State and national events celebrate National Rural Health Day, which falls on Nov. 21

By Melissa Patrick
Kentucky Health News

The first day of the Kentucky Rural Health Association‘s annual conference, titled “Rooted & Reaching,” will be held on Nov. 21, which falls on National Rural Health Day. The event runs through Nov. 22 at Western Kentucky University‘s Knicely Conference Center in Bowling Green and it’s not too late to register.

In addition, the Health Resources & Services Administration is offering several online events to celebrate National Rural Health Day. This year’s theme is “Advancing Maternal Health in Rural Communities.”

The remaining HRSA events are as follows:

• Tuesday, Nov. 19
  • Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and Office of Minority Health National Rural Health Day Webinar: This event highlights the latest resources from CMS information on rural, tribal, and geographically isolated communities, featuring the work of a 2024 CMS Health Equity Awardee to improve health equity within the Shenandoah Valley. It will be held from 2-3 p.m. ET. Click here to register.
  • United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development: This event shares information about new resources available for rural communities. It will highlight the USDA rural health website, where to find resources, and introduce the USDA Rural Health Program Index tool. This webinar will be held from 2-3:30 p.m. ET. Click here to register.
• Thursday, Nov. 21
  • HRSA featured event: Federal Rural Partners Roundtable: This webinar will include rural leaders from across federal agencies to discuss what they are doing to improve maternal health. (The link and time of the webinar are coming soon.)
  • The Power of Rural in Action: RCORP Success Stories & Strategies: This webinar will include the National Organizations of State Offices of Rural Health discussing the impact of the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program. This webinar will be held from 2-3 p.m. ET. Click here to register.
  • HRSA featured event: Advancing Rural Maternal Health through Collaboration: This webinar will host the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP), highlighting community-driven solutions that are moving the needle to expand access to quality maternal health care in rural communities. This webinar will be held from 3-4:30 p.m. ET. Click here to register.
  • HRSA featured event: Perspective from the Field: Advancing Maternal Health Care in Rural Communities: This event will include an episode of the “Exploring Rural Health” Podcast that features Dr. Kristen Dillon, FORHP chief medical officer, who shares the challenges and successes of maternal health care delivery in rural communities and how HRSA programs work to decrease maternal health disparities and improve outcomes. (Link coming soon)