PAGE 14 April Issue 2021
By Elena Cleaves, Staff Writer
The Missouri Rural Health Association (MRHA), in
collaboration with the Health Resources and
Services Administration (HRSA)/Office of Regional
Operations Region 7, recently hosted a federal
panel discussion on the rural health care response
to the COVID-19 pandemic. All panelists discussed
their role in serving as a bridge between rural
communities and the agencies enacting policies
and funding programs. Each agency prioritizes
ensuring that rural communities have access to
necessary resources and that unmet needs are
brought to the attention of policy makers to fill
those gaps. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic,
the greatest priorities for all panelists have been
increasing access to health care services, sharing
information and messaging tactics to control the
spread of the virus and increase vaccination
efforts, and to do it all through a lens of health
equity. The overarching goal of all agencies
involved is to ensure socially vulnerable and
underserved communities receive the help they
need and often do not get.
The panel was facilitated by Melissa Van Dyne,
Executive Director of MRHA, and featured
panelists representing several agencies. Among
the agencies that participated are the
Administration for Community Living (ACL),
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS),
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA),
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD), Office of the Assistant
Secretary for Health (OASH), Substance Abuse
and Mental Health Services Administration
(SAMHSA), and the U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA). Panelists shared their
agency's COVID-19 response efforts, specifically
focusing on rural Missouri, and highlighted
upcoming funding opportunities, current priorities,
and future initiatives in rural health.
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