A Leader in Transforming Health for Underserved Communities
At the Center for Public Health Practice and Research (CPHPR), we believe in the power of collective action to ignite positive change.
Beyond research and practice, we’re community partners, dedicated to empowering rural and underserved populations across the Southeast with the tools and knowledge to improve their health status. Through active engagement, innovative research, education and other services, we’re building healthier futures, one community at a time.
Join us as we bridge the gap between knowledge and action, and become a catalyst for positive change. Together, we can promote health and improve the quality of life of those who live in rural and underserved communities within Georgia, the surrounding region and globally.
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Research & Practice Briefs
Explore our research focused on improving healthcare in rural Georgia. Recent project include performance improvement in rural hospitals, CEO turnover rates, the impact of the Georgia Rural Hospital Tax Credit, and strategies for improving hospital profitability.
Explore CPHPR Research
Services
The Center for Public Health Practice and Research offers a comprehensive suite of services designed to strengthen public health infrastructure and improve community well-being. From accreditation readiness and strategic planning to in-depth assessments, operational consulting, and data analysis, we provide tailored solutions to empower organizations and communities to thrive.
National Public Health Accreditation
(Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB))
- Readiness and Preparedness Consulting and Evaluation
- Strategic Planning Workshops
- Workforce Development: Needs Assessments and Plan Workshops
- Quality Improvement Plan Workshops
Assessment and Evaluations
- Health System Planning and Evaluations
- Community Health Needs Assessments
- Health Impact Assessments
- Service Line Assessments & Evaluations
- Workforce Assessments & Evaluations
- Evaluation modeling & design
Operations Planning
- Financial & Operational consulting for health care organizations
- Board & Foundation Development
- Event Planning and Facilitation
- Health Policy Design and Evaluation
- Fundraising Plan Design
- Training and Education
Customized for defined target audience - Business Plan and Program Plan development
- Data Gathering and Analysis
Relating to health, financial, service delivery, policy, health policy, etc.
About CPHPR
Initially established as the Office of Rural Health, the CPHPR has experienced considerable transition in more than a quarter-century of service to the state of Georgia and the southeast United States. To more effectively reach rural and underserved communities, the Center resides in the Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health.
The Center for Public Health Practice and Research engages in efforts to improve the health status of rural and underserved communities through provision of high-level technical assistance, education, public health research, and program/process evaluation services to public and rural health agencies, organizations and other business models. Consistent with the College’s mission, the Center seeks to be recognized as a leader in the area of outreach to the public health practice community by serving as a valuable resource to rural and underserved populations in the Southeast.
The philosophy of the Center is active community engagement at local, state and national levels. The Center will facilitate relationships with Georgia’s rural and public health systems and the Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health faculty and students.
Contact Us
Center for Public Health Practice & Research
Georgia Southern University
Hendricks Hall, Office 1027
PO Box: 7989-1
Statesboro, GA 30460
Phone: 912-478-2581
Charles Owens, MSA, Center Director
cowens@georgiasouthern.edu
229-322-8290
Angie Peden, MPH, Center Associate Director
apeden@georgiasouthern.edu
912-478-2581
Bettye A. Apenteng, PhD, Center Deputy Director for Research
bapenteng@georgiasouthern.edu
912-478-2416