Mark your calendars! November 17th is National Rural Health Day and an opportunity to remember and promote healthcare providers in communities like ours. Small towns, farming communities, and frontier areas are places where neighbors know each other, listen to each other, respect each other, and work together to benefit the greater good. We know how great it is to live here, but we also recognize the challenges.

The third Thursday in November has been set aside to highlight rural communities as wonderful places to live and work, increase awareness of rural health-related issues, and promote the efforts to address these issues.

Rural communities have unique healthcare needs. Today more than ever, rural communities like Malheur County, must address accessibility issues, a lack of healthcare providers, the needs of an aging population suffering from a greater number of chronic conditions, and larger percentages of un- and underinsured citizens.

To follow along on social media, please use the hashtag #PowerofRural.