The Rural Impact Podcast went on the road again!  This time, we headed out west – the Pacific Northwest, to be exact, where we sought to amplify the Power of Rural and the importance of federal partnerships to address social drivers of health.

Welcome to our "Impact on the Road OREGON - The Power of Rural and Investments in Health" special National Rural Health Day episode.

During this special panel discussion recorded at the 41st Annual Oregon Rural Health Conference held in Bend, host Michelle Rathman moderates a conversation focused how the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, (HUD), are addressing the social drivers of health in rural Oregon and Region 10, and supporting policy-fueled investments in nutrition, housing, and access to essential healthcare services. 

In addition to panelists, Priya Helweg, Acting Regional Director, and Executive Officer for the Region 10 Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs, Office of the Secretary, HHS, Chad Davis-Montgomery, Director, Supplemental Nutrition Division, Western Region, Food and Nutrition Service, USDA, and Andrew Lofton, Regional Administrator, Region 10 HUD, this episode also features conversations with Erik Thorsen, CEO of Columbia Memorial Hospital in Astoria Oregon, named as the National Rural Health Association's Organization of the Year, Sarah Andersen, Director of Field Services at the Oregon Office of Rural Health, Jennifer Little, Director of Public Health for Klamath County, and Jerry Conklin, Chairman of the Board for South Morrow County Senior Matters.

For more information about the funding and technical assistance opportunities mentioned by panelists, look to our resource page.

To learn more about the stories of making a rural impact:

South Morrow County Senior Matters visit: South Morrow County Seniors Matter

To learn more about the BuildCMH project visit: https://www.columbiamemorial.org/buildcmh/

Learn more about National Rural Health Day Events at http://www.PowerofRural.org

To learn more about the HHS “Join the Health Workforce: A Career With Endless Possibilities” website visit: https://www.hhs.gov/healthcare/workforce/index.html

To read the HHS Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) Report “Health Care Workforce: Key Issues, Challenges, and the Path Forward” visit: https://aspe.hhs.gov/reports/health-care-workforce-key-issues-challenges-path-forward

To learn more about the HRSA funding opportunity “The Graduate Psychology Education Program” visit: https://grants.gov/search-results-detail/355771

To learn more about the HRSA funding opportunity “The Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training Program for Professionals” visit https://grants.gov/search-results-detail/355772

To learn more about the HUD Rural Gateway Clearinghouse visit: https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/comm_planning/rural-gateway

To learn more about the FNS Nutrition Programs visit: https://www.fns.usda.gov/programs

Michelle begins part one of the extra episode with Dr. Bill Hathaway of Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC). Dr. Hathaway and the MAHEC staff of more than 1,000 are committed to transforming rural health and wellness through education, the delivery of patient care, and a focus on community and public health. Before joining MAHEC in early 2022, Dr. Hathaway spent more than two decades working to meaningfully improve health across Western North Carolina as a MAHEC board member, as the chief medical officer for the region’s largest hospital system, and as a practicing cardiologist.

During this conversation, Michelle and Dr. Hathaway discuss the devastating impact of Hurricane Helene on healthcare access in Western North Carolina. Dr. Hathaway highlights the challenges rural healthcare systems face, including infrastructure damage, provider shortages, and the urgent need for recovery efforts. The discussion emphasizes the importance of community support and ongoing efforts to restore healthcare services in the affected areas.

In part two of this episode, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development, Marion Mollegen McFadden. In this role, she oversees the administration of federal financial assistance to assist communities in ending homelessness, creating and preserving affordable housing, strengthening local economies, and disaster recovery and mitigation.

Michelle and Marion McFadden discuss HUD’s efforts in disaster recovery, funding initiatives, and housing solutions. They cover the impact of recent hurricanes, the importance of preparedness and resilience, and innovative programs like the Section 108 Legacy Challenge aimed at increasing affordable housing. McFadden emphasizes the need for community engagement and the role of HUD in supporting local jurisdictions to address housing challenges effectively.

The North Carolina Community Health Center Association is now accepting donations for its Disaster Relief Fund to deliver needed support to community health centers and staff impacted by Hurricane Helene.

To learn more visit: https://www.ncchca.org/disaster-donations/
To learn more about the Section 108 Legacy Challenge visit: https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/comm_planning/section108/legacy-challenge

In part one of the final episode of this series, Michelle met with Dakota Pawlicki, Director of Talent Hubs with CivicLab. In this role, he serves exemplary cross-sector partnerships focused on postsecondary attainment that have met rigorous standards for partnership health, equity, and systems change. He brings his expertise in postsecondary education, collective impact, stakeholder engagement, and change management to a network of nearly 100 partnerships, supporting their efforts to improve the human condition. Dakota also hosts Lumina Foundation's podcast Today's Students, Tomorrow's Talent, which features conversations with newsmakers and leaders in the field of learning after high school.

Michelle and Dakota begin the discussion by highlighting the work of CivicLab in advancing civic collaboration and improving postsecondary attainment in communities. He introduces the Talent Hub designation, a marker of an exemplary cross-sector partnership, and emphasizes the importance of context in community collaboration. Pawlicki shares examples of communities that have successfully addressed complex social challenges by redesigning their context and engaging multiple stakeholders. He also highlights the role of collaboration at the community level in addressing barriers to earning a college degree and achieving talent-related goals. Pawlicki advises communities to focus on role clarity, self-determination, and implementing practical solutions before seeking policy changes.

In part two of this episode, Michelle was joined by Elaine M. Morgan, CEO of the Berkeley Chamber of Commerce. Elaine is a fifth-generation Berkeley County, SC, native with over 30 years of leadership experience. She is dedicated to fostering the region's economic growth and community development, working closely with local industries to help them expand, create jobs, and increase wages. Morgan's efforts have had a significant impact, mainly through her close collaboration with elected officials and business leaders to address emerging challenges and opportunities. A cornerstone of her work is the expansion of Community Resource Hubs across the county, offering residents critical services such as workforce training and telehealth.

In this conversation, Michelle Rathman and Elaine discuss innovative initiatives to revitalize rural communities in South Carolina, the importance of collaboration, the establishment of community resource hubs, and the challenges residents face in accessing employment and healthcare. Elaine shares insights on how these hubs are designed to meet the community's needs, the significance of measuring success through community engagement, and the role of policy advocacy in addressing essential needs.

Ascendium sponsors this episode of The Rural Impact podcast, believing that learning after high school transforms lives. Driven by this belief, their philanthropy focuses on systemic change to elevate opportunities for learners from low-income backgrounds. Ascendium has a particular interest in elevating rural postsecondary education and workforce training. They fund research and resources to help ensure more rural learners have pathways to good jobs that lead to upward mobility. Learn more about their Rural Impact at ascendiumphilanthropy.org, sign up for their newsletter, and follow them on social media.