Michael Meit, MA, MPH
Director, Center for Rural Health and Research
Research Associate Professor, Department of Health Services Management and Policy
Research Associate Professor, Department of Health Services Management and Policy
EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH
Master of Public Health in Health Management and Administration, 1994
Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology, 1992
BRADLEY UNIVERSITY
Bachelor of Science, 1990
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
NORC AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
Co-Director, Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis, 2006 to 2020
UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH
Director, Center for Rural Health Practice, 2002 to 2006
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COUNTY AND CITY HEALTH OFFICIALS
Acting Deputy Executive Director; Director, Community Health Office, 1997 to 2002
PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
Policy Analyst, Bureau of HIV/AIDS, 1994 to 1997
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
Balio CP, Mathis SM, Bekemeier B, Meit MB. Small but essential: understanding rural public health workforce challenges and strengths from the 2024 Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey. J Public Health Manag Pract. 2026;32(1S):S60-S67. doi:10.1097/PHH.0000000000002233
Heffernan M, Meit MB. Appalachian diseases of despair, 2025 update. Appalachian Regional Commission; 2025. https://www.arc.gov/report/appalachian-diseases-of-despair-2025/
Balio CP, Leslie H, Beatty KE, Minnick CY, Meit MB. How is rural public health different? J Public Health Manag Pract. 2025;31(5):687-690. doi:10.1097/phh.0000000000002183
Mathis SM, Sullivan O, Francisco M, Galler N, Beatty KE, Meit MB, Morrison C, Keinath CM, Balio CP. A review of common limitations in rural-related studies in the peer-reviewed literature. Federal Office of Rural Health Policy, Health Resources and Services Administration; 2025. https://www.etsu.edu/cph/rhrc/documents/rhrc_091025.pdf
Beatty KE, Balio CP, Francisco MM, Meit MB, Mathis SM. Distribution of block grant funding: considerations for rural communities. Federal Office of Rural Health Policy, Health Resources and Services Administration; 2025. https://www.etsu.edu/cph/rhrc/documents/rhrc_090325.pdf
Huang Q, Galler N, Meit MB, Wahlquist AE. Rural and urban differences in suicide in the United States, 2018–2021. Rural Health Research Gateway; 2025. https://www.etsu.edu/cph/rhrc/documents/rherc_052025.pdf
Balio CP, Galler N, Meit MB. The role of healthcare conversion foundations in investing in population health. Nonprofit Policy Forum. 2024. doi:10.1515/npf-2023-0041
Wahlquist AE, Mathis SM, Trull LH, Toitole KK, Howard A, Fletcher E, Meit MB. Associations between drug overdose mortality and recovery ecosystems in the United States: a county-level analysis using a novel index. Subst Use Addict J. 2024;46(2):238-246. doi:10.1177/29767342241262125
Meit MB, Knudson A. Rural reinvestment: a path forward to addressing geographic health inequities. J Rural Health. 2024;40(4):760-761. doi:10.1111/jrh.12837
Balio CP, Mathis SM, Francisco MM, Meit MB, Beatty KE. State priorities and needs: the role of block grants. Public Health Rep. 2023:333549231205338.
Meit MB, Heffernan M, Mathis SM, Francisco M, Wahlquist AE. Recovery ecosystem index (REI) mapping tool. NORC; Fletcher Group Inc; 2023. https://rei.norc.org/
Heffernan M, Papanikolaou M, Meit MB. Appalachian diseases of despair, 2023. Appalachian Regional Commission; 2023. https://www.arc.gov/report/appalachian-diseases-of-despair-july-2023/
Balio CP, Galler N, Meit MB, Hale NL, Beatty KE. Rising to meet the moment: what does the public health workforce need to modernize? J Public Health Manag Pract. 2023;29(suppl 1):S107-S115. doi:10.1097/phh.0000000000001624
Meit MB, Beatty KE, Mathis SM, Kearley J, Wahlquist AE. Examining the burden of public stigma associated with mental illness in the rural United States. Federal Office of Rural Health Policy, Health Resources and Services Administration; 2022. https://www.ruralhealthresearch.org/publications/1531
Meit MB, Heffernan M, Tanenbaum E. Deaths of despair in Appalachia. In: Appalachian Health: Culture, Challenges, and Capacity. University Press of Kentucky; 2022:167-176. doi:10.2307/j.ctv2crj2rq.13
Heffernan M, Meit MB, Cherney M, Hallman VA. Tracking the impact of diseases of despair in Appalachia—2015 to 2018. J Appalach Health. 2021;3(2):56-67. doi:10.13023/jah.0302.06
Meit MB, Heffernan M, Tannenbaum E, Cherney M, Hallman V. Appalachian diseases of despair. Appalachian Regional Commission; 2020. https://www.arc.gov/report/appalachian-diseases-of-despair/
SELECTED PRESENTATIONS
Meit MB. Health disparities, poverty and rural resilience in Appalachia. Presented at: Transatlantic Mountain Cultures Conference; October 2025; Brasov, Romania.
