Rural Public Health Agencies – Resources
Selected recent or important resources focusing on Rural Public Health Agencies.
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
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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
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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.
Sponsoring organization: Public Health Accreditation Board Center for Innovation
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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 Center for Innovation
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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.
Sponsoring organization: Public Health Accreditation Board Center for Innovation
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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 Center for Innovation
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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.
Sponsoring organization: Public Health Accreditation Board Center for Innovation
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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.
Sponsoring organization: Public Health Accreditation Board Center for Innovation
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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
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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
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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 Center for Innovation
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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 Center for Innovation
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Health Equity Toolkit for Rural and Remote Communities
Educational toolkit outlining health equity and steps that rural and remote public health organizations can take to improve health equity. Discusses rural challenges impacting health equity. Offers a curriculum to support staff discussion sessions, procedures for conducting a community health survey, and a session evaluation tool. Email address required to access toolkit documents.
Sponsoring organizations: OMNI Institute, Pitkin County Public Health, Silver Thread Public Health District
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Educational toolkit outlining health equity and steps that rural and remote public health organizations can take to improve health equity. Discusses rural challenges impacting health equity. Offers a curriculum to support staff discussion sessions, procedures for conducting a community health survey, and a session evaluation tool. Email address required to access toolkit documents.
Sponsoring organizations: OMNI Institute, Pitkin County Public Health, Silver Thread Public Health District
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Roots of Health Inequity Project
Offers a web-based course and learning collaborative designed for the local public health workforce to explore the social determinants of health and the root causes of inequity in the distribution of disease, illness, and death. Participants are responsible for identifying underlying themes and discussing how they relate to specific organizations and communities.
Sponsoring organizations: National Association of County and City Health Officials, National Institutes of Health
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Offers a web-based course and learning collaborative designed for the local public health workforce to explore the social determinants of health and the root causes of inequity in the distribution of disease, illness, and death. Participants are responsible for identifying underlying themes and discussing how they relate to specific organizations and communities.
Sponsoring organizations: National Association of County and City Health Officials, National Institutes of Health
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State Approaches for Addressing Rural Social Determinants of Health
Recommends state and federal tactics to improve social determinants of health and address rural health disparities. Covers transportation, broadband, income, and educational attainment.
Sponsoring organization: Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
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Recommends state and federal tactics to improve social determinants of health and address rural health disparities. Covers transportation, broadband, income, and educational attainment.
Sponsoring organization: Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
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Opioid Overdose Epidemic Toolkit for Local Health Departments
Toolkit offering resources, data, and other information at the local, state, and national level related to the opioid epidemic and substance use issues. Focuses on 5 response efforts: monitoring and surveillance; prevention; harm reduction and response; linkage to care; stigma; and stakeholder engagement and community partnerships.
Sponsoring organization: National Association of County and City Health Officials
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Toolkit offering resources, data, and other information at the local, state, and national level related to the opioid epidemic and substance use issues. Focuses on 5 response efforts: monitoring and surveillance; prevention; harm reduction and response; linkage to care; stigma; and stakeholder engagement and community partnerships.
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: 4/2/2025