Dr. Jacob Warren named Director of the UND Center for Rural Health
By Jena Pierce on
From the outside looking in, it seemed like an average Monday. But on December 16, 2024, the Center for Rural Health (CRH) was abuzz with excitement: after a months-long national search, a new director was starting his first day on the job. The University of North Dakota (UND) School of Medicine & Health Sciences (SMHS) named Dr. Jacob C. Warren, PhD, MBA, CRA, director of CRH in early December. Warren comes from Wyoming, where he was most recently dean and tenured professor in the College of Health Sciences at the University of Wyoming in Laramie.
CRH is known throughout the country for its decades of cutting-edge work in advancing the health of rural communities in North Dakota and across the U.S.
"It is an incredible honor to be selected as the next director of the Center for Rural Health," said Warren. "CRH is known throughout the country for its decades of cutting-edge work in advancing the health of rural communities in North Dakota and across the U.S. I myself have relied upon the expertise and resources of CRH throughout my career, and I look forward to working with the stellar staff and faculty of CRH, as well as partners throughout North Dakota, to continue its mission of strengthening the health of people in rural and tribal communities."
Advocate for Rural Health
Warren has 20 years of leadership experience and has been awarded over $28.5 million in rural health-focused funding from the National Institutes of Health, the Health Resources and Services Administration, state agencies, and private foundations. He has experience as a rural health researcher and academic administrator, and has published several books including Rural Public Health and Health Equity: A Solutions-Focused Approach.
A behavioral epidemiologist by training, Warren has worked extensively in the area of rural health equity, with a particular focus on reducing maternal and infant mortality in rural communities, using community health workers to improve rural health outcomes, and developing novel intervention programs designed specifically to address rural health needs.
Warren has served on numerous local, state, and national advisory committees, including currently serving on the federal Advisory Committee on Infant and Maternal Mortality (ACIMM), which is responsible for making recommendations to the secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services about ways to improve maternal and infant health outcomes nationwide. Warren also co-chairs the Rural Health subcommittee of ACIMM.
Prior to Wyoming, Warren spent a decade at Mercer University School of Medicine in Macon, Georgia, in a variety of positions advocating for rural health, including being an endowed chair and director for the Center for Rural Health and Health Disparities. He was also the founding co-executive director for the Rural Health Research Institute at Georgia Southern University.
Warren received his doctorate in epidemiology from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine in Miami, Florida.
We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Warren to the University of North Dakota and the Center for Rural Health.
"We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Warren to the University of North Dakota and the Center for Rural Health," said Dr. Marjorie Jenkins, dean of UND SMHS and vice president for health affairs. "Dr. Warren's exceptional track record in rural health research and leadership will undoubtedly strengthen CRH's mission to address the unique challenges of healthcare delivery in rural communities. His vision and expertise will be instrumental in building on the center's legacy and driving innovative solutions that improve health outcomes for North Dakota and beyond."
A Robust Center
Warren is responsible for
overseeing one of the nation's most experienced rural
health organizations. Since its inception in 1980, CRH
has developed a full complement of programs to assist
researchers, educators, policymakers, healthcare
providers, and, most importantly, rural residents. CRH is
designated as the North Dakota State Office of Rural
Health, a federal-state partnership that helps rural
communities build their healthcare services through
collaborations and initiatives with a wide range of
partners across the state. CRH employs 72 employees with
a total budget around $10 million and operates six
national programs, including two that are focused on
Native American health.
CRH has some of the most dedicated and passionate staff I have ever encountered, and it is inspiring to see how deeply they believe in the mission of the Center.
"CRH has some of the most dedicated and passionate staff I have ever encountered, and it is inspiring to see how deeply they believe in the mission of the Center," Warren said. "Maintaining the incredible legacy of the Center is something I will work very diligently toward. I also hope to help grow the Center's role in conducting novel research to inform rural residents, communities, and policymakers."
Brad Gibbens has most recently served as acting director of CRH since early 2020. Gibbens, who has been with CRH in various leadership capacities for more than 39 years, retired in early January.
"I am very happy to welcome Dr. Warren as CRH director. Jacob has the right skills – not only academically with a background in public health, epidemiology, health equity, and other experiences, but also because his approach and philosophy matches well with CRH. I am confident he will lead, with a collaborative mind set. That is a CRH value. He will work well with our rural partners."
He continued, "As I retire, I feel confident Jacob will carry on with the things that are important. He will be collaborative in searching out solutions to rural health issues. He will build capacity within the Center but also for rural communities. He will forge partnerships, and he will represent the values of rural health. I leave my formal role with optimism for the Center for Rural Health and rural North Dakota."
is the communications manager at the Center for Rural
Health at the University of North Dakota School of
Medicine & Health Sciences in Grand Forks.
