Rural Reporter
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Despite Challenges, Rural EMS Providers Say Quality Remains High
"With fewer volunteers and funding concerns, being a volunteer emergency medical technician in rural Wisconsin is getting increasingly difficult." Wisconsin Public Radio looks at the state of rural EMS in western Wisconsin, with guests from our office, the Wisconsin EMS Association, and ambulance director Tom Hall in Rusk County. (Photo: Wisconsin National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Alex Baum)
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2018 Outstanding Contribution to Rural Health Award Winners
The Wisconsin Office of Rural Health applauds the innovation, quality of care, and dedication of health professionals and volunteers in Wisconsin’s rural communities during Rural Health Day, a state and national celebration that recognizes the efforts of those serving the health needs of over 60 million people across the nation. In honor of Rural Health Day, our office has recognized three winners for our inaugural Outstanding Contribution to Rural Health Awards—one to a hospital working for a system of whole health, another to a nurse giving back to her community, and a third to a county market working to address food insecurity.
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The State of Rural EMS in Wisconsin, with the American Ambulance Association
In honor of today’s National Rural Health Day, our Director, John Eich, spoke with Amanda Riordan at the American Ambulance Association about the recent Rural EMS Listening Sessions we conducted in a number of areas across the state. Read the transcript, or watch the video, here.
"[EMS has] evolved into a healthcare profession. And so there are a lot more demands. There’s a lot more education; continuing education, learning new techniques that are lifesaving. Society depends on it. But that means that these volunteer services that started off small are under increasing pressure. That’s why we are trying to dedicate as many of our resources as we can to helping out that system within Wisconsin, and it’s paying great dividends."
—John Eich, Director of the Wisconsin Office of Rural Health
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Wisconsin Organization Lauded Nationally For Rural Health Day
Rural Health Day is an annual day of recognition for those who serve the vital health needs of nearly 60 million people residing in America’s rural communities.
Today, an organization in Rhinelander has been selected by the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health (NOSORH) to be one of seventy national Community Stars because of its work to advance rural health in Forest County.
The "Ties That Bind Us" organization is cited as a champion of community collaboration efforts. It's worked to raise educational awareness about cancer, held anti-smoking campaigns, offered free lung cancer screenings in the community, and hosted events to promote healthy lifestyles. The group is also lauded for its initiatives to improve the lives of those struggling with the disease. In one initiative, the organization purchased two robots that enabled children in cancer treatment to attend school using remote technology.
Read more to learn how Forest County Ties That Bind Us is being nationally recognized as a Community Star.
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Watch: The Concerns of Rural Americans
A recent poll conducted by National Public Radio, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health surveyed rural Americans about life in their communities. Last week, the same institutions that conducted the poll held a forum to talk about the results. Watch here, or read the transcript. Some quotes from panelists:
- "I want to make sure that we elevate one other finding [from this poll], which is the importance and strength of social connection in rural communities across the country." —Katrina Badger, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
- "Part of the problem is that we tend to try to compartmentalize the answers to the complex problems that we face. When it comes to [economic development, health care, and dealing with the opioid crisis], I think we need to understand that we need a more comprehensive, holistic approach. " —Ted Strickland, former Governor of Ohio
- "In the middle of an epidemic, there's a lot of public support at the moment for throwing some money at [treatment and prevention]... A large share of the public thinks [the opioid epidemic] is a short-term, treatable problem. And so at sometime they're going to wake up and find out that this is very long-term." —Bob Blendon, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Harvard Kennedy School
- "I want to make sure that we elevate one other finding [from this poll], which is the importance and strength of social connection in rural communities across the country." —Katrina Badger, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
