Jackson, Miss. — The Mississippi State Department of Health is proud to recognize the importance of the work done by healthcare providers, professionals and community workers for National Rural Health Day.
In 2024 the MSDH established the Mississippi Center for Rural Health and Population Studies to focus on the issues affecting rural areas of the state. The Center helps rural communities build productive health care delivery systems and supports rural health clinics, and helps place primary care providers in rural Mississippi.
There are three offices within the Center: The Office of Mississippi Physician Workforce, the Office of State Health Planning and Research and the State Office of Rural Health.
The Office of Rural Health, in particular, focuses on administering several federal grants and loan programs as well as collecting data on rural health needs.
“Our goal is to raise awareness and find solutions to the challenges faced when working and living in rural communities here in Mississippi,” said Dr. Jennifer Gholson, Director of the MSDH Center for Rural Health and Population Studies. “The State Office of Rural Health serves as the hub that that links rural, underserved communities with the resources to find long-term solutions to their unique healthcare needs.”
Since 2011, the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health (NOSORH) has set aside the third Thursday of November to celebrate the "Power of Rural" on National Rural Health Day (NRHD). This day is an opportunity to bring attention to and honor the incredible efforts of rural healthcare providers, communities, organizations, State Offices of Rural Health, and other stakeholders dedicated to improving healthcare across rural America.
For more information, please visit the MSDH website at msdh.ms.gov/ruralhealth
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Press Contact: MSDH Office of Communications, (601) 576-7667
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