For years the National Rural Health Association (NRHA) has celebrated the power of rural on the third Thursday of November in partnership with the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health. Now, President Biden has officially declared Nov. 18, 2021, National Rural Health Day.
A ‘hill alert’ was recently delivered by the association to encourage all Congressional health staff to celebrate National Rural Health Day and mark their calendars for NRHA’s 33rd Rural Health Policy Institute Feb. 8-10 in D.C.
The association has also coordinated the introduction of a bipartisan congressional resolution today to support the goals and ideals of National Rural Health Day. HR1200 will recognize in the 117th Congress the 60 million hard-working Americans living in rural communities and the barriers they face accessing necessary health care services.
As a founding member of the Rural Health Action Alliance, NRHA has signed a letter in support of the Rural Health Equity Act to establish an Office of Rural Health within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The bill would ensure the nation’s premiere health promotion, prevention, and preparedness agency prioritizes addressing the unique health care challenges and inequities faced by rural communities across America.
Additionally, NRHA leadership headlined five sessions and speaking engagements this week, both in person and virtually, as well as participating in a #RuralHealthChat on Twitter coordinated by Rural Health Information Hub.
NRHA encourages all NRHA members to celebrate and participate in any way they can today and to further these efforts by joining NRHA’s current advocacy campaigns and registering for the association’s 33rd Rural Health Policy Institute.