UK Center of Excellence In Rural Health and Kentucky Office of Rural Health to Celebrate National Rural Health Day

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Nov. 20, 2014) – The University of Kentucky Center of Excellence in Rural Health (CERH) encourages rural providers and communities to join the Kentucky Office of Rural Health (KORH), the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health (NOSORH), and other state and national rural stakeholders to “Celebrate the Power of Rural” during the fourth annual National Rural Health Day on Thursday, Nov. 20.

NOSORH created National Rural Health Day as a way to showcase rural America,increase awareness of rural health-related issues, and promote the efforts of NOSORH, State Offices of Rural Health and others in addressing those issues.  Plans call for National Rural Health Day to become an annual celebration on the third Thursday of each November.

Events recognizing National Rural Health Day and “Celebrating the Power of Rural” are being planned throughout the nation.  In Kentucky, Gov. Steve Beshear has marked the occasion by proclaiming Nov. 20, 2014, as Kentucky Rural Health Day. The Kentucky Office of Rural Health has asked that rural providers and communities across the Commonwealth post information on local events to their Facebook page to share with others what they’re doing to “Celebrate the Power of Rural.” 

Approximately 62 million people – nearly one in five Americans – live in rural and frontier communities throughout the United States. “These small towns, farming communities and frontier areas are wonderful places to live and work; they are places where neighbors know each other and work together,” notes NOSORH Director Teryl Eisinger. “The hospitals and providers serving these rural communities not only provide quality patient care, but they also help keep good jobs in rural America.”

These communities also face unique health care needs. “Today more than ever, rural communities must tackle accessibility issues, a lack of health care providers, the needs of an aging population suffering from a greater number of chronic conditions, and larger percentages of un- and underinsured citizens,” Eisinger says. “Meanwhile, rural hospitals are threatened with declining reimbursement rates and disproportionate funding levels that makes it challenging to serve their residents.”

The UK CERH serves as the federally designated KORH. The mission of the UK CERH is to improve the health of rural Kentuckians. The UK CERH accomplishes this through education, research, service, and community engagement. The KORH mission is to support the health and well-being of Kentuckians by promoting access to rural health services.

For more information on KORH and UK CERH services and resources, please visit www.kyruralhealth.org. Additional information about National Rural Health Day can be found on the Web at www.celebratepowerofrural.org.

MEDIA CONTACT:  Beth Bowling, beth.bowling@uky.edu, 606-439-3557