NORC Marks 30 Years of the Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
This milestone highlights three decades of research and partnership with rural communities.
CHICAGO, July 16, 2026 — NORC at the University of Chicago is recognizing 30 years since the creation of the NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis. For three decades, the center has worked with federal, Tribal, state, and local leaders, as well as foundations, practitioners, and community members, to generate evidence and actionable insights that support healthier rural populations.
“For 30 years, we’ve partnered with rural communities across the country to better understand the many factors that shape health and well-being,” said Alana Knudson, director of the Walsh Center. “Meaningful progress begins by meeting people where they are and strengthening the conditions that help rural communities thrive.”
“Meaningful progress begins by meeting people where they are and strengthening the conditions that help rural communities thrive.”
The Walsh Center’s focus on issues affecting rural communities includes access to quality health care services, public health systems, economic development, and transportation. Many of our researchers have personal or professional roots in rural areas in states including North Dakota, New York, Colorado, Tennessee, and California. This grounds NORC’s work in the lived experiences of rural communities and ensures that findings reflect and respond to the unique needs of rural populations.
Over three decades, the Walsh Center has developed tools and resources that translate research into action:
Community Health Toolkits for Rural America: Actionable guidance helping rural communities plan and sustain effective health interventions
The East Tennessee State University/NORC Rural Health Research Center: Rigorous studies on rural health care access, quality, and sustainability that inform federal and state policy
Rural Health Mapping Tool: Interactive data on health care access, workforce distribution, and community health indicators
Program Evaluations: Assessments of initiatives including the Pennsylvania Rural Health Model, Delta Region Community Health Systems Development Program, and Rural Hospital Stabilization Program
Rural Emergency Preparedness & Response Toolkit and Rural Public Health Training Courses: Resources strengthening public health readiness and capacity
“As we mark 30 years, we remain committed to providing research, tools, and insights for rural communities and policymakers to drive positive change.”
“We’re proud of the impact the Walsh Center has made and even more focused on the work ahead,” said Shena Popat, senior research scientist and deputy director of the Walsh Center. “As we mark 30 years, we remain committed to providing research, tools, and insights for rural communities and policymakers to drive positive change.”
NORC has studied rural health since publishing its first rural study in 1952.
About NORC at the University of Chicago
NORC at the University of Chicago conducts research and analysis that decision-makers trust. As a nonpartisan research organization and a pioneer in measuring and understanding the world, we have studied almost every aspect of the human experience and every major news event for more than eight decades. Today, we partner with government, corporate, and nonprofit clients around the world to provide the objectivity and expertise necessary to inform the critical decisions facing society.
Contact: For more information, please email press@norc.org or call (877) 832-0392.
