Photo credit: Eric Johansen

Rural Health Connect

Improving the health of rural communities

CEO of Beaver Valley Hospital honored with Impact Award for a career dedicated to caring for his

friends and neighbors

The Office of Primary Care and Rural Health (PCRH) recognized Scott Langford with an Impact Award in honor of National Rural Health Day. Langford, a son of the community, returned to Beaver after pursuing higher education in an effort to pay back the community that raised him. He has worked at Beaver Valley Hospital for the past 25 years and is currently the CEO. 

PCRH announces 2 new programs to bring

physicians to Utah

Our Office of Primary Care and Rural Health (PCRH) is pleased to announce 2 new programs to bring physicians to Utah. DHHS can now provide a letter of support for qualifying international physicians applying for a visa waiver through the HHS Exchange Visitor program and for the Physician National Interest Waiver (PNIW) program.

Rural Health Plan Survey: We need your opinion!

In conjunction with the Utah State Office of Rural Health, our Utah Center for Rural Health is conducting a survey to gain insights into the upcoming Utah Rural Health Plan. View that survey here: Rural Health Plan Survey

Please help by completing this survey by September 10, 2024.

If you have any questions, please contact Rita Osborn at osborn@suu.edu or 435-865-8520.

Rural Health Association of Utah Annual Conference

NHSC Site Recertification Cycle open until

September 30, 2024

The NHSC Site Recertification Cycle is currently open and will close on September 30, 2024. Active NHSC sites with ‘December 31, 2024’ expiration dates must recertify to maintain their NHSC-approved status. In addition to portal notifications, HRSA will be sending emails to site points of contact (POCs) of all applicable sites, and will send reminder e-mails throughout the cycle.

We encourage you to share the following resources with sites that are up for recertification:

How to Apply for Site Recertification

NHSC Site Reference Guide

Division of Regional Operations State/Territorial Leads

Please contact your DRO State/Territorial Lead to receive a list of all expiring sites in your area.

Guest speaker, Doug Morse, at Rural Hospital Administrators' Summit

Rural health administrators gathered for the 13th annual Summit

The Office of Primary Care and Rural Health organized the 13th annual Rural Hospital Administrators Summit to support rural administrators in meeting the hospitals’ needs. 

Get ready for National Rural Health Day!

Mark your calendars for Thursday, November 21, and join the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health (NOSORH), the 50 State Offices of Rural Health, and rural health champions nationwide in celebrating National Rural Health Day (NRHD) and the #PowerOfRural!

This special day is an excellent opportunity to highlight the remarkable achievements in rural healthcare and to honor those dedicated to keeping our rural communities healthy and thriving.

2023 First place photo: Jolyn Smith

Rural health photo contest now open!

What do you see when you think of rural health? Do you focus on the blazing sunset, the geese in flight, or are you reminded of that amazing hike you were just able to complete, thanks to the excellent care you receive from your local doctor? What does rural health look like to you? We want to see!

As we celebrate Rural Health Week in Utah from November 17–23, 2024, we want to highlight the beauty of our people and the places we call home, so give us your best shot!

Future Clinicians Scholarship Program

The Future Clinicians Scholarship Program offers scholarships for underrepresented health profession students who are engaging in self-led community service and research, are developing critical professional skills, and are interested in working to address health disparities in medically underserved communities.

Recruitment of residents to rural programs: Early outcomes from Cohort 1 of the Rural Residency Planning and Development Grants Program

To bolster the rural physician workforce, the US Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) funded multiple Rural Residency Planning and Development (RRPD) awards to develop rural residency programs, in which residents spend greater than half of training time in a rural area in needed specialties, including family medicine, internal medicine, preventive medicine, psychiatry, general surgery, and obstetrics and gynecology.

Housing challenges and opportunities for

rural residency development 

The ongoing expansion of rural residency programs is essential to addressing the physician shortage in the rural United States. Evidence shows that exposure to rural residency, and potentially positive lived experience in a rural community, increases the likelihood of physicians entering rural practice.^1-3  However, a substantial barrier for such programs is finding sufficient housing for residents.

SBA Certified Development Company (504) Loan Program: Rural Initiative pilot program

The 504 Certified Development Company (CDC) Program provides small businesses with long-term, fixed-rate financing for major fixed assets, such as land and buildings. 504 Loans are potential options for healthcare practitioners who want to build a new office or expand/renovate an existing medical building.

USDA Community Facilities Direct Loan and Grant Program

The USDA Community Facilities Direct Loan and Grant Program provides direct loans and/or grants for essential community facilities in rural areas. Priority is given to healthcare and public safety projects. Funds may be used to purchase, construct, enlarge, or improve facilities.

Daniels Fund grants

The Daniels Fund makes grants to organizations located in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming working in one of the following areas: aging, drug and alcohol addiction, amateur sports, disabilities, early childhood education, K-12 education reform, homeless and disadvantaged populations, and youth development.

Contact us

PCRH provides support to all its stakeholders in the form of hands-on assistance, economic impact analysis, research, community health needs assessments, and healthcare workforce needs assessment. PCRH also provides technical assistance and pertinent information on student loan repayment programs and grant opportunities.

Photo credit: Eric Johansen

Disclaimer: The Utah Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) may occasionally link to outside sources of information. Utah DHHS and state of Utah do not necessarily endorse the provider of the content and are not responsible for any content published on the external site.