The Rural Health Voice

Why have some people been left out of medical research?  Dr. Karriem Watson, Chief Engagement Officer of the All of Us Research Program at the National Institutes of Health joined RHV to discuss why a broad spectrum of people are needed to support medical discoveries. If you want to hear more from Dr. Watson, come join us at the Rural Health Voice conference .

What type of person should be a healthcare provider?  Melissa Zook, MD joined me to discuss her passion for serving the community. If you want to hear more from Dr. Zook, she will be speaking at the Head for the Hills Continuing Medical Education conference in Abingdon this November.

How does Virginia’s Juvenile Justice system impact health?  Valerie Slater, Executive Director of RISE for Youth joined RHV to discuss the need to reform Virginia’s juvenile prisons. Join the Rural Health Voice conference this November in Williamsburg.

Why don’t people make better choices when buying and preparing their food?  Dr. Tori Makal, from University of Virginia’s College at Wise and Dr. Wendy Welch from the SWVA Graduate Medical Education Consortium joined me to discuss food insecurity. You might also want to check out two of Dr. Welch’s latest publications: COVID-19 Conspiracy Theories Masks, Misinformation, and Making Do

We just celebrated Independence Day and Rural America has a proud history of volunteering for military service.  How can we return the favor and take of our Veterans?  Paul Crews, Executive Director of Veteran’s Administration Mid-Atlantic Health Care Network joined RHV to discuss the resources it can offer.

What health disparities are related to cancer in our rural communities?  Dr. Robert Winn, Director of the VCU Massey Cancer Center and Dr. Maria Thompson, Director of Community Engagement in Research at the Massey Cancer Center joined RHV to discuss how those disparities can be addressed. Pride Month is celebrated in June, but VRHA addresses LGBTQ health inequities all year long.  Join us in Shena...

What staffing challenges are rural hospitals experiencing?  Portia Brown, Vice President at Valley Health Page Memorial Hospital joined RHV to discuss how hospitals are dealing with workforce shortages. If you want to learn more about rural health, check out the Rural Health Information Hub .

What is a syndemic?  Toni Young of the Community Education Group and the Rural Health Service Provider Network joined me to discuss how rural health issues must be approached on a system-wide level.

What is Vicarious Racism and what Effect does it have on Mental Health for African Americans?  Kevin Dedner , Founder & CEO of Hurdle joined RHV to discuss mental health disparities and advocate for celebrating the strengths of rural America. Check out the Second Annual Black Mental Health Roundtable , May 11, 2022

What are the barriers for addressing dementia in our rural communities?  Katie McDonough of the Alzheimer’s Association of Central and Western Virginia joined me to discuss the needs of our aging population. Alzheimer’s 24/7 Helpline: 800.272.3900 2022 Alzheimer’s Association Facts & Figures If you want to be part of the conversation about rural health, check out the National Rural...

What are some of the barriers to healthcare faced by people living in Appalachia?   Dr. Teresa Tyson and Dr. Paula Hill-Collins from The Health Wagon joined the Rural Health Voice to talk about how they are literally going around in circles to bridge the gaps. More information on The Health Wagon: Rural Health Information Hub – Project Summary CBS News – 2017 and 2021 Join the Virginia...

What can we do to emphasize the positive aspects of rural living?  Laura Hunt Trull, current President of the Virginia Rural Health Association joined me to discuss health leadership in our rural communities. For more discussion on rural health issues, save the date for the upcoming Virginia Public Health Association conference .  It will be held March 26 th and topics will include substance use,...

How do organizations such as the Virginia Rural Health Association assure they are serving all of rural Virginia?  Bryan Price, Past President of the VRHA joined RHV to discuss rural health leadership. Virginia Public Health Association Conference – March 26

What do the results of the 2020 Census mean for rural communities?  Hamilton Lombard, Estimates Program Manger from the Weldon Cooper Center at UVA joined me to discuss how population loss is harmful for our rural communities. For more discussion on rural disparities and how they can be addressed, save the date for the upcoming Virginia Public Health Association conference.  It will be held March...

How are barrier crimes an obstacle to healthcare access?  Dr. Kevin Doyle, of the Hazelden Betty Ford Graduate School of Addiction Studies joined RHV to discuss how barrier crimes are a good idea with poor implementation. Additional information: Dr. Doyle’s editorial on barrier crimes Virginia Mercury article on barrier crimes List of Virginia barrier crimes If you want to be part of the con...

Who should be vaccinated against HPV and why?  Riguey King from the American Cancer Society joined the Rural Health Voice to discuss the benefits of HPV prevention. Resources: National HPV Roundtable Call:  1-800-227-2345 If you want to be part of the conversation about rural health, join the VRHA leadership at the National Rural Health Association’s Policy Institute.  This is your chance to meet...

Why should rural people get involved in national advocacy?  National Rural Health Association President John Gale joined the Rural Health Voice to discuss his views on the future of rural health. If you want to be part of the conversation about rural health, make sure you check out our social media accounts.  Visit our website at VRHA.org and click the Facebook and Twitter logos on the top right o...

What are the benefits and drawbacks of being a Travel Nurse?  Destiny Davidson joined RHV to discuss the path of her nursing career and advocate for incentives to encourage providers to consider rural communities.  If you want to be part of the conversation about rural health, make sure you check out our social media accounts.  Visit our website at VRHA.org and our Facebook and Twitter feeds.

What’s the role of churches in rural communities when it comes to caring for health?  Pastor Allen Jessee of Highlands Fellowship Church joined the Rural Health Voice to discuss faith and health. If you want to be part of the conversation about rural health, join the Rural Health Voice conference .  It started November 2 nd , but all of the plenary sessions are being recorded and saved on the webs...

Our guest lives and works in rural Virginia, and is a nurse.  However, we are withholding her name due to her concern of retaliation from her employer for sharing her job experience. If you want to be part of the conversation about rural health, make sure you register for the Rural Health Voice annual conference .  There will be a wide variety of both plenary sessions and interactive discussion at...

Why is it important for rural healthcare providers to consider the specific needs of their LGBTQ patients?  AnhThu Nguyen joined me to discuss the important work of Staunton Pride , the Shenandoah LGBTQ Center and the needs for inclusivity. If you want to be part of the conversation about rural health, join the Virginia Rural Health Association for our annual Rural Health Voice conference .  Our 2...

What’s a great way to make sure people in your community get access to all the services they need?  Laura Thompson, Community Engagement Manager from Unite Virginia joined me to discuss their new service and how you can get involved. Unite Virginia is a coordinated care network of health and social service providers. Partners in the network are connected through a shared technology platform, which...

How can we address mental health on a community level?  Sabrina Burress, Executive Director of the ARROW Project joined me to discuss how they are identifying and addressing the needs in Staunton, Augusta, and Waynesboro. If you want to be part of the conversation about rural health, check out our upcoming Pride of Rural Virginia community conversations.

How can rural healthcare providers serve everyone in their communities?  Ivy Hill with the Campaign for Southern Equality and Gender Benders joined me to discuss why your zip code shouldn’t restrict your access. Upcoming Pride of Rural Virgini a events: Farmville/Prince Edward County :  August 21st, 1-3 pm EST Pulaski County :  August 28th, 1-3 pm EST Shenandoah County :  September 18th, 1-3 pm ES...

What does it take to be a leader when you are a medical student?  Caroline Morgan, 3 rd Year Medical student at Eastern Virginia Medical School joined me to discuss her experience. If you are a health professions student in Virginia and are interested in developing your leadership skills and making connections with rural health professionals, visit the VRHA Board page , and fill out the applicatio...