Oakland, MD (11/19/2020) – Mountain Laurel Medical Center will join the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health (NOSORH) and other state/national rural stakeholders in celebrating National Rural Health Day on Thursday, November 19, 2020.
NOSORH founded National Rural Health Day as a way to showcase rural America; increase awareness of rural health-related challenges; and promote the efforts of NOSORH, State Offices of Rural Health, and others in addressing those challenges. National Rural Health Day is an annual day of recognition which occurs on the third Thursday of November.
Events, including those held virtually, recognizing National Rural Health Day and “Celebrating the Power of Rural” are being planned throughout the nation.
An estimated 57 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,” says Teryl Eisinger, NOSORH CEO. “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 healthcare needs. “Today more than ever, rural communities must tackle 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,” Eisinger says.
State Offices of Rural Health play a key role in addressing those needs. All 50 states maintain a State Office of Rural Health, each of which shares a similar mission: to foster relationships, disseminate information and provide technical assistance that improves access to and the quality of health care for its rural citizens.
In Maryland, for example, Mountain Laurel Medical Center supports rural citizens through programs such as primary care, integrated behavioral health, insurance navigation, diabetes educations programs, and participation in population health initiatives.
CEO Brian Bailey says, “Our Community faces several health and rural challenges, including travel time, weather events, access to specialty care, and treatment for chronic diseases. Mountain Laurel Medical Center’s team of dedicated providers, clinical support staff, and administrative team are here with our resources to minimize, if not to eliminate, those perceived and often very real barriers to optimal health.”
Additional information about National Rural Health Day can be found at PowerofRural.org. To learn more about NOSORH, visit www.nosorh.org. To learn more about Mountain Laurel Medical Center, visit www.mtnlaurel.org.
Editors: Teryl Eisinger can be reached at (586) 739-9940 or teryle@nosorh.org; Jonathan Dayton can be reached at jdayton@mtnlaurel.org