Rural Health

The unique healthcare needs of rural Americans include workforce preparedness, safety nets, telecommunications, population health, access to transportation, and the impact of managed care. NACCHO's rural health project, supported by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy, was developed to serve rural public health departments across the nation.

The goals of NACCHO's rural health project are to:

• Better understand the current local governmental public health infrastructure in rural communities;
• Identify the public health infrastructure and practice needs of rural communities; and
• Help meet those defined needs.

NACCHO held a focus group discussion at the ASTHO-NACCHO Annual Conference in 2003 and identified seven issues as prominent in the practice of public health in rural areas. These issues, as listed below, were further discussed and became the basis for NACCHO's Rural Health activities.