Meit MB. Supporting rural innovation in health programming. Presented at: NOSORH Annual Meeting; September 10, 2025; Oklahoma City, OK.
Meit MB. Health disparities, poverty and rural resilience/TN health opportunities. Presented at: Distinguished Visiting Professor Series, University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Nursing; August 5, 2025; Memphis, TN.
Meit MB. Building systems to support individuals in recovery. Presented at: Rural Michigan Opioid and Substance Use Summit; July 17, 2025; Gaylord, MI.
Meit MB. Bridging the gap: closing health disparities in rural communities. Presented at: Under One Roof Conference, MN Preparedness Meeting; May 20, 2025; Duluth, MN.
Meit MB. Measuring and building recovery supports. Presented at: National Opioid Crisis Management Congress; May 6, 2025; Chicago, IL.
Meit MB. Tools and strategies for rural resource allocation. Presented at: Michigan Rural Health Conference; April 25, 2025; Mount Pleasant, MI.
Meit MB. Health disparities, poverty and rural resilience. Presented at: Georgetown University; January 29, 2025; Virtual.
Meit MB. Building the rural evidence base: the feasibility of piloting programs in rural communities. Presented at: Rural Health Association of Tennessee 30th Annual Conference; November 20, 2024; Knoxville, TN.
Meit MB. Health equity, poverty, and rural resilience. Presented at: University of Alabama at Birmingham; November 13, 2024; Birmingham, AL.
Meit MB, Minnick CY, Dula TM, Leslie H. Finding rural context in CDC’s PHEP capabilities: rural and frontier PHEP coordinator feedback on what works and what doesn’t. Presented at: American Public Health Association Annual Meeting and Expo; October 27, 2024; Minneapolis, MN.
Meit MB. Building resilient communities: strategies for long-term opioid crisis recovery. Presented at: National Opioid Crisis Management Congress; October 1, 2024; Nashville, TN.
Meit MB, Howard A, Mullins K, Alvarado R. Understanding the health of Appalachia: using data and community to drive change. Presented at: Advancing Appalachia Conference; September 5, 2024; Chattanooga, TN.
Meit MB. Using the recovery ecosystem index mapping tool. Presented at: Rise24 Conference; May 22, 2024; Anaheim, CA.
Balio CP, Meit MB, Minnick CY. Rural local public health workforce, structures, and roles. Presented at: National Rural Health Association Annual Rural Health Conference; May 10, 2024; New Orleans, LA.
Meit MB, Howard A. Tools, resources, and strategies for building rural recovery ecosystems. Presented at: Rx and Illicit Drug Summit; April 3, 2024; Atlanta, GA.
Meit MB, Minnick CY. Rural public health emergency preparedness: recommendations for addressing rural preparedness and response challenges. Presented at: NACCHO Public Health, Healthcare, and Emergency Management Conference; March 28, 2024; Cleveland, OH.
Beatty KE, Mathis SM, Francisco MM, Meit MB, Balio CP. A rural lens on federal block grant distribution. Presented at: American Public Health Association Annual Meeting and Expo; November 15, 2023; Atlanta, GA.
Meit MB. Health equity, poverty and rural resilience. Presented at: New England Rural Health Conference; November 9, 2023; Killington, VT.
Pettyjohn SC, Meit MB. Rural health departments making a difference: COVID-19 vaccination bright spots. Presented at: NACCHO 360 Conference; July 11, 2023.
PERSONAL INTERESTS
Hiking, biking, travel and spending time with my family and dogs.