It's our third anniversary! We are celebrating with our intern, Sydney, and having a conversation about what she has learned in her time with RHLR! Sydney is a Master of Healthcare Administration student at the University of South Florida, and has been with RHLR since May.
“We should focus on consistently chipping away at our problems and always look for improvement.”
~Sydney Grant
Sydney Grant is starting her second year in the Master of Healthcare Administration program at the University of South Florida, graduating in 2020. She received her bachelor of science from Florida State University in 2018, majoring in Political Science with a minor in Communication. She has interned with the Quality, Safety and Risk department at USF Health, measuring Medical Assistants’ adherence to blood pressure measurement guidelines, and is currently interning with Dr. Bill Auxier and Rural Health Leadership Radio.
“Rural healthcare faces unique challenges and barriers, which leaves so much room for creative problem solving.”
~Sydney Grant
Sydney has worked with Rural Health Leadership Radio podcast production, research, cataloging past episodes, and much more. She is an active member in the West Florida Chapter of ACHE, as well as being a member of the Communications Committee for WFC ACHE. She is the Membership Engagement Officer for the USF Health Management Student Association (HMSA), and is a member of the HMSA Gala Committee.
Today we have another special episode of Rural Health Leadership Radio! We are having a panel discussion at the Indiana Rural Health Association’s Annual Conference, with several guests lined up to chat with us!
“We need to work in our own communities to build the workforce from the ground up.”
~Jim Ballard
The panel discussion covers topics ranging from access to quality medical care in rural communities, finding new models of education to train students in real-life environments, cultural issues in the community, to the humanizing technology. The panelists touched on issues they have experienced within their organizations and areas, and shared their best practices and unique solutions that helped bring their community closer together. Along with creative problem solving, the discussion also included what rural healthcare leaders can look to in the future, as well as ways the rural community can work to break down barriers to receiving quality healthcare.
“You see those emerging innovative solutions that are born out of necessity, where CEOs are able to innovate across borders without labels.”
~Michael Snyder
Today, we will hear from Michael Snyder, Emma Eckrote, Jim Ballard, and Dennis Weatherford.
It's a special episode of Rural Health Leadership Radio! We are at the Indiana Rural Health Association’s Annual Conference in French Lick, IN, and we have several attendees lined up to have a brief conversation with us.
The Indiana Rural Health Association was founded in 1997 as a not-for-profit corporation for the purpose of improving the health of all rural citizens in Indiana. Since the organization’s inception, RHA has developed collaborative relationships with several state agencies, including the Indiana Primary Health Care Association, the Indiana University School of Medicine, the Richard G. Lugar Center for Rural Health, Indiana Hospital Association, ISDH-State Office of Rural Health, Health Care Excel and the American Heart Association. IRHA is a state member of the National Rural Health Association.
We are having a conversation about the importance of innovation and collaboration in rural healthcare with Greg Ruberg, the President and CEO of Lake View Hospital.
“It’s my passion in healthcare to be working with rural health and helping to advance rural health whenever I can.”
~Greg Ruberg
Greg Ruberg is the President and CEO of Lake View Hospital and is the Vice-President of Saint Luke’s Hospital in Minnesota. He also serves as administrative support to North Shore Health and Board Chair of Wilderness Health to North Shore Health. Greg has had a passion for rural healthcare since high school, where his interest in physical therapy would eventually lead him to his career in rural health. Greg values innovation with his teams and embraces the importance of collaborating within the community. Greg was able to co-locate the local outpatient behavioral health clinic to the Lake View campus, bringing high quality, integrated care to their patients.
“In rural healthcare, we have to be open to innovation and drive change to bring more value to our patients.”
~Greg Ruberg
Greg has also collaborated with local law enforcement to tackle issues together, such as patients in a mental health crisis. The relationship has carried on for five years, allowing for a team effort to better serve their community. Greg has also brought forth other valuable connections with the local school district to stimulate student interest in the healthcare profession.
We’re talking about occupational health issues within the agricultural community with Knesha Rose-Davison, the Health Communications Director at AgriSafe.
“We known farming is a tough occupation but they have some of the hardest working, and most dedicated people…”
~Knesha Rose-Davison
Knesha was born in Arkansas Delta, with many of her family members working in agriculture. She received her Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences in 2002, and in 2016, obtained a certificate in Agricultural Medicine, focusing on rural occupational health and environmental health safety. At AgriSafe, they focus on protecting the people that feed the world, and through the Total Farmer Health Program, Knesha and her team is able to look at all of the potential factors that can affect a producer’s health and wellbeing.
“Everything impacts a farmer or producer’s life and we have to take that into consideration…and try to provide information to help them alleviate some of those concerns…”
~Knesha Rose-Davison
Knesha also serves as the 72nd president of the Louisiana Public Health Association and is a March of Dimes Gretchen C. Carlson Advocacy fellow. She has covered the spectrum on care, ranging from infants to the elderly, and eventually took her position with AgriSafe, bringing her back to her Delta roots. Knesha has over twelve years of public health experience, and is passionate about serving vulnerable populations and increasing health care access and equity.
Below are the resources mentioned during our conversation: