Public Health: Rural Health

The Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) was created in 1987 to advise the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on health care issues impacting rural communities

"The Rural Health Information Hub, formerly the Rural Assistance Center, is funded by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy to be a national clearinghouse on rural health issues. We are committed to supporting healthcare and population health in rural communities."

The Rural Health Research Center (RHRC) Program is the only Federal program that is dedicated entirely to producing policy-relevant research on health care in rural areas. The Centers study critical issues facing rural communities in their quest to secure adequate, affordable, high-quality health services for their residents. The RHRC program was initiated in 1988 and is administered by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP), Health Resources and Services Administration.

"Nearly 20% of the U.S. population resides in non-metropolitan areas where they experience many of the same health challenges as their urban counterparts. In fact, some of the distinctive cultural, social, economic and geographic characteristics which define rural America place rural populations at greater risk for a myriad of diseases and health disorders."