Nearly 20 percent of Americans live outside urban areas. Addressing the needs of rural and frontier communities is a top priority for Governors. These populations face unique difficulties, including limited access to health care, insufficient broadband internet availability, distinct economic and workforce shortages, and transportation and infrastructure challenges. Governors are uniquely poised to create solutions cutting across policy areas to support these communities. The NGA Center for Best Practices supports Governors by sharing best practices and providing technical assistance to address these challenges and help rural communities thrive.
NGA Resources
Reimagining Rural Maternal and Child Health
Rural Health Transformation Program Insights (Download) Maternal and child health (MCH) outcomes continue to raise national concern despite ongoing targeted initiatives, community-based interventions, and executive measures aimed at improving population ...
2026 Health Policy Leadership Forum
The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) convened state and territory governors’ health policy advisors in Charlotte, North Carolina, July 8-10 for the 2026 Health Policy Leadership ...
Healthcare Priorities in Governors’ 2026 State of the State Addresses
Across the country, Governors from coast to coast made healthcare a centerpiece of their 2026 legislative addresses—identifying common challenges around rural access, workforce shortages, rising costs, and behavioral health, and ...
Rural Health: A Strategic Opportunity for Governors
Rural communities are foundational to the nation’s health and economy. With nearly 60 million people living in rural America, these communities help sustain America’s food systems, safeguard energy grids and ...
Governors and States are Advancing Equitable Rural Economic Development and Healthcare
Supporting rural communities is a top priority for Governors, and states and territories are working to advance solutions in this area, particularly with respect to economic development and healthcare. More ...
Agriculture Policy Advisors Network
The Agriculture Policy Advisors Network is a series of monthly calls that connect Governors’ agriculture, fish and wildlife, or natural resource advisors to share ideas and best practices for improving ...
Next Generation of the Healthcare Workforce Project
The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices is working with States in a new learning collaborative on strategies to grow and retain the next generation of the healthcare workforce ...
Help Wanted: Building a Pipeline to Address the Children’s Mental Health Provider Workforce Shortage
There is no silver bullet for the mental health crisis but reducing workforce shortages of these critical providers can go a long way to solving the problem. by Jessica Kirchner ...
State Energy Efficiency Policy in a New Era: A Toolkit for Governors
Governors' leadership on energy offers cost savings, job creation, reduced energy consumption, pollution prevention, and strengthened grid security. (Download) Executive Summary Governors support energy efficiency for a variety of benefits: ...
