ORH was honored to receive an inaugural award at the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program’s (Flex) Reverse Site Visit in Washington D.C. this July. The award, presented by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Administrator Thomas Engels, recognizes ORH’s rural population health programming and its work to improve the health of Oregon’s rural residents. 

ORH offers a variety of programs in support of population health, including the following:

• Forum on Rural Population Health: an annual event that brings together rural health and community-based organizations (CBOs) to share best practices in improving community health in rural Oregon;
• Rural Population Health Incubator Program: a program that aims to strengthen community health in rural Oregon by providing grants to support population health initiatives led by rural hospitals, clinics, public health departments and CBOs; and
• Rural Community Health Worker (CHW) Programs: programs that focus on supporting the training of rural CHWs through scholarships, a rural CHW listserv and a monthly rural CHW peer meet-up, where participants share best practices and resources as they navigate working as CHWs to support community members’ health.

Email Stepha Dragoon, ORH’s rural population health program manager, for more information about ORH’s rural population health programs.