An Overview of Rural Health: Meeting People Where They Are

Description

This rural health presentation provides an asset-based overview of rural America, highlighting the strengths, resilience, and innovation that define rural communities. Drawing on decades of experience in policy development, research, and cross-sector collaboration, the presentation emphasizes data-informed, community-rooted solutions that have the potential to transform health systems in rural areas and nationwide. It includes background on the unique characteristics and health needs of rural populations, while focusing on practical strategies to improve access to essential services. By highlighting promising practices and resources, this session aims to inform about opportunities to leverage existing rural assets to create sustainable, high-performing health systems that benefit all.

Release date: 2025

Registration

Presenter

Alana Knudson, PhD, is a Senior Fellow in the Public Health Department at NORC at the University of Chicago and the Director of NORC’s Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis. She has over 30 years of experience implementing and directing public health programs, leading health services and policy research projects, and evaluating program effectiveness for projects funded by federal agencies and private foundations. Dr. Knudson currently serves as the Project Director for the ETSU/NORC Rural Health Research Center, funded by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy, and the Pennsylvania Rural Health Model Evaluation, funded by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation.  She has experience in state and national public health, having worked at the North Dakota Department of Health and for the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO).

Dr. Knudson serves on the RUPRI Health Panel, the National Rural Health Resource Center Board of Directors, and is a member of the University of Maryland School of Public Health Community Advisory Council and the ETSU Center for Rural Health Research Advisory Board. Drawing on her roots growing up on a farm in North Dakota, she is committed to partnering with rural communities to identify evidence-based solutions that improve health outcomes and strengthen the economic vitality and well-being of rural areas.