Recording Available: ASTHO Members Discuss Rural Health Improvement Strategies During Deskside Media Briefing

ARLINGTON, Va., Nov. 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- On November 17, the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) convened members from Iowa, Maine, and Mississippi to discuss rural health. Residents living in rural areas face many health challenges including access to care, transportation, workforce development, outdated infrastructure and technology, and more. With a recent spotlight on rural health due to the Rural Health Transformation Program, officials discussed successes and challenges tied to rural health setting the stage for a healthier future.

"Targeted investments in rural healthcare are essential for improving outcomes in Mississippi communities," said Daniel Edney, MD, state health officer for the Mississippi State Department of Health and ASTHO president-elect. "We are so excited in Mississippi to have this incredibly important opportunity to invest in rural health care. Over half of Mississippians live in rural areas. We know, as we invest and make the strategic, meaningful investments into rural health care in our state, we will improve rural health outcomes, which is really what is important for us."

"One of the most important parts of rural health transformation efforts is that rural health challenges don't follow state borders," said Robert Kruse, MD, MPH, state medical director for the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services. "Patients cross county and state lines for care needs, our workforce moves across regions, and the issues we are addressing whether chronic disease, behavioral health, maternal health... these challenges are shared not just in the Midwest but across the nation."

"As one of the most rural and oldest states in the nation, Maine has made meaningful progress expanding telehealth and strengthening care in the community," said Puthiery Va, DO, director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. "We're building on that momentum to close remaining gaps and support resilient ecosystems of care—so that every rural community has access to a modern, connected health system that promotes wellness, prevents illness, and advances population health across the lifespan."

ASTHO plays an important role in facilitating collaboration between states on vital issues such as rural health, Dr. Edney noted. "This is the strength of ASTHO. The three of us know each other and have been working with each other all along. I respect my colleagues and what they are doing in their states. We are all having the same challenges and the need for rural healthcare is ubiquitous across the country."

View a recording of ASTHO's deskside media briefing here.

ASTHO is the national nonprofit organization representing the public health agencies of the United States, the U.S. territories and freely associated states, and Washington, D.C., as well as the more than 100,000 public health professionals these agencies employ. ASTHO members, the chief health officials of these jurisdictions, are dedicated to formulating and influencing sound public health policy and to ensuring excellence in public health practice.

SOURCE Association of State and Territorial Health Officials