(Salt
Lake City, UT) – For many Utahns, getting medical care means much more than
just hopping in the car and driving 15 minutes to the nearest health
facility. Many residents who live in
rural areas must drive an hour or more to get care.
Utah
isn’t the only state with residents facing that dilemma. For that reason, on November 15, 2012, state
and national leaders will spotlight the importance of rural health by observing
National Rural Health Day. In Utah,
Governor Gary Herbert has named November 11-17 as Utah Rural Health Week. The designation is meant to reinforce the
commitment from all sectors to improve access to and quality of health service
in rural communities.
Utah
statistics underscore the need to focus on small communities. One in every four
Utahns lives in a rural (more than six but fewer than 100 people per square
mile) or frontier (six or fewer people per square mile) county. Of Utah’s 29
counties, only four are urban, while 12 are rural and 13 are frontier.
As
part of Rural Health Week, the Utah Office of Primary Care and Rural Health is
holding a photo contest. Entries should
“communicate the concept of rural,” and will be judged on creativity,
originality, photo quality, and the picture’s overall appeal. Submissions must be original and taken during
2012. Prizes will be given for 1st, 2nd,
and 3rd place. Winners will be selected
on Friday, November 16, 2012. Entries
may be e-mailed to Owen Quinonez at oquinone@utah.gov.
All
50 states maintain a State Office of Rural Health (SORH) to foster
relationships, disseminate information, and provide technical assistance that
improves access to, and quality of, health care for its rural citizens.
As
Utah’s SORH, the Utah Office of Primary Care and Rural Health (OPCRH)
contributes $540,000 in grants to rural health organizations to help
residents access primary care and mental health and dental services.
Additionally, OPCRH provides more than $160,000 in grants to rural hospitals to
support projects to improve health care in their communities.
For
more information about National Rural Health Day, visit www.celebratepowerofrural.org.
To learn more about NOSORH, visit www.nosorh.org. And for more information about
the Utah Office of Primary Care and Rural Health, visit http://health.utah.gov/primarycare/
or contact Owen Quinonez, Community Health Specialist, at oquinone@utah.gov or by phone at 801-273-6620.
Media Contact:
Owen Quinonez
Program Manager
(801) 273-6620
