2022 Rural Health Voice Conference

For over twenty years, the Virginia Rural Health Association has served as “The Voice for Rural Health in Virginia.” Rural Health is DIFFERENT. Rural Americans face a unique combination of factors that create disparities in health care not found in urban areas. Economic factors, cultural and social differences, educational differences, lack of recognition by legislators and the isolation of living in remote rural areas all conspire to impede rural Americans in their struggle to lead a normal, healthy life. This event focuses on the opportunity for rural health stakeholders to hold in-depth conversations about how the issues in our communities can be addressed.

The Rural Health Voice Conference is an occasion to recognize that health in rural areas is not the sole responsibility of doctors and nurses. Education, economic development, transportation, the built environment, and even social opportunities play a role in the health of individuals and communities. All aspects of the community are providers or barriers to health.

– Agenda
– Hotel Information
– Registration Details
– Student Posters/Scholarships
– 2022 VRHA Awards
– Sponsor/Exhibitor Information

About Our Sessions

Speakers:

Karriem Watson

Karriem S. Watson, DHS, MS, MPH
Chief Engagement Officer
National Institutes of Health All of Us Research Program

Benjamin Gilmer, MD
Family Physician, Author, & Associate Professor
UNC School of Medicine/MAHEC FM Residency Program

Alan Morgan

Alan Morgan
CEO
National Rural Health Association

Wendy Welch
Director
SWVA Graduate Medical Education Consortium

Beth O’Connor, M. Ed.
Executive Director
Virginia Rural Health Association

Melissa Irene-Jackson, MSW
Transgender Health Care Services Manager
The Virginia League for Planned Parenthood

Breakout Sessions:

Youth & Suicide – Jim Werth, PhD, ABPP
Serving Persons with Disabilities – Lisa Richard, Joshua McCray
Addressing Workforce Needs – Leanna Blevins, PhD
Community Paramedicine – Tim Perkins
Mobile Clinics – Robert Alpino
Recovery Housing – Jordan Laney, PhD
Racism as a Public Health Crisis – Sandy Bryant, APRN, NC, LPC, LMFT
Engaging Community Stakeholders – Pam Deguzman, PhD, MBA, RN, CNL
Maternal Health – Danielle Montague, MPH

Agenda

(Click to enlarge)

Hotel Information

*There are no more rooms available for the conference discount rate!*

Contact the lodge to check availability of rooms at standard rate.

Great Wolf Lodge

549 E Rochambeau Drive
Williamsburg, VA 23188
(800) 551-9653

Registration

Event registration fees include 2023 VRHA membership dues. *

VRHA Members – $195

Access code for this rate will be emailed to all members. If you did not receive yours, please email meghan@vrha.org

Non-Member Rate – $245

Students – $95 for both days

11/16 Only: $75.00 **
11/17 Only: $30.00

* Individual memberships only, does not apply for organizational memberships
** Reduced rate for one-day attendance is only available to students.

Register Here

Note: Fees will increase on November 1st!

Student Scholarships – “Why Rural?”

VRHA is inviting students who are in any health or public policy program to submit essays on why they want to serve rural communities. 3 essays will be selected and the authors will receive free conference registration.

The author of the winning essay will have the honor of reading the essay at the conference and will receive 2 complimentary nights at an area hotel and free conference registration.

DEADLINE HAS PASSED.
Winners will be announced on October 28th.

Student Poster Presentations

VRHA is now accepting applications for Poster Presentations from health and public policy students at the conference. A maximum of 15 applications will be approved for presentation.

Prizes:

First Place: $500
Second Place: $250
Third Place: $100

The Poster Presentations provide participants with the ideal opportunity to disseminate information to other rural health stakeholders. Poster Presentations may include research projects, case studies, clinical evaluations, case presentations, observations, unusual or uncommon situations and other topics as they relate to rural health. All types of health professions and public policy students are encouraged to submit applications for consideration. Posters co-authored by professionals are acceptable as long as the student is the lead author and presenter

All posters must have a Virginia perspective: either submitted by a student from Virginia, or by a student attending a Virginia school, or a poster topic on a Virginia issue. Entries with no relation to Virginia will not be considered.

Submission information and general instructions:

Incomplete submissions will not be reviewed by the planning committee.
Submission deadline is October 21, 2022.
Presenters may not use posters to market products or services; exhibit space is available for that purpose.
No honoraria or travel expense reimbursement will be provided.
The presenter is responsible for having the poster printed and bringing a display easel to the event.

Categories & Judging:

Presentations will be reviewed and judged by the following criteria –

Rural relevance (30 points)
Presenter – enthusiastic, professional, well-prepared (20 points)
Interpretation of data (10 points)
Abstract or summary of findings (10 points)
Proper reference/citations (10 points)
Background & Rationale (10 points)
General overview/layout of the poster (10 points)

~~2022 Poster Presentation Application~~
Deadline has passed.

Membership in VRHA is not required to submit a presentation for consideration.

2022 VRHA Awards

All Virginia Rural Health Association members and member organizations are invited to submit nominations for the 2022 Virginia Rural Health Association Awards. Nominees are not required to be members of the association. Commitment and service to the advancement of rural health in Virginia may be in the form of direct provision of health care services, governmental or educational advocacy, activities or research that improves the health of communities or populations.

Nominations are now closed.

Awardees Categories:

Lawmaker of the Year – Lawmaker of the Year is designed to give special recognition to an elected official at any level who has demonstrated support for improving health in rural Virginia.

The Charles Crowder, Jr. Award – This award is given annually by the Virginia Rural Health Association to recognize outstanding individual commitment and service to the advancement of rural health in Virginia.

The Best Practices in Rural Health Award – This award is given annually by the Virginia Rural Health Association to recognize a program or institution that exemplifies commitment and service to the advancement of rural health in Virginia.

The Ken Studer Friend of the Association Award – This award is given to recognize a program, institution or individual that has advocated for or aided the Association in support of the Association’s mission.

Read about our past honorees here.

Sponsor/Exhibitor Information

The Rural Health Voice Conference creates unique networking opportunities and a forum to discuss how we can strengthen the healthcare safety net through collaboration, share best practices and best utilize community resources. Your support is greatly appreciated.

Target Audience:
The conference is attended by approximately 80-100 people, which includes facility executives, academic faculty, clinic staff, government officials, health professions students and more.