Marking the Value and Needs of Rural Health 

Posted in: #CC/Academic List, #Health Interest List, #Health Sciences List, #Public/K-12 List, All Members

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Today is National Rural Health Day. The 10th annual observance on the third Thursday of November celebrates the “Power of Rural,” bringing much-needed attention to improving the health of an estimated 57 million people who call rural and frontier areas home. 

The day was created by the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health and engages a broad national audience of policymakers, program funders, partners and practitioners. 

One message from the celebration’s organizers is that rural communities are an economic engine that provide the rest of the country with a wealth of services and commodities. They also have unique healthcare needs.  

Rural communities must address accessibility issues, a lack of healthcare providers, the needs of an aging population suffering from a greater number of chronic conditions, and larger percentages of un- and underinsured citizens. 

Rural hospitals – which are often the economic foundation of their communities in addition to being the primary providers of care – struggle daily as declining reimbursement rates and disproportionate funding levels make it challenging to serve their residents. 

The 50 state offices of rural health serve as anchors of information and support for rural communities, health professionals, hospitals, and clinics across the nation. 

George Strawley, M.L.I.S., works on providing consumer-level health information and programs through libraries as well as on the planning and implementation of funding aimed at addressing health disparities. A former librarian in both the public and community college settings, he is now based at the University of Utah.