Grand Canyon Times

Participants in the 50th Annual Arizona Rural Health Conference, organized by the Arizona Center for Rural Health (AzCRH), celebrated their achievements in improving healthcare and services for rural citizens. The event, held from June 4-5, 2024, in Flagstaff, Arizona, also focused on strategic collaborations to enhance health services across all communities in the state. Pre-conference sessions took place on June 3.

This year’s conference saw record attendance with nearly 475 participants from across Arizona and representatives from the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Region IX and the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP). Attendees included leaders from Critical Access Hospitals, Rural Health Clinics, Community Health Workers, Public and Rural Health Associations, various health departments, social services agencies, food banks, public libraries, environmental justice organizations, advocacy groups, policymakers, and academic institutions such as Northern Arizona University and Arizona State University.

A notable group of students from the Arizona Nursing Inclusive Excellence (ANIE) program at the University of Arizona College of Nursing also attended.

The pre-conference sessions featured a summit for Critical Access Hospitals and Rural Health Clinics under AzCRH’s Arizona Rural Hospital Flexibility Program. Additionally, HRSA Region IX hosted a “Rural Maternal Health Convening,” during which HRSA Deputy Administrator Jordan Grossman announced a $4 million grant to Mariposa Community Health Center in Nogales as part of the Rural Maternity and Obstetrics Management Strategies (RMOMS) program.

On June 4, Dr. Dan Derksen delivered a retrospective address highlighting key contributors to rural health improvements. A recorded interview between Alison Hughes and Martha Ortiz was played during lunch to honor Ortiz's contributions.

June 5 included sessions on community listening results from the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS), graduate medical education opportunities presented by Dr. Ed Paul, and discussions on maternal health outcomes among other topics. Will Humble provided an overview of health impacts related to upcoming ballot propositions.

Dr. Derksen concluded the conference with an address quoting Robert F. Kennedy: “Each time you stand up for an ideal...you send forth a tiny ripple of hope…those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.”

The event was described as a rewarding collaboration by its organizers.