NORC’s Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis (NORC) was established in 1996 by Project HOPE and transferred to NORC at the University of Chicago in 2003 to study policy issues affecting health care and health status in rural America. The Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis' mission is to conduct timely policy analysis, research and evaluation that address the needs of policy makers, the health care workforce, and the public on issues that affect health care and public health in rural America.

The Center is named in honor of William B. Walsh, M.D., whose lifelong mission was to bring health care to under-served and hard-to-reach populations. Founded in 1996 by Project Hope, the Walsh Center is now part of NORC’s Public Health department and focuses on a wide array of issues affecting rural providers and residents, including Medicare payment policies, access to care, health care quality, public health systems, emergency preparedness, health status, rural health workforce, and health information technology.