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Local health departments (LHD) serve a critical role in leveraging internal and community assets to improve health and equity in their communities; however, geography is an important factor when understanding LHD capacity and perspective. LHDs serve a critical role in leveraging internal and community assets to improve health and equity in their communities; however, geography is an important factor when understanding LHD capacity and perspective. Data were obtained from the NACCHO 2013 National Profile of Local Health Departments Study. LHDs were coded as “urban”, “micropolitan”, or “rural” based on Rural/Urban Commuting Area codes. Results demonstrate that rural LHDs differed from their urban counterparts. Specifically, rural LHDs relied more heavily on state and federal resources and have less access to local resources making them more sensitive to budget cuts. Rural LHDs also rely more heavily on clinical services as a revenue source. Larger rural LHDs provide more clinical services while urban health departments work more closely with community partners to provide important safety net services. Small rural LHDs have less partners and are unable to provide as many direct services due to their lack of human and financial resources. LHDs residing in urban communities were 16.6 times (95% confidence interval [CI], 5.3-52.3) and micropolitan LHDs were 3.4 times (95% CI, 1.1-11.3) more likely to seek PHAB accreditation than rural LHDs.

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East Tennessee State University and NORC at the University of Chicago (on behalf of the Appalachia Funders Network) documented the current burden of obesity, diabetes, and chronic disease mortality in central Appalachia. We conducted an analysis of county-level data to provide a comprehensive picture of the health condition of the region and explore urban/rural disparities. More than two-thirds (68.6%) of the 234 counties in central Appalachia have an adult obesity prevalence above the national median of 30.9% (defined as BMI over 30). Over 85% of the counties in central Appalachia have a percentage of physically inactive adults higher than the national median of 26.4% (defined as not participating in physical activity or exercise in the past 30 days). When analyzing the combined chronic disease mortality for heart disease, stroke, diabetes and chronic lower respiratory disease, the combined national mortality rate is 93.0 deaths per 100,000 population. Nearly 90% of central Appalachian counties have a higher combined morality rate. The disparity is more pronounced in rural communities. The combined mortality rate for these four diseases is 74% higher in rural central Appalachia than urban counties nationally. Compared to the rest of the country, people in central Appalachia are more likely to experience and prematurely die from obesity-related chronic disease, including diabetes and heart disease. Residents of rural central Appalachia face even more significant disparities as compared to urban residents within the region and nationally. We will present study methods and findings, including maps and graphs that document these disparities.

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background: Rural communities face numerous health disparities related to health behaviors, health outcomes, and access to medical care. LHDs serving rural communities have fewer resources to meet their community needs. The number and types of community organizations (hospitals, health clinics, not-for-profits), available to partner with may be limited geographically. These factors may affect availability of clinical services in rural communities. This study will assess LHD clinical service delivery levels based on rurality. data sets and sources: Data were obtained from the NACCHO 2013 National Profile of Local Health Departments Study. LHDs were coded as “urban”, “micropolitan”, or “rural” based on Rural/Urban Commuting Area (RUCA) Both “micropolitan” and “rural” categories are considered rural by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy. analysis: Bivariate analysis for 25 clinical services offered by rurality . For each service, we compared the proportions of LHDs that: 1) directly performed, 2) contracted with organizations, and 3) reported that the service was provided independently by organizations in the community. principal findings: Analyses show significant differences in patterns of clinical services offered, contracted or provided by third parties based on rurality. LHDs in micropolitan areas provided more services directly than urban and rural LHDs (p≤0.001). Urban LHDs were more likely to contract with other organizations (p≤0.001). conclusions: Rural LHDs are less likely to offer, contract, or have services provided by another organization in the community, whereas larger rural (i.e., micropolitan) jurisdictions are more likely to directly provide these services. implications for public health practice and policy: Lower levels of clinical service delivery by rural LHDs may contribute to the access issues facing rural communities. Health care reform brings threats and opportunities for LHD clinical service delivery. Further analyses to assess impacts on rural LHDs and identify strategies to ensure access to clinical services is encouraged.

background: Accreditation of local health departments (LHDs) has been identified as a crucial strategy for strengthening the public health infrastructure. This study seeks to identify the role of organizational and structural factors on accreditation-seeking decisions of LHDs. data sets and sources: Data were obtained from the NACCHO 2013 National Profile of Local Health Departments Study. . LHDs were coded as “urban”, “micropolitan”, or “rural” based on Rural/Urban Commuting Area codes. “Micropolitan” includes census tracts with towns of 10,000 - 49,999 population and census tracts tied to these towns through commuting. “Rural” includes census tracts with small towns of fewer than 10,000 population, tracts tied to small towns, and isolated census tracts. analysis: Binary logistic regression analysis was conducted to predict PHAB accreditation decision. Predictors included variables related to rurality, governance, funding, and workforce. findings: From a sample of 448, approximately 6% of LHDs surveyed had submitted their letter of intent or full accreditation application. Over two-thirds were not seeking accreditation or deferring to the state agency. LHDs located in urban communities were 30.6 times (95% CI: 10.1, 93.2) more likely to seek accreditation compared to rural LHDs. LHDs with a local board of health were 3.5 times (95% CI: 1.6, 7.7) more likely to seek accreditation (controlling for rurality). Additionally, employing an epidemiologist (aOR=2.4, 95% CI: 1.2, 4.9), having a strategic plan (aOR=14.7, 95% CI: 6.7, 32.2) were associated with higher likelihood of seeking PHAB accreditation. conclusions: Rural LHDs are less likely to seek accreditation. This lower likelihood of seeking accreditation likely relates to a myriad of challenges. Simultaneously, rural populations experience health disparities related to risky health behaviors, health outcomes, and access to medical care. Through accreditation, rural LHDs can become better equipped to meet the needs of their communities.