The New Jersey State Office of Rural Health has been in existence since 1996 and is funded through the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy. New Jersey was one of the last states in the country to establish an Office of Rural Health. This was due, in large part, to the unique circumstances within our state.
The mission of the State Office of Rural Health is to serve as a statewide resource for rural health concerns, to improve rural health, and to foster available and accessible health services for rural New Jerseyans through programs and activities related to its five essential functions.
Functions
The five essential functions of the State Office of Rural Health are to serve rural populations in New Jersey by:
Collecting and disseminating rural health information.
Coordinating resources and activities statewide.
Providing technical assistance to meet rural community health needs.
Encouraging recruitment and retention of health professionals in rural areas.
Strengthening state and federal partnerships.
The State Office of Rural Health is assisted by a Rural Health Committee and other programs to leverage limited resources, and expand our partnerships locally, statewide, and nationally in its efforts to improve and enhance rural health care delivery systems.
Rural Area Definition:
The Rural-urban commuting area (RUCA) codes classify U.S. census tracts using measures of population density, urbanization, and daily commuting. The most recent RUCA codes are based on data from the 2000 decennial census. Within the Metropolitan counties, all Census Tracts that are assigned a RUCA code of 4-10 are eligible for Rural Health grants. In addition, Census Tracts within Metropolitan Areas with RUCA codes 2 and 3 that are larger than 400 square miles and have population density of less than 30 people per square mile are also considered rural.
For more information about the health status of New Jersey residents who live in rural areas, and comparisons with the state and national baseline of health and quality of life measures, please see this report based on the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) – Holleran Report 2010.
Mailing Address:
New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services
State Office of Primary Care/Rural Health
50 East State Street, 6th Floor
P.O. Box 364
Trenton, NJ 08625-0364
