Maryland Department of Health
Office of Population Health Improvement

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Maryland State Office of Rural Health​

Mission

The mission of the Maryland State Office of Rural Health (SORH) is to help improve the quality of health among rural Marylanders by developing strong partnerships; building local resources; promoting relevant state and national rural health policies; and supporting efforts to expand healthcare access. Maryland SORH implements these three goals: 

1) Serve as a focal point and state clearinghouse for collection and dissemination of information regarding rural health care issues, research findings, and innovative  approaches to the delivery of health care in rural areas;  

2) Provide coordination of rural health programming across the state and in identified  areas such as diabetes, substance use, and workforce development to avoid redundancy  of efforts among public health and health care entities; and  

3) Deliver technical assistance to rural-serving public and non-profit private entities to build capacity to access state and federal resources.  

The Maryland SORH is federally funded by the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration’s Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) and serves as one of the country’s 50 SORHs.​

Rural Maryland

​The State of Maryland recognizes 18 of its 24 jurisdictions as rural. Maryland’s rural counties include:

Allegany, Calvert, Carolin​​e, Carroll, Cecil, Charles, Dorchester, Frederick, Garrett, Harford, Kent, Queen Anne’s, Somerset, St. Mary’s, Talbot, Washington, Wicomico, and Worcester. 

25% of Maryland's residents live in rural Maryland. Maryland's rural communities face unique healthcare concerns that include a lack of healthcare providers and difficulty accessing those providers due to transportation and technology barriers. Rural hospitals and health care providers, which frequently are the economic backbone of the communities they serve, deserve special consideration so that they can continue to provide high-quality services and meet the needs of rural residents. ​​​

​​Where can I learn more?

Contact: 

Sara Seitz, MPH

Director

Maryland State Office of Rural Health

Maryland Department of Health

​Baltimore, MD 21201

Phone: 410-767- 4467

sara.seitz@maryland.gov​  




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Last updated:  04-22-25

NEW FU​​​NDING OPPORTUNITIES​

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​​​​Announcements

​Marylan​​​​d Statewide Telehealth Interest Group

Join Meeting: Friday, July 11, ​​​​ 2025
12:00 pm- 1:00 pm EST
Google Meet Joining Info:
Video Call Link:  
Or dial: (347) 509-8755; PIN: 474 299 929#
More phone numbers: https://tel.meet/szn-unec-pwg?pin =6132042656067

Nurse Corps Scholarship Program

​This program awards scholarships to help pay for nursing school education.  In return, participants commit to work for two to four years at a Critical Shortage Facility after graduation.​​  Applications accepted  through Thursday, April 24, 2025 at 7:30 pm ET.  Learn more.

National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Scholarship Program

​This program awards scholarships to students pursuing enigible primary care health professions training.  In return, participants commit to providing primary care health services in a Health Professional Shortage Area for a minimum of two yeras or a maximum of  four years of full-time service.  Applications accepted  through Thursday, May 8, 2025 at 7:30 pm ET.  Learn more.


Community Health Worker and Employer Surveys: with a Focus on Rural Maryland​​

See the analysis and Infographics here!


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​​​Trainings

Click here for training opportunities

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Events​​

​Mid-Atlantic Rural Health Innovation Symposium​

The Mid-Atlantic Healthcare Innovation Symposium is a collaborative one-day event to showcase groundbreaking companies with cutting-edge solutions for the healthcare industry. The symposium offers both educational and networking opportunities for attendees and participants. This event is designed for Chief Executive Officers, Chief Strategy Officers, Chief Technology Officers, Bio-Medical Engineers, Marketing and Communications Professionals, IT and Database Administrators, Physicians, Laboratory Technicians, Healthcare Students, and anyone interested in discovering innovative approaches to current healthcare challenges.​​​​

Click here ​for details and registraiton.

Date: May 16, 2025
Time:  8:00 AM - 5:30 PM​

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2025 Empowering Health & Technology Webinar Series​

Join the University of Maryland Extension Marylanders Online program and partners for a free webinar series exploring the cutting edge of digital literacy, health equity, and inclusion. ​The Mid-Atlantic Healthcare Innovation Sympos​. for futher details and registration see flyer.

Topic: Navigating the Future of AI Regulation
Date:  Wednesday, May 16, 2025
Time:  11:00am - 12:00pm ET


Topic: Addressing Disability Disparities Through Health Equity 
Date:  Wednesday, May 23, 2025
Time:  11:00am - 12:00pm ET


Topic: Tech Literacy in the Digital Health Era
Date:  Wednesday, May 30, 2025
Time:  11:00am - 12:00pm ET


Topic:  Tackling Social Disparities in Access & Technology
Date:  Wednesday, June 6 23, 2025
Time:  11:00am - 12:00pm ET


Topic:  Geographical Disparities in Health Equity & Access
Date:  Wednesday, June 13, 2025
Time:  11:00am - 12:00pm ET


Topic:  Policy, Health Misinformation, & Public Trust
Date:  Wednesday, June 20, 2025
Time:  11:00am - 12:00pm ET


Topic:  Social Media’s Impact on Public Health & Spread of Health Misinformation
Date:  Wednesday, June 26, 2025
Time:  11:00am - 12:00pm ET


Topic:  Digital Health Technologies & Misinformation: Navigating the Challenges
Date:  Wednesday, June 27, 2025
Time:  11:00am - 12:00pm ET

​Click here to register.​​​

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​News​

​
CDC released it​s inaugural Rural Public Health Strategic Plan to protect and improve the health of America’s rural communities. This plan outlines key priorities that provide a blueprint for CDC’s rural public health work for the next five years.​

Routine tracking of preventable premature deaths based on urban-rural county classification might enable public health departments to identify and monitor geographic disparities in health outcomes. These disparities might be related to different levels of access to health care, social determinants of health, and other risk factors. Identifying areas with a high prevalence of potentially preventable mortality might be informative for interventions.

​The Maryland Department of Health and health care workforce development stakeholders have identified benefits of planning and establishing a Maryland statewide healthcare workforce data clearinghouse to serve as a central repository of data related to the healthcare workforce serving Maryland residents. To this end, MDH, in conjunction with vendor assistance, has conducted an exploratory landscape analysis on available healthcare workforce data clearinghouse models consisting of literature review and interviews with representatives of successful healthcare workforce data clearinghouses in other states. ​