Rural Public Health Agencies – Resources
Selected recent or important resources focusing on Rural Public Health Agencies.
Supporting Resilience in Rural Areas Through Cross-Sector Partnerships
Discusses the importance of working across multiple agencies and organizations to address social, economic, and environmental determinants of health. Describes the Health in All Policies (HiAP) approach that uses cross-sector strategies to build health infrastructure and sustainability, with examples from rural communities.
Date: 12/2023
Sponsoring organization: Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
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Discusses the importance of working across multiple agencies and organizations to address social, economic, and environmental determinants of health. Describes the Health in All Policies (HiAP) approach that uses cross-sector strategies to build health infrastructure and sustainability, with examples from rural communities.
Date: 12/2023
Sponsoring organization: Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
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CDC Office of Rural Health At-a-Glance
An information sheet that describes the role of rural public health, rural health disparities, and strategies the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Office of Rural Health is developing to address inequities in rural health.
Date: 11/2023
Sponsoring organization: CDC Office of Rural Health
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An information sheet that describes the role of rural public health, rural health disparities, and strategies the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Office of Rural Health is developing to address inequities in rural health.
Date: 11/2023
Sponsoring organization: CDC Office of Rural Health
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The Power of Rural in Action: CDC & State Strategies for Rural Health
A recorded webinar that discusses the work of 3 rural health offices: the Center for Disease Control's Office of Rural Health, the Texas State Office of Rural Health, and the Virginia State Office of Rural Health. Focuses on how the offices implement programs, utilize collaboration and partnerships, and provide rural health resources. Transcript available below description.
Author(s): Diane Hall, Eva Cruz, Fern Christian
Date: 11/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health
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A recorded webinar that discusses the work of 3 rural health offices: the Center for Disease Control's Office of Rural Health, the Texas State Office of Rural Health, and the Virginia State Office of Rural Health. Focuses on how the offices implement programs, utilize collaboration and partnerships, and provide rural health resources. Transcript available below description.
Author(s): Diane Hall, Eva Cruz, Fern Christian
Date: 11/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health
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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: 11/2023
Sponsoring organization: Public Health Accreditation Board
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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: 11/2023
Sponsoring organization: Public Health Accreditation Board
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The County Role of Public Health
Provides an overview on how county-level public health agencies are involved in preparedness and response as well as addressing the social determinants of health (SDOH) in their local communities. Covers the core functions of public health departments, their role in local and rural areas, and policy efforts to support local public health authorities.
Date: 07/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Counties
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Provides an overview on how county-level public health agencies are involved in preparedness and response as well as addressing the social determinants of health (SDOH) in their local communities. Covers the core functions of public health departments, their role in local and rural areas, and policy efforts to support local public health authorities.
Date: 07/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Counties
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Competencies, Training Needs, and Turnover Among Rural Compared With Urban Local Public Health Practitioners: 2021 Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey
Analyzes the rural and urban differences in 29,751 public health workers surveyed regarding competencies, training needs, and workplace stressors. Discusses COVID-19 impacts on public health work.
Author(s): Paula M. Kett, Betty Bekemeier, Davis G. Patterson, Kay Schaffer
Citation: American Journal of Public Health, 113(6), 689-699
Date: 06/2023
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Analyzes the rural and urban differences in 29,751 public health workers surveyed regarding competencies, training needs, and workplace stressors. Discusses COVID-19 impacts on public health work.
Author(s): Paula M. Kett, Betty Bekemeier, Davis G. Patterson, Kay Schaffer
Citation: American Journal of Public Health, 113(6), 689-699
Date: 06/2023
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Global to Local Toolkit: Adapting Global Interventions for Local Public Health
A toolkit that discusses strategies for adapting evidence-based, global interventions in public health to local health departments (LHDs) in the United States. Provides an overview of a case study from a predominately rural LHD that used global strategies to address the behavioral workforce shortage in their area. Includes resources and tools for planning and networking.
Additional links: Are You Prepared to Go Global-to-Local? Checklist, Global-to-Local Partner Identification Tool
Date: 06/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Association of County and City Health Officials
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A toolkit that discusses strategies for adapting evidence-based, global interventions in public health to local health departments (LHDs) in the United States. Provides an overview of a case study from a predominately rural LHD that used global strategies to address the behavioral workforce shortage in their area. Includes resources and tools for planning and networking.
Additional links: Are You Prepared to Go Global-to-Local? Checklist, Global-to-Local Partner Identification Tool
Date: 06/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Association of County and City Health Officials
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Interruptions in Routine Blood Pressure Screening Services Among Local Health Departments During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Examines interruptions related to preventative chronic disease interventions in local health departments (LHDs) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Provides results from 820 LHDs responding to the Forces of Change (FoC) survey from November 2020 to March 2021 regarding blood pressure screenings, staff capacity, and chronic disease priorities during the pandemic. Includes breakdowns of LHD data by type of governance, Census region, and size of LHD, including those serving fewer than 50,000 people.
Author(s): Margaret C. Cunningham, Jordan Royster, Timothy C. McCall
Citation: Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, 29(1),108-111
Date: 01/2023
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Examines interruptions related to preventative chronic disease interventions in local health departments (LHDs) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Provides results from 820 LHDs responding to the Forces of Change (FoC) survey from November 2020 to March 2021 regarding blood pressure screenings, staff capacity, and chronic disease priorities during the pandemic. Includes breakdowns of LHD data by type of governance, Census region, and size of LHD, including those serving fewer than 50,000 people.
Author(s): Margaret C. Cunningham, Jordan Royster, Timothy C. McCall
Citation: Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, 29(1),108-111
Date: 01/2023
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A Population Health Workforce to Meet 21st Century Challenges and Opportunities: Proceedings of a Workshop
Proceedings from a February 28, 2022 workshop exploring challenges faced by public health workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, renewed policymaker attention, and expenditures directed to supporting the public health workforce. Intended to showcase the training, roles of, and setting for population health workers. Includes information focused on tribal communities in chapters 3 and 4.
Author(s): Roundtable on Population Health Improvement
Date: 2023
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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Proceedings from a February 28, 2022 workshop exploring challenges faced by public health workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, renewed policymaker attention, and expenditures directed to supporting the public health workforce. Intended to showcase the training, roles of, and setting for population health workers. Includes information focused on tribal communities in chapters 3 and 4.
Author(s): Roundtable on Population Health Improvement
Date: 2023
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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Cancer Clinical Trials: Federal Actions and Selected Non-Federal Practices to Facilitate Diversity of Patients
Examines actions taken by federal agencies to increase diverse population enrollment in cancer clinical trials as well as practices by non-federal cancer centers to facilitate diverse enrollment. Discusses strategies such as collaboration, reducing barriers, data standardization, training, utilization of community ambassadors, and more. Focuses on inclusion of underrepresented groups such as racial/ethnic minorities, young adults, older adults, those with low incomes, women, American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) persons, and people living in rural communities.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 12/2022
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Examines actions taken by federal agencies to increase diverse population enrollment in cancer clinical trials as well as practices by non-federal cancer centers to facilitate diverse enrollment. Discusses strategies such as collaboration, reducing barriers, data standardization, training, utilization of community ambassadors, and more. Focuses on inclusion of underrepresented groups such as racial/ethnic minorities, young adults, older adults, those with low incomes, women, American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) persons, and people living in rural communities.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 12/2022
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Last Updated: 10/14/2025