As you may recall, I’m totally obsessed with the Hunger Game’s series and the next movie was just released.  In a recent interview, Jennifer Lawrence said, “it’s an important story about how powerful one voice can be.”  I completely agree, one voice can make all the difference, but gathering our voices together is even more powerful.

November 19, 2015 was National Rural Health Day, a day dedicated to celebrating the power of rural.   We had the opportunity to co-host an event with Estes Park Medical Center to celebrate.  During the event we heard from Mark Gregson, Interim CEO, Bill Pinkham Mayor, Dr. Frank Dumont, Karen Nicholson, Vice President of Physician Services, and Representative Perry Buck on the exemplary activities being accomplished by Estes Park Medical Center and the community.  One of the key messages was delivered by Dr. Frank Dumont emphasizing the efforts of the hospital, the clinics, library, schools, senior centers and the community at large to move towards wellness.

CRHC believes in the efforts to engage the community in the overall health and wellness.  In fact this is the vision of the iCARE (Improving Communications and Readmissions) program to move from not only focusing on chronic disease, but a move towards health and wellness.  Currently, twenty-two critical access hospitals and thirty rural health clinics are participating in iCARE focusing on improving care coordination, quality, and sustainable changes in systems and processes.   The iCARE program participants now have the capabilities to couple that quality data with population health measures through our HARC databank, which contains over 400 measures.  Through this notable combination of data, our 47 rural counties, plus many rural communities in urban counties, can now create conversations with and among community members to impact positive change, just as Estes Park Medical Center is doing within their community.  CRHC would love to hear and share your stories, your successes and your struggles.  As your association, we are dedicated to sustaining rural health and are thankful for each and every one individual that lives, works and has dedicated themselves to rural.

A new way to celebrate the power of rural while also acknowledging the power of rural communities is to switch up the way we present our member of the month.  In subsequent months, be on the look out for our re-visioning of the article each month in this publication that honors a member.  In light of the message from Dr. Dumont and the spirit of the healthcare movement, we’ll now be publishing the member community of the month in our Special Delivery.  Help us keep Colorado as a leader for all other states as we move into our new era of wellness.

I wish you all an amazing Thanksgiving filled with love, laughter, family and friends.

Know a rural community to feature?  Submit an article request!