National Rural Health Day Resources

Our last National Rural Health Day was Thursday, November 18, 2021. Our theme was achieving health equity in rural communities.

The National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health (NOSORH) created National Rural Health Day in 2010. They celebrate on the third Thursday of every November.

We celebrate rural communities year-round.

Browse recorded webinars from National Rural Health Day 2021, grouped by subject.

Providing Health Care and Medicine

COVID-19 Vaccine Webinar for Rural Communities
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Office of Minority Health (CMS OMH)
Designed for community partners and providers in rural areas.
Federal COVID-19 resources:

• Health workforce mandates
• Healthcare coverage

Enhancing Antibiotic Stewardship Programs in Critical Access Hospitals (Coming Soon)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP)
Get advice on how Critical Access Hospitals can meet the Joint Commission’s revised antibiotic stewardship standards.

HIV Treatment and Care in Rural Communities
HIV/AIDS Bureau
Learn about federal support for HIV treatment and care in rural communities. This includes program accomplishments, performance indicators, impact of COVID-19, community engagement, and the role and response to stigma in serving people with HIV.

Achieving Health Equity

Twitter Chat: Digital Equity and the Health of Rural Americans
Rural Health Information Hub and the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health
A #RuralHealthChat about digital access problems in rural areas. This included access to broadband, telehealth, and patient portals. Get tips on how rural communities can improve digital equity and broadband access.

Federal Efforts to Achieve Health Equity in Rural Communities
FORHP
Federal leaders presented strategies to prioritize health equity and eliminate disparities in health access, policy, and practice.
Panelists included:

• Diana Espinosa, Acting Administrator, HRSA
• Catherine Oakar, Special Assistant to the President for Community Public Health and Disparities, White House Domestic Policy Council
• Tom Morris, Associate Administrator, Federal Office of Rural Health Policy, HRSA
• Dr. LaShawn McIver, Director, Office of Minority Health, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
• Dr. Loretta Christensen (PDF - 191 KB), Chief Medical Officer, Indian Health Service

Addressing Health Disparities in Rural Communities: FORHP Grantee Highlights
FORHP
FORHP grantees shared best practices for achieving health equity in their communities.

NIH Rural Health Day Seminar: Structural-Level Determinants of Rural Health Disparities
NIH Rural Health Special Interest Group
The factors behind health disparities in rural populations:

• Sociocultural and economic determinants of health in rural populations
• Physical and environmental determinants
• Evaluation, measurements, and policy implications on rural health

The NIH Rural Health Special Interest Group included:

• National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities
• National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
• National Institute on Aging
• National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Stories from the Field

Telling the Rural Star Stories
National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health
Behind the big headlines of rural health are the people. In this webinar, listen to “power of rural” stories. Lessons learned on the four R’s: resolve, resiliency, relationships, and readiness.

Understanding the Health Needs of Rural Populations

3rd Annual Rural Oral Health Conference: “Diversity and Inclusion: Addressing the Needs of Marginalized Populations in Rural Communities” (Coming Soon)
Zufall Community Health Center and New Jersey State Office of Rural Health