Rural Health Day 2024

Thursday, November 21, 2024, is Rural Health Day. This day serves as an opportunity to shine a spotlight on the unique challenges faced by rural communities while also celebrating their resilience and strength. The people in rural areas are proud, self-sufficient, and have a strong sense of mutual support. They value privacy, traditions, and hard work. Their families often go back generations in a particular area with street signs dedicated to prominent surnames.

The Challenges

Yet, despite these wonderful attributes, rural communities also face some remarkable disparities as compared to their urban counterparts. People in rural communities have limited access to resources from healthcare to employment. Due to the vast physical distance in rural areas, people can more easily become socially isolated. Social isolation is a trending topic in health and is associated with poorer health outcomes, increased substance use and mental health problems. In some rural areas, long distances to healthcare facilities make it difficult for residents to get the care they need, particularly for those without reliable transportation. Rural populations tend to have higher rates of chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and obesity, often compounded by limited access to care and preventative services. Rural areas often face mental health care shortages, leading to fewer resources for individuals struggling with mental health issues, including higher rates of suicide in some communities.

Help is Here

However, there are organizations that serve the rural communities in Western New York to improve health outcomes. Spectrum Health and Human Services is a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) providing a variety of services in Wyoming County and Springville in southern Erie County, including treatment for substance use and mental health, housing, crisis intervention, Assertive Community Treatment (ACT), and health homes.  Rural Area Health Education Center (R-AHEC) focuses on creating community partnerships to educate and place healthcare professionals in underserved areas. They work on improving accessibility and providing a broader array of services to meet the needs of rural communities. New York State Association of Rural Health (NYSARH) is a grassroots organization working to preserve and improve health and human services in rural New York State. They host webinars and events to address the unique challenges faced by rural communities and promote healthy living. And there are several local hospitals, Wyoming County Community Hospital, Bertrand Chaffee Hospital, and Olean General Hospital, providing vital healthcare services to those in rural communities.

Spectrum Health’s podcast – Spectrum Health Journey – included a conversation with Catrina Dworzack and Amanda Burkett, the clinical directors at our Wyoming County and Springville Counseling Centers respectively. Find it on Spotify, Apple, IHeart Radio or here on our website, or hear it on CJ Country on Sunday at 8:30am. The CJ Country program includes a bonus interview with Lisa Green, a member of our POEMS team, who talks about her work with young students in Wyoming County schools.

Rural Health Day is set aside as a time to understand the plight of those in rural areas, acknowledge their character, and raise awareness to implement policies that improve rural life.

Eric Dryja, LCSW-R
Vice President, Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics