The Branch
A monthly update for NOSORH members and partners
March 2022
NOSORH Recruiting New CEO
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After 16 years working with NOSORH and thirty years in rural health, Teryl Eisinger, NOSORH’s Chief Executive Officer, will step down to retire in July of this year. “There’s so much opportunity for the State Offices of Rural Health and NOSORH. I’m happy to have had a part in this work and thankful for the dedication and commitment of the NOSORH team and Board of Directors,” said Eisinger.   

NOSORH is recruiting a new CEO to lead the organization and grow new approaches to capacity building, partnerships, diversity, equity, and inclusion. Click here for details of the leadership requirements and duties. Candidates must submit their applications by Monday, March 14th, 2022. 
Registration Open: National Rural EMS & Care Conference
The Joint Committee on Rural Emergency Care, NOSORH, and NASEMSO invite you all to register for the National Virtual Rural EMS & Care Conference taking place April 19-21 from 1:00 – 4:30 PM CT. The planning committee is excited to share the updated agenda, which includes three afternoons of meaningful content for all attendees. As always, the Conference will begin with a Directors Panel, moderated by Andy Gienapp, Deputy Executive Director of NASMESO, with State EMS Directors from across the country. They will have an open dialogue about the state of rural EMS, challenges, and successes, as well as take questions from attendees. Another session of note is “The Value of EMS Leadership Training and Education.” This session is being presented by members from the Kentucky Office of Rural Health and the Michigan Center for Rural Health.  

Thank you to this year’s Conference Sponsors:
To learn more and register for the conference, please visit the NOSORH website or contact Matt Strycker or Trevor Brown.
New NOSORH Web Page Features Resources for Rural Health Clinic COVID-19 Response
NOSORH's website has a new section of resources for Rural Health Clinics (RHCs)! Find resources, ideas, and information to help understand the technical assistance (TA) available to support rural communities and RHCs. Learn about the different grant programs, contact information for NOSORH TA champions, and ideas to grow vaccine confidence.

“The resources that RHCs from around the country have shared are beautiful and engaging. We’re so happy to share them for anyone to use to help their community be more well,” said Tammy Norville, NOSORH Technical Assistance Director.

NOSORH is a proud partner with the National Association of Rural Health Clinics, the Georgia Health Policy Center, and the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy on this work in rural communities.
Registration Opening Soon: Summer 2022 Rural Health Data Institute!
Are you a busy rural health professional that would like to learn more about using data in your everyday work? Mark your calendars to attend NOSORH’s Rural Health Data Institute (RHDI), designed to help participants find, analyze, and communicate data to inform program planning and decision-making.

The RHDI is a set of eight 90-minute web-based sessions designed to create a basic skill set for working with rural health data. Whether working with community health needs assessment (CHNA) data or implementing a quality improvement initiative, RHDI will provide the foundational skills necessary to critically analyze, interpret, and communicate using data. All sessions are recorded to watch at your convenience.

Key Dates: 
Registration opens: Early March
Registration closes: April 22, 2022
Institute starts: May 3, 2022
Institute ends: June 28, 2022

For more information, please contact Chris Salyers at chris.salyers@nosorh.org or (734) 881-9551. 
Rural Health Policy Update
Policy Institute a success! Throughout February, NOSORH and various State Offices participated in virtual meetings with their Congressional delegations. The meetings were used to advocate for increased funding for SORH and the reauthorization of the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility (Flex) Grant program. The Flex language is included in Reps. Sam Graves (R-MO) and Jared Huffman (D-CA) comprehensive bill addressing rural hospital payments. The bipartisan NOSORH-endorsed bill, H.R. 6400, contains a bevy of NOSORH-friendly language centered around the Flex reauthorization section. NOSORH is currently advocating for the Senate to introduce similar Flex language. Read More
Featured Community Star
Susan A. Orban, LICSW
Narraganset, Rhode Island

For the last 20 years, Susan has served as the Washington County Coalition for Children coordinator, the region’s child advocacy organization.

“I want to make a difference in my community, and I want all children to thrive,” she said. “I’m so aware of the inequities and lack of priorities, and that is why I’m so committed to making a difference for the next generation.” Atop her priority list is to improve access to children’s mental health.

April
19-21
October
4-5
NOSORH Annual Meeting
Harrisonburg, VA
#PowerofRural