Integration of Health Care, Public Health, and Communities: A New Model for Rural Public Health

Abstract

Rural public health has been hit with a triple set of challenges: overstretched health care, poor health status, and limited public health capacities. MaineHealth, a nonprofit integrated 10-hospital health system, serves a mostly rural area with no local public health departments in its rural communities. By integrating primary care with public health and partnering with communities, MaineHealth has developed an infrastructure to successfully address these challenges. We believe this approach is worthy of consideration in other rural areas.