The 2021 Rural Policy Summit was a virtual series that brought together a wide range of stakeholders, including policymakers, nonprofit leaders, academic researchers, industry professionals, and others interested in rural conditions and trends, to learn about and discuss major policy issues that affected rural Pennsylvania over the next five to 10 years. This session was a roundtable discussion on the challenges and opportunities facing our rural health care providers and facilities.
“Health care access and availability in rural Pennsylvania are long-standing concerns among providers and consumers,” said Kyle C. Kopko, Director of the Center for Rural Pennsylvania. “This Rural Policy Summit was a virtual, roundtable discussion on the successes achieved and the challenges faced by rural health care facilities and programs over the years. Leaders and experts representing various rural populations and health care providers shared insights that can help inform policy and best practices on expanding access and availability.”
The summit panelists are:
- Thomas Kurtz, President and CEO of Chan Soon-Shiong Medical Center at Windber
- Omrana Pasha-Razzak, Professor of Medicine and Public Health Sciences and Attending Physician, Division of Hospital Medicine at Penn State Hershey Medical Center and Penn State College of Medicine
- Joanne Corte Grossi, AARP Pennsylvania State President
- Steven Ross, Special Assistant to the Secretary, Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs.
The series was cohosted by the Pennsylvania Office of Rural Health, Pennsylvania Rural Development Council, Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, Pennsylvania Downtown Center, and Philadelphia Federal Reserve Bank’s Community Development and Regional Outreach Department.