state information on public health funding and discusses public health systems at the local, tribal, and territorial levels. Includes information on funding provided to the states by the federal government, as well as state public health budgets. Features information about federal funding for COVID-19 response actions.
Author(s): Matt McKillop, Dara Alpert Lieberman
Date: 08/2024
Sponsoring organization: Trust for America's Health
view details
Provides state-by-state information on public health funding and discusses public health systems at the local, tribal, and territorial levels. Includes information on funding provided to the states by the federal government, as well as state public health budgets. Features information about federal funding for COVID-19 response actions.
Author(s): Matt McKillop, Dara Alpert Lieberman
Date: 08/2024
Sponsoring organization: Trust for America's Health
view details
Reframing Health Disparities in Rural America: A Communications Toolkit
Provides resources and strategies for public health professionals to communicate effectively about rural health disparities with a variety of audiences. Includes sample letters and social media posts that include health equity and historical context in their messages.
Date: 07/2024
Sponsoring organizations: FrameWorks Institute, National Network of Public Health Institutes
view details
Provides resources and strategies for public health professionals to communicate effectively about rural health disparities with a variety of audiences. Includes sample letters and social media posts that include health equity and historical context in their messages.
Date: 07/2024
Sponsoring organizations: FrameWorks Institute, National Network of Public Health Institutes
view details
Additional resources are available related to this guide. See the full list of resources by topic for: