Participants in the 50th Annual Arizona Rural Health Conference organized by the Arizona Center for Rural Health celebrated all they have accomplished in recent decades to improve health care and services for rural citizens, and also collaborated strategically to bring better health services to all communities in Arizona.
Participants in the 50th Annual Arizona Rural Health Conference organized by the Arizona Center for Rural Health (AzCRH) celebrated all they have accomplished in recent decades to improve health care and services for rural citizens, and also collaborated strategically to bring better health services to all communities in Arizona.
The conference was held June 4-5, 2024, in Flagstaff, Arizona. Additional ‘pre-conference’ sessions were held on Monday June 3. This year the conference attracted record-breaking attendance with nearly 475 participants from across the State as well as representatives from U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Region IX, and the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP).
The conference brought together a vast array of Rural Health stakeholders from the region. Leaders from Critical Access Hospitals, Rural Health Clinics, Community Health Workers, Public and Rural Health Associations, Health Departments, Social Services Agencies, Food Banks, Public Libraries, Environmental Justice and Health organizations, Advocacy Groups, and Policy Makers all joined to advance rural health. Representatives from many academic institutions also participated including Northern Arizona University, Arizona State University, the University of Arizona, A.T. Still University, Diné College, and Cummings Graduate Institute. A large cohort of Arizona Nursing Inclusive Excellence (ANIE) students from the University of Arizona College of Nursing also attended.
Pre-Conference Sessions
The pre-conference sessions on Monday, June 3, included the Critical Access Hospital and Rural Health Clinic Summit as part of the AzCRH’s Arizona Rural Hospital Flexibility Program. The Arizona Area Health Education Center (AzAHEC) Program and six Regional Centers offered sessions on the development of the Graduate Medical Education primary care residency program and AHEC Preceptor Training for participants.
Concurrently the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Region IX conducted a “Rural Maternal Health Convening” where key stakeholders from across Arizona participated in interactive workshops focused on Rural Maternal Health. During the morning session of the convening, HRSA Deputy Administrator, Jordan Grossman, announced a $4 million grant award to Mariposa Community Health Center located in Nogales, Arizona. The grant is part of the Rural Maternity and Obstetrics Management Strategies (RMOMS) program designed to address high maternal mortality rates in rural communities.
Conference Sessions
On Tuesday, June 4, the conference opened with a retrospective address by Dr. Dan Derksen, MD, Walter H. Pearce Endowed Chair & Director, Arizona Center for Rural Health, Professor of Public Health, Medicine & Nursing. Other highlights included updates from FORHP on Rural Maternal Health.
With a nod to history, Dr. Derksen recounted key contributors including Dr. Andy Nichols who founded what was then known as the Rural Health Office, and played a recorded interview between Alison Hughes (AzCRH director 2001-2011) and Martha Ortiz (co-founder with her husband, Dr. Gus Ortiz of the University of Arizona Mobile Health Unit) on the occasion of Martha’s 100th birthday, during Tuesday’s lunch session. The current Tucson-based Mobile Health Unit was on hand for guests to explore. The Arizona Rural Health Association (AzRHA) addressed the gathering during lunch with an update of activities and an invitation to become a member and get involved.
On Wednesday, June 5, the general sessions included Results of Community Listening Sessions from the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS), and an outline of Graduate Medical Education primary care residency development opportunities with Dr. Ed Paul. Concurrent Sessions included topics such as improving maternal health outcomes, sexual and domestic violence, and a review of the health impacts of Propositions that will be on Arizona’s 2024 Ballot given by Will Humble, Executive Director of the Arizona Public Health Association. For a full agenda, presenter bios, and presentation slides visit the CRH website.
The conference concluded with a moving and empowering address by Dr. Derksen about all that has been accomplished to improve the health and wellness of Arizona’s rural and vulnerable populations. Dr. Derksen concluded by quoting Robert F. Kennedy from his Day of Affirmation speech on June 6, 1966 in South Africa:
“Each time you stand up for an ideal, or act to improve the lot of others, or strike out against injustice, you send forth a tiny ripple of hope…those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.”
Thank you to everyone who made the 50th Annual Arizona Rural Health Conference a rewarding, productive, and memorable collaboration!
