Diane M. Hall, PhD, MSEd, is presented with this Presidential Citation in recognition of her commitment to advancing access to behavioral health treatment in rural communities across the United States and for her leadership in serving as the inaugural director of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Office of Rural Health.
Diane M. Hall, PhD, MSEd, earned her BA in psychology from Hollins College (now Hollins University) and earned her MSEd in psychological services as well as her PhD in school, community, and child clinical psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to her federal service, Dr. Hall held an academic appointment at the University of Pennsylvania, teaching courses on theories of psychotherapy and counseling, psychology of women, and adolescent development. Upon joining the CDC, Dr. Hall worked in CDC’s Division of Violence Prevention, where she led projects focused on prevention of teen dating violence, youth violence, and intimate partner violence. She then took a position as senior health scientist in CDC's Office of the Associate Director for Policy and Strategy (OADPS), where she led a team working on knowledge translation and capacity building products for public health staff and policy makers. While in this position, she served as the CDC’s rural health lead.
In August 2023, Dr. Hall was selected to lead the new Office of Rural Health within the CDC as part of the Fiscal Year 2023 appropriations process, with a mission to accelerate public health innovations and tailor scientific and communication resources to the diverse needs of rural communities. Immediately after her appointment, Dr. Hall got straight to work on developing a strategic plan for this new office. The strategic plan, finalized a year later, reflects many key APA values, including:
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“Leading with the science” by improving data collection, analysis, and reporting of scientific findings concerning rural communities
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Utilizing a population health approach to meet the needs of rural communities by fostering and sustaining partnerships with rural partner organizations to improve the rural public health infrastructure
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Fostering cultural competence by recognizing and tailoring solutions to meet the unique populations and needs among different rural and frontier communities
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Adopting an inclusive approach to building the rural health workforce that fully utilizes the contributions of health professionals of varying specialties
In recognition of her leadership, APA honors Dr. Hall with this Presidential Citation. Thank you, Dr. Hall, for your dedication to improving access to care for all Americans who have made rural and frontier communities their home.