UK Center of Excellence in Rural Health and Kentucky Office of Rural Health to Celebrate the Power of Rural

Hazard, Ky. (Nov. 19, 2013) – 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 third annual National Rural Health Day celebration on Nov. 21.

NOSORH created National Rural Health Day as a way to showcase the good works of America’s 59.5 million rural citizens and promote the efforts of NOSORH, State Offices of Rural Health and others in addressing those concerns.

“At the same time, National Rural Health Day gives us an opportunity to raise awareness of the unique healthcare issues being faced by rural citizens, particularly a lack of health care providers and affordability issues resulting from larger percentages of uninsured and underinsured citizens and greater out-of-pocket health costs, to name a few,” said NOSORH director Teryl Eisinger. “And while the Affordable Care Act may make health care more affordable for rural Americans, it doesn’t necessarily make it more accessible – a lack of public transportation, fragile infrastructures, and geographic barriers also must be overcome in order to ensure that all rural safety net providers can adequately meet the basic healthcare needs of their residents.”

“In Kentucky, we have chosen National Rural Health Day as an opportunity to join the Kentucky Hospital Association (KHA) in a press conference to release a Critical Access Hospital (CAH) Value Report, the culmination of a number of studies performed by KHA and partner organizations to illustrate the value of Kentucky’s 29 CAHs.  We will also be recognizing several rural health champions from across the Commonwealth and hosting a rural-themed photography contest,” said Ernie Scott, director of the KORH.

“We salute our rural providers who are truly addressing the issues of rural health by providing quality care at the right place, the right time, and for the people who need it the most,” said Dr. Fran Feltner, director of the UK CERH. “For providers considering working in a rural setting, we want them to know they are both needed and welcomed. Rural areas are great places to live and work. The people are warm, community-driven, caring and family-minded.”

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.

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