Rural Health Symposium announces Major Event Supporter: Health Foundation for Western and Central New York

CANASTOTA, NY (08/19/2024) (readMedia)-- The New York State Association for Rural Health is honored to accept $10,000 in support from the Health Foundation of Western and Central New York as it welcomes individuals working and interested in rural health and wellness to register for its statewide Rural Health Symposium conference September 19-20 in Binghamton, NY.

The Symposium's keynote speaker is a nationally recognized rural health research and capacity development expert, Alana Knudson, PhD, director of the NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis at the University of Chicago.

Dr. Knudson will discuss a central question for those working to support rural health, wellness and to reduce rural health disparities, addressing the definition of 'rural' for health systems research and data collection, along with ways to overcome challenges to building a strong base of evidence and best practices for rural health.

"The Health Foundation is proud to sponsor an educational forum focused on the health challenges facing rural communities throughout New York State," said Nora OBrien-Suric, PhD, President of the Health Foundation for Western & Central New York. "When we come together to share concerns and ideas, we lay the groundwork for new solutions."

The Symposium offers an opportunity for researchers, students and the entire ecosystem of medical, clinical, and social care organizations to come together in one place to learn and share best practices with each other. "We are honored to accept the support of the Health Foundation of Western and Central New York for this signature event of the New York State Association for Rural Health. The Symposium is an important opportunity for attendees to support rural health and wellness, address rural health disparities, and celebrate successes in rural health across New York State," said NYSARH Executive Director Liz Urbanski-Farrell, MBA, MS.

The Symposium features an additional plenary speaker, Dr. Brian Justice, MD; and several breakout sessions spanning the spectrum of rural health and wellness services across New York State. For more information and to register, see: https://nysarh.org/2024-rural-health-symposium/.

DR. ALANA KNUDSON

Dr. Knudson has more than 30 years' experience leading health services research projects and implementing and evaluating public health programs. She has deep expertise in rural health, health equity, public health, health services research, telehealth, and evaluation. Alana has conducted numerous health services and health policy studies and public health projects funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, U.S. Agency for International Development, and The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, among others. Her project findings have informed state, tribal, and federal health policy. In 2021, she received the National Rural Health Association's Outstanding Researcher Award.

Dr. Knudson also directs the ETSU/NORC Rural Health Equity Research Center, funded by Health Services and Resources Administration's (HRSA) Federal Office of Rural Health Policy, and the Pennsylvania Rural Health Model Evaluation funded by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI). She also serves as the Primary Investigator for HRSA's Bureau of Health Workforce, Substance Use Disorder Evaluation and the Provider Resiliency Evaluation. Knudson has extensive experience translating project findings into practice, including evidence-based toolkits housed on the Rural Health Information Hub (RHI Hub) funded by FORHP. The toolkits, with almost 15 million page views, highlight evidence-based and promising programs implemented in rural communities that aim to improve the health and well-being of rural residents.

ABOUT THE CONFERENCE

Registration for the event is online, at: https://nysarh.org/2024-rural-health-symposium/. Organizers note that August 28 is the last day to reserve discounted rooms in Binghamton for the event.

Symposium breakout sessions include a Rural Aging Innovation Fair; Rural Cultural Competency; Community System Redesign; Aging and Diversity; Accessing Recovery Services in Rural NY; Growing Partnerships and Removing Barriers from the Ground Up; Medicaid Waiver Social Care Networks Roundtable Discussion; Videoconferencing to increase access to evidence-based Chronic Disease Self-Management education in rural New York; The Rural Non-Profit Landscape in 2024: Leading During Challenging Times; Suicide Prevention: Talk Saves Lives; Binghamton 2 Degrees and the NYS Children's Environmental Health Center; Operation Healthcare: Careers that have Everyone Buzzing; and Rural Health Policy and Advocacy Initiatives from the Cornell University Jeb Brooks School of Public Policy.

About NYSARH: The New York State Association for Rural Health (NYSARH) is a not-for-profit, non-partisan, grassroots organization working to preserve and improve the health of the citizens in rural New York State. NYSARH membership includes representatives of all facets of the rural health care industry, as well as individuals and students. NYSARH serves individuals, consumers, non-profit organizations, government agencies and officials, health care facilities, emergency medical service providers, long-term care organizations, businesses, universities, foundations, associations, and other stakeholders in rural health.

About the Health Foundation for Western and Central New York: Based in Buffalo, NY, with a second office in Syracuse, NY, the Health Foundation for Western & Central New York is an independent private foundation serving 16 counties in New York State. Our vision is a healthy western and central New York where racial equity and socioeconomic equity are prioritized so all people can achieve their full potential. In 2023, we launched a campaign called Transform Rural Health to bring specific attention to the diverse health needs of the rural communities we serve. Media Contact:

Kerry Jones Waring

Vice President for Communications

Health Foundation for Western & Central New York

kjwaring@hfwcny.org

716.380.7